The Moral Theory Of Utilitarianism - 1725 Words

Numerous moral theories have surfaced in the past years. They have been widely debated by philosophers and social reformers. It is important to understand what these theories are because of their influential tendencies in the way people act, especially in making morally right or wrong decisions. Utilitarianism is one of these many moral theories. Upon further analysis, problems with utilitarian thoughts are revealed. It has been widely debated by many philosophers, including G.E. Moore and Immanuel Kant. Like these two philosophers, I argue that utilitarianism is inadequate because of its contradictory nature as a moral theory. It highlights the principle of utility in seeking the greatest pleasure, allowing egotistic and hedonistic actions to be considered moral. John Stuart Mill, born in 1806 in London, is one of the most infamous utilitarians in history. He was a philosopher, economist, and social reformer who grew up under the influence of utilitarianism. He spent the last few years of his life arguing for a systematic method to comprehending social, political, and economic changes without overlooking the insights of writers. Mills wrote Utilitarianism in 1861, defending his position to strive for the greatest pleasure for the relevant group. Before I discuss the theory of utilitarianism, it is imperative to explain and understand what it is. Utilitarianism is a moral theory, or a doctrine explaining why certain actions are right or wrong. It is the idea that moralShow MoreRelatedUtilitarianism : The Moral Theory977 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism is the moral theory that emphasizes â€Å"the greatest happiness for the greatest number† (Clark, Poortenga, 2003). John Stuart Mill was a philosopher who believed in the principles of utilitarianism. He believed that humans desire for happiness and pleasure; therefore humans would be motivated to act morally in order to obtain that happiness (Clark, Poortenga, 2003). Mill’s approach has strengths, weaknesses, and is not fully equipped to hold true for all circumstances. Mill’s approachRead MoreThe Moral Theories Of Utilitarianism1908 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Vuty† or â€Å"Dirtue† Ethics The moral theories of utilitarianism, duty ethics, and virtue ethics each offer particular guidelines on how to live a good and moral life. While on their own these theories have various faults that make them unsustainable, I have found that the combination of the Categorical Imperatives in duty ethics along with the importance of having a moral character in virtue ethics can possibly create a rational moral theory. Though this theory I have created is not without flawsRead MoreUtilitarianism : A Moral Theory1862 Words   |  8 PagesResearch problem Utilitarianism is a moral theory that evaluates the rightness or wrongness of an action depending on its consequences. The criteria for this evaluation is how the action impacts the well-being of those involved. To put it simply, utilitarianism is concerned with whether the action brings the best outcome for those affected by it (Visak, 2013: 19). Whilst utilitarianism allows for different conceptions of well-being, depending on which value theory is used to measure it (giving placeRead MoreUtilitarianism : A Moral Theory1885 Words   |  8 PagesUtilitarianism can be defined as a moral theory that is generally considered to have been founded by Jeremy Bentham who was a 19th century English philosopher and social reformer whom the panopticon is also attributed to. At the center of utilitarianism is happiness, which is in fact the ultimate goal of all human beings. To be happy and promote happiness. According to classical utilitarianism, when a person wants to act in an ethical way, he or she should strive to bring about the greatest possibleRead MoreAct Utilitarianism And Its Moral Theory875 Words   |  4 PagesAct-utilitarianism is the view that the rightness or wrongness of an action is to be judged by its consequences, that is the maximisation of utility - whether or not said action is good or bad (Smart 2000). In the scenario presented, an act-utilitarian would suggest that one is morally permitted to pull the lever and kill one in order to save five lives. However, this moral theory does not compare with the majority of people’s instincts– this suggests that act-utilitarianism is problematic and doesRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Utilitarian Moral Theory Essay968 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism-Module 5 1. In its general form, what is the utilitarian moral theory? In its general form, the utilitarian moral theory advocates that an action is morally right if it serves the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. 