Utilitarianism and Happiness Essay Example for Free

Utilitarianism and Happiness Essay Classical Utilitarianism is a moral philosophy, which was developed in 19th century England by Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick. The essential feature a utilitarian reside in, is the notion that an action is right if it produces the most amount of happiness well limiting suffering. Utilitarianism focuses solely on the consequences of the action, in an attempt to bring about the most happiness from each situation, well ensuring everybody’s happiness is equally considered. A utilitarian decides each action, by calculating the overall utility (good) that will results against the overall disutility (bad) that will result from a particular action. The action with the highest total net utility will be chosen. Within Utilitarianism there is a division between the conceptions of what is perceived as good; Hedonist Utilitarianism and Preference Utilitarianism. Classical utilitarians believe in Hedonist, were pleasure or happiness is perceives as the only intrinsic good. In modern society most utilitarians believe that the concept of good refers to preferences, and that individual preference satisfaction should be maximized for example artistic creation. There is a further division between utilitarians; Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism. Rule Utilitarianism, holds that one should always follow rules that tend to promote the general welfare of humans for example a rule might be not to killing people. Act Utilitarianism holds that one should always act to promote the general welfare. Utilitarianism is plausible firstly because general overall happiness is achieved for the greatest amount of people. Second, because of it simplicity it is easy to determine whether an action is moral or immoral. You simply have to calculate the total utility against the total disutility for each action, and chose the action that will result in the most happiness. Third, the majority of society uses Utilitarianism when they are confronted with daily decisions. For example in peak hour traffic the majority of drivers would let another driver change into their lane, because the other driver obviously needs to change lanes. The other driver is likely to gain more happiness from being let in than the potential unhappiness it will cause you by waiting a few extra second in traffic. Fourth, it is a simply way off living a moral life, were you do not necessary have to be religious to be moral in your decision-making. The strongest objection against Utilitarianism is that it cannot accommodate for moral considerations such as individuals rights and justice. This is because Utilitarianism only considers the consequence of an action. This objection is highlighted in a case concerning an innocent man whose was wrongfully convicted of a crime. In 1974, England, Gerry Conlon was falsely imprisoned, for the bombing of a pub in the town of Guilford, which killed five people. This case raises the issue that the consequences of an action should not be the only things considered when deciding which action to take. If a utilitarian was to view this case critics would argue that a utilitarian would have to conclude that even with, bad consequences resulting from convicting an innocent man, their would overall be more good consequences derived from the peace of mind gained from the loved one of the deceased, as well as the community of Guilford. Critics of Utilitarianism would argue that greater consequences would result in convicting the innocent man, therefore Utilitarianism is unable to regard the importance of justice, this philosophy must therefore be wrong. With the objection that Utilitarianism cannot accommodate for the importance of justice, a utilitarian would address this concern with the response that by choosing the action that results in the best consequences, justice will ultimately be protected. Justice will always be protected even if it is not a utilitarian ultimate purpose. In regards to Gerry Conlon case, a utilitarian would never choose to convict an innocent man of a crime he didn’t commit because, even if more happiness was achieved in the short run through this false conviction, in the long run more unhappiness is likely to result. In the long run the guilty man would be likely to bomb again or commit another crime, also if the liar was discovered then the situation would cause greater disutility than utility, and may result in the dispatch of the justice system, as-well as great upset for the deceased family members who thought the bomber had already been punished. Therefore even though Utilitarianism doesn’t accommodate the moral consideration of justice directly, greater utility will always be created from upholding the justice system. The other aspect of the objection address criticism that Utilitarianism doesn’t accommodating individuals rights, therefore critics believe Utilitarianism must be wrong. A utilitarian would argue that just because rights are not directly considered in relation to the consequences of an action, they do in-fact have some impact on the chosen action. With majority of the population getting happiness out of doing the right thing, rights are often protected through Utilitarianism. For the small minority of people that don’t experience unhappiness from disregarding human rights, the existence of the police force ensures human right are protected from these members of society. With human rights being protected under law, people rights will be upheld under Utilitarianism because there will always be a larger amount of disutility from violating the law than from the personal gains of a human right offender. For example the CEO and CFO of Tyco a New Jersey-based company stole $150 million and inflated Tyco incomes by $500 million, in doing so they violated the rights of investors. After the police discovered this fraud, the justice system penalized both, with a sentence of 8-25 years in prison with the addition of $2. 92 billion paid to Tyco Investors. Under Utilitarianism this case wouldn’t occur because the benefits of stealing this money would never outweigh the consequences that result from being caught for defrauding investors. Therefore even though rights are not considered in the consequence of an action, they have a strong connection with the chosen action. Word- 992Ã'Ž

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Locarno Treaty means peace for all At Locarno in Switzerland there was another treaty to be signed. Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Poland, and Czechoslovakia were there to uphold this peace treaty. The three countries that backed the treaty up greatly were Germany, Great Britain and France. The main members of the treaty of Locarno are Austin Chamberlain (Great Britain) Aristide Briand (France) and Gustav Stresemann (Germany). Aristide is a successful member of the LoN helping in many cases. It has also been stated that he is a man that understands everything, but knows nothing. He has done many good things for France and is man of the modern world. Austin Chamberlain played an important part in framing the 1925 Locarno pact, an attempt to stabilize the capitalist powers in Europe. Known to enjoy family holidays with Mussolini the leader of Italy, together it states that he and Mussolini will uphold the peace in Europe. Gustav Stresemann is a very well known man in Germany and outside. This man has he lped Germany back on its feet he has accepted the fact that Germany was wrong but is a man he doesn’t stay in the past. The treaty’s central aspect of the treaties was that Germany would not choose combat as a means of resolving differences with France or Belgium. Instead, they would use diplomatic measures in order to sort out their problems. In addition, the other countries would come without delay to the aid of the attacked country should this agreement ever be broken. The treaties would assure that the frontiers between Germany and France and between Germany and Belgium be kept. France’s safety was only modestly improved, however, because the other countries in the agreement would only come to its aid if the act committed against it was considered severe. Moreover, the agreement did not restrict the Eastern border. The treaty is important because it brings a conclusion that Germany is accepting these obligations and that is the most important thing at the mo ment. The treaties gave way to a sense of global goodwill, known as the â€Å"spirit of Locarno†. They also helped straighten the way for Germany’s admission into the League of Nations the next year. Finally, Germany was being treated as a friendly nation by its enemies. Soon after joining the League however, the â€Å"spirit of Locarno† ran into strong opposition in Germany and France and eventually dissolved completely.

8 Stages of Man

Cameron Roney Lifespan Development Eight Stages of Man Interview General question on childhood: I interviewed a seventy year old woman named Virginia that I met while doing my community service. I asked her to think about her first ten years of life and to describe times that she can remember being cared for. She said that it was her grandmother that did most of the caretaking for her, especially when she was sick. She recalled one time when she had a really bad sinus infection that her grandmother helped her through.When I asked her if she could think of any time she was not very well cared for, the only time she could think of is when her father would come home bombed, which sparked some intense arguments in the family. She recalled feeling very lost during these times. Fun times in her childhood consisted of time with her family since she did not have any friends as a child. Specifically, she remembered having a lot of fun planting pumpkin seeds with her family. Trust vs. Mistrust : I asked her to describe her relationship with her parents. She said they were very close, and she went hunting with her father often.She got a lot of adult attention. She considered herself to be pretty self reliant and optimistic despite her loneliness. She feels that her seclusion from children her age was a big factor in developing her independence and self reliance. She was trustful of her parents and family, and trustful in herself to deal with most problems that arose in her life at that time. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt: Virginia reported to be fairly active, and she is. She runs a local community donation center and does a great deal of work for her church. She describes herself as self reliant.When looking back, she does not feel that she relied on others very much. She considered herself to be adventurous, but not careless. She was not overly fearful, but she wasn’t overly risky either. All in all, she is a very active woman for being seventy years old. Initiative vs . Guilt: When I asked her about her efforts to stay active, she spoke about her work involving the construction of a new church, her being the chairman of the building committee, and her work at the community donation center. She does a lot to help care for her mother and helps her children when she can.She says that all of this is a handful, but she enjoys the activity. She says that when she was younger she did consider herself to be a creative person and could think outside the box. She is an extremely able bodied woman for her age. Industry vs. Inferiority: I asked her to describe her career and her accomplishments. She recalls her thirty five years as a physical therapist. She considered it her responsibility and calling in life. She talked about one boy in particular that she worked with who lived out of town.She worked with him for three years because no one else could reach him. When I asked her about times when she felt that she had been competent and productive and develop ed her skills. She recalls doing a lot of odd jobs which taught her a lot of new skills. She found creative ways to solve problems unique to the different fields she worked in. When I asked her to describe some times that she felt incompetent or ineffective she talked about times when she would overburden herself with too many jobs or trying to handle an extremely large workload herself.She considers herself competent and capable, and really has accomplished a lot in her time. General Question on Identity: I asked her to think about her encounters with her peers when she was between 10 and 19 years of age. She said that she was not so accepted by those around her. She was overweight as a kid. She moved to a new high school which was in a city. This was tough on her because she had grown up in a very secluded setting and she lagged socially. She considered this a huge cultural shift for her. She felt very lost and really had a hard time finding herselfIdentity vs. Identity Diffusion: When I asked her about her experiences as a teenager trying to find herself and who she was and what she wanted out of life, she said that she had always wanted to help people. She wanted to be an architect for the longest time, but she was discouraged when her sister got very sick and saw the therapy she went through. She said that is when she decided to become a therapist. She says that she has a very strong sense of who she is and what her purpose is now. She also says that she is fairly headstrong and not easily influenced by others.To sum up, she has a strong sense of identity. General Intimacy Question: I asked Virginia to think back to her twenties and thirties and the experiences with imported others in her life at that time. She said she had a lot of support and encouragement from those close to her. She was not dependant, but it definitely helped her through some rough times in her life. Intimacy vs. Isolation: I asked her to describe her marriage, and this is where the b ulk of the interview took place. She said that her marriage was rough at first.Her husband was an ex-marine who killed 14 men during his time in the military. He was introverted and very little communication took place between them. It took him thirty years to open up to her. She says that the last years of their marriage have been the most rewarding. Her only sibling died when she was eighteen, but when she was alive they were very close. She was teased a lot, although there was not much fighting between them. They relied on each other for fun which brought them very close together. I asked her who she felt the most comfortable confiding in.She said that she only really felt comfortable confiding in her grandmother and father, but they have both passed away. I asked her if there was anyone close to her that she felt she couldn’t really open up to. Aside from her husband until the later part of their marriage, she talked about her children. She has four, and of all of them th e oldest is the most independent. This caused a lot of friction between them during his adolescents and young adulthood, but they have since grown closer. Her third daughter has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and she has spent a lot of time trying to help her open up.In my opinion, the only time that she has had any real intimacy with those close to her was during her early childhood and late adulthood. Most of her life between those times she seems to have been pretty isolated. General Generativity Question: I asked her to reflect on her life from ages thirty to sixty five. I asked her to describe he experiences of taking care of others around her. This was a pretty depressing part of the interview. She said that she often felt inadequate as a mother. She says that she should have gone another direction regarding the way that she brought them up, and that she often regretted having children.She is now pretty involved with her children, and she helps her youngest daught er financially. She gives advice when she is asked. She has definitely taught and helped her children, but I think that it is pretty clear that she lacks a feeling of generativity. Generativity vs. Stagnation: I asked if she feels that she has done enough to have a positive impact on those around her. She feels that from her experiences she has learned to do better and guide gently. She considers herself to be pretty understanding. I asked her in what ways she has tried to pass along her knowledge.She says that she has passed her knowledge along to her children, and she has done a lot of work with juvenile offenders in her community service. She says that she always tried to accept them for who they were, regardless of what they were dealing with. Regarding generativity, she has had a hard time with it, but she feels that she does a lot better now that she has her experiences to draw back to. General Question on Integrity: I asked her about her lifestyle compared to others, and she said that she lives a relatively laid back life. She is fairly chilled out and relaxed. She tries to do her part, but she does not feel pushed.I asked her about how she felt about her mortality. She said that she is not joyous about it, but she is accepting. She finds comfort in her faith. Integrity vs. Despair: I asked her about her current goals. She says that she strives to stay active, she wants to learn to play the piano, and she wants to lose twenty pounds. She feels comfortable about her life and the decisions she made. When I asked her about her opinion about the future of the united states, she said that she is very pessimistic about President Obama, the recession we are experiencing, and the national defeciet.

The Meditation Health Benefits Of The World - 1102 Words

Mediation is an ancient method that practices deep concentration of the mind and it has recently made its way back into our modern society. By participating in the age old activity one opens their mental and physical wellbeing to multiple benefits. â€Å"It did to my mind what going to the gym did to my body† said Dr. Hedy Kober, a neuroscientist who studies the effects of meditation, â€Å"it made it both stronger and more flexible.†(Meditation Health Benefits). Meditation is a practice that may train one’s mind to be at a state of consciousness and wholeness. Throughout history Buddhist monks and other eastern religions have been utilizing this practice for religious purposes, however recently individuals have been testing it out for themselves. One does not have to mediate for religious purposes, this phnaoman can be used to lower stress levels, cure anxiety and panic disorders, learn to handle stressful situations better, and help to control anxiety, sharpen one’s mind, improve memory and critical thinking and reverse depression. The Buddhist religion is what shined the light on the process of mediation from the start. Buddha, the head of the Buddhist religion, first began to spread his teachings in 500 B.C (Iml.jou.ufl.edu). His teachings did not begin to educate the rest of the world until the mid 20th century (Iml.jou.ulf.edu). After Buddha’s teachings became more widespread other religions begun to incorporate different forms of mediation into their own teachings as wellShow MoreRelatedIsabella Vigil . Mr.Short . College Composition . 19 March848 Words   |  4 PagesComposition 19 March 2017 A Spiritual Gain but a Financial Lose Meditation has always been seen as a way to keep the mind and soul healthy. 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The practice involves either altered state of mind or relaxed state of body. Meditation has been around for thousands of years. Evidence of the practice can be found throughout history in many different religions and many different places in the world. In the past decades, the practice has gained new popularity in the world for its physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. Many people have tried and felt the benefit, then they