2. What is hedonism, and what is hedonistic utilitarianism? And, what was Epicurus s view about pleasure? Hedonsim is the principle that suggests that pleasure is the motivator of one’s life and hedonistic utilitarianism is when ethics is determinedRead MoreUtilitarianism : The And Influential Moral Theories890 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism is one of the most renowned and influential moral theories. The basis of act utilitarianism is maximizing utility, that is, doing the things that maximize happiness over suffering. Utilitarians reject moral codes that are based on customs or traditions given by leaders or supernatural deities because they judge the truth or justifiability of morality as its positive contribution to all beings. Both act utilitarians and rule utilitarians concur that the overall aim in determining theRead MoreEffectiveness of Utilitarianism as a Modern Moral Theory927 Words   |  4 Pageslogic: the appeal to human understanding of the world. While a number of moral theories exist, none of them is more well documented that Utilitarianism, which focuses o n the maximization of total utility. I will discuss the theory initially, and then identify the major problems associated with it. I will conclude with a rationale as to how effective Utilitarianism is as a modern moral theory. Utilitarianism is quite a broad theory, with different constructs. However, the underlying agenda is the same:Read MoreMoral Theory Of Max Act Utilitarianism1576 Words   |  7 PagesMax Act Utilitarianism Kirill Parshin University of San Francisco  Ethics is all about principles of right conduct. Under the umbrella term, consequentialism has a much more specific moral theory known as max act utilitarianism. Max act utilitarianism is one of the most well known and influential theories that provides the best notion for the theory of right conduct. After a brief explanation of act utilitarianism, the argument of this paper will then seek to favor why act utilitarianism providesRead MoreMoral Theories Of Utilitarianism And Deontological Ethics1266 Words   |  6 PagesMeredith Gunning Final Examination December, 6, 2014 Section A Moral theories of Utilitarianism and Deontology Utilitarianism and deontological ethics are two major theories of ethics, specifying and justifying moral principles. Utilitarianism has been clarified by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Bentham proposed that actions are based upon the consequences (Moreland, 2009), and ongoing work on his theory will help in providing grounds for legal actions. His ideas regarding

The State s Criminal Justice System - 999 Words

According to a report by Utah’s Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (2014), the state’s prison population, while lower than most states, has increased more than 18 percent in the last 10 years and Utah annually spends $270 million dollars on corrections (summary, para 1-3). In response to this information, the Utah Legislature of 2015 passed House Bill 348, Criminal Justice Programs and Amendments in an effort to reform the criminal justice system in Utah. The bill initiated the state’s Criminal Justice Initiative and is based on recommendations designed to control the cost of corrections while keeping Utah communities safe. In their â€Å"Justice Reinvestment Report† the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) states, â€Å"For all the spending, taxpayers have not been getting a strong public safety return. Almost half (46%) of Utah’s inmates who are released from state prisons return within 3 years† (summary, para 1-3). I ndicating that controlling corrections costs while keeping communities safe depends on maximizing offenders’ success at becoming contributing members of their communities. Successful reintegration into the community plays a critical role in reducing recidivism, which consists of both new crimes committed by an offender and breaking provisions of their probation or parole. However, not all individuals return to communities where access to support services are available. According to Lutze et al’s (2014), research â€Å"Homeless and Reentry,† and alsoShow MoreRelatedWhy Do We Need a Criminal Justice System?1140 Words   |  5 Pageswhy a criminal justice system is needed or indeed what it contributes to the functioning of a society. In the discussion that will follow, it will be argued that there are essentially four reasons why we do need to have a criminal justice system. First, it upholds the freedoms of individuals and maintenance of public order. Second, a c riminal justice system instils fear in people and thus deterring illegal activities. Third, a good justice system provides rehabilitation and reform to criminals. FourthRead MoreCriminal Justice System Of The United States1722 Words   |  7 Pages  Criminal justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts. Those accused of crime have protections against abuse of investigatory and prosecution powers. Goals In the United States, criminal justice policy has been guided by the 1967 President s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, which issuedRead MoreThe Development Of The American Justice System Essay1291 Words   |  6 PagesThe development of the American justice system is a captivating subject that can prompt to years of recorded study and investigation. A decent criminal justice graduate program will give you enough information to leave you wanting more as I gained from my time in school. The first settlers to America brought the criminal justice system of English custom-based law to our shores. The framework depended on the idea of Mens Reas (guilty mind) and the impact of the Catholic Church. There was marvelousRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Crime And Justice1538 Words   |  7 PagesAnnotated Bibliography on Crime and Justice Crime may simply be referred to as an offense against the state or against morality and is punishable by law, while justice is the fairness practiced during judgment of cases usually in instances where crime has taken place. Crime and justice go hand in hand as commonly evident in a case whereby a criminal is apprehended and taken to a court of law, then a ruling of justice practiced on the case and fairness used in passing of judgments. In most governmentsRead MoreCriminal Justice Systems Paper1153 Words   |  5 PagesCriminal Justice System Paper The criminal justice system and the criminal justice process has shaped the laws of this country into what they are today from the concerns of politicians and government leaders as far back as the 1800s with crime control. Basically, the criminal justice system was designed to ensure the safety of individuals whom are citizens of this country. Essentially, the criminal justice system is â€Å"the structural basis used to maintain social control† (Education DecisionsRead MoreCriminology : Crime And Crime1410 Words   |  6 PagesCriminology is defined by the book Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction, which was written by author Dr. Frank Schmalleger, Ph.D., as â€Å"the scientific study of the causes and prevention of crime and the rehabilitation and punishment of offenders† (Schmalleger, 2006, p. 20). People look at criminology in a big concept of criminal prevention but criminology in itself carries a wide variety of functions in treating crime and providing pun ishment to those who commit crimes. Crime increases when theRead MoreA Report on the Need of Improved Communication in the Criminal Justice System736 Words   |  3 PagesCriminal Justice Integration: The criminal justice system forms vital part of Americas democratic system of government as it helps preserve the peaceful and orderly functioning of society. It serves to balance the protection and security of the overall community and the preservation of the civil liberties and freedoms of individuals. It also provides justice both for criminals and victims of crimes by ensuring offenders are tried and prosecuted through a fair trial. This is important as one ofRead MoreThe Criminal Justice System : An Analysis Of Income And Racial Inequality Essay1586 Words   |  7 PagesRyan Williams English 102 Professor 6 May 2015 The Criminal Justice System: an Analysis of Income and Racial Inequality In the history of civilized communities, one finds that different structures and practices are relevant and necessary to uphold and maintain order within society—hence, the establishment of the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system, according to the Oxford Dictionaries (2010), is defined as â€Å"the system of law enforcement that is directly involved in apprehendingRead MoreAmerica s Criminal Justice System896 Words   |  4 Pagesobjectives of criminal justice, to set up the difficulty for effective decision-making and therefore the ability to come to a decision. These a number of the cited as a number of the most things that show however Germany s criminal justice system contrasts with the America s criminal justice system. supported this; this essay are going to be comparison at a number of the basic variations between America’s and Germany’s scheme (Maxeiner, 2012). For instance; it s clear that America s judges squareRead MoreFairness And Equality Within The Criminal Justice System1361 Words   |  6 Pagesequality in the criminal justice system has its original roots dating back to the Magna Carta in 1215 AD. The latest document to define the criminal justice is the United States Constitution which specifically in the 14th amendment which states †no state can make or enforce laws on its citiz ens, nor shall they deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor will they deny equal protection of the laws†. Section one of the fourteenth amendment means that the states cannot make

Write an analysis on Ode to a Nightingale, focus Essay Example For Students

Write an analysis on Ode to a Nightingale, focus Essay ing on how Keats presentssome of the ideas he was struggling with at the time. A major point in Ode to a Nightingale is Keatss perception of theconflicted nature of human life, i.e., the interconnection or mixture ofpain/joy, life/death, mortal/immortal, the actual/the ideal, and theinextricable link between the real and the unreal. In the ode, Keatsfocuses on immediate sensations and emotions that the reader can draw aconclusion from or a notion. Throughout the ode he is trying to workthrough his ideas and feelings about pleasure and pain, and the linkbetween the real and the unreal. The opening of the poem is very heavy and negative; my heartaches, with numbness pains my sense making the reader think that it mustbe a very heavy pain to be felt when a person is numb. He feels as if hemight have of hemlock drunk or emptied some dull opiate to the drains;this resembles the qualities of the Lethe, the Underworld river that thedead drank from in order to forget all that they had done or said whileliving. The feeling is in fact the result of a deep awareness of thehappiness of the nightingale he hears singing; his resulting pleasure is sointense it has become painful. He feels joy and pain, a response of twominds he is happy, but he is too happy, which is then what is causing himthe pain. The ode reads as if Keats is jealous, but he is not, he isexamining the ironic link between happiness and sorrow; can pleasure be sointense that it numbs us or causes us pain? At the beginning of the ode,the bird is presented to us as a real bird, but as the poem progresses, thebird becomes a symbol for the beauties of nature and the ideal world. In the opening of the poem, a sense of sluggish weightiness issuggested by the heavy, almost thudding, alliterative sounds produced bythe repetition of d (drowsy, drunk, dull, drains), m (My,numb, hemlock, minute), and p (pains, emptied, opiate,past). If we compare this to the effects created in the second half ofthe stanza by the light assonantal trees, beechen green andsibilant sounds shadows, singest, summer the reader can see thatthe nightingale, in comparison to the poet, is a much freer spirit. Wanting to escape from the pain of a joy-pain reality, Keats beginsto move into a world of imagination or fantasy. He then says he wants to beintoxicated, clearly not wanting to get drunk, but he is associating thewine with a quality, or a state of mind which he is seeking. He wishes todrink to escape the real world, to leave the world unseen and enter theideal world through fantasy; he wants to be full of warmth and beauty; hewants to be free like the nightingale. He wishes to forget the negativity,aging, and the suffering of the world. Youth grows pale; could be seen ashim referring to his brother dying of tuberculosis a few years earlier, andbeauty cannot keep meaning everything beautiful dies. He personifiesbeauty here, with her lustrous eyes making beauty human, and so it willfade and die as all humans do eventually. The description of drinking andof the world associated with wine is idealized. The word vintage refersto a fine or prime wine; and it is used because if he was drin king a cheapwine, it would not have as pleasant an effect on him. Positive imagery isused much more as the feeling in the second stanza becomes a lot lighter,happier and freer. The activities in line 4 follow one another naturally:like a dance, and dance is associated with song; together they producepleasure (mirth), which is sunburnt because the country dances are heldoutdoors. Keats repeatedly combines different senses in one image; heattributes the traits of one sense to another, a practice calledsynaesthesia. Sunburnt mirth is an excellent example of synaesthesia inKeats imagery, since Flora, the green countryside, etc. are beingexperienced by Keats through drinking wine in his imagination. .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 , .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .postImageUrl , .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 , .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:hover , .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:visited , .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:active { border:0!important; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:active , .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37 .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua3c3158c85f52f2a775f030a78677d37:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Modest Proposal Response PaperThe image of the beaded bubbles winking at the brim is much admiredfor its onomatopoeic effect; it captures the action of sparkling wine andthe alliteration duplicates the sound of bubbles bursting. This image ofthe bubbles is actual; in contrast, the previous imagery in the stanza isabstract. His awareness of the real world pulls him back from the imaginedworld of drunken joy. He still perceives the real world as a world of joyand pain (the two being linked). Keats thinking of the human circumstanceintensifies Keats desire to escape the real world. Keats uses the wordfade in the last line of the second stanza and in the first line of thethi rd stanza to tie the stanzas together and to then be able to move easilyinto his next thought. By implication, the nightingale lives in a worldmuch different to Keats own; the nightingales world is full of beauty andtherefore will last forever, whilst Keats own world will not, it will oneday die and fade away. AKeats suddenly cries out Away! away! for I will fly to thee. He thenturns to fantasy again; he rejects the idea of drinking wine in line 2, andin line 3 he announces he is going to use the viewless wings of Poesy tojoin the nightingale. He explains that it might be difficult to get there,but in fact he is already there with the nightingale in the fantasy worldin his mind. He contrasts the experience through poetry to the dull brainthat perplexes and retards (line 4); the mind is often related to work,while the heart is usually related to emotion. In line 5, he seems tosucceed in joining the nightingale. The imagined world described in therest of the stanza is dark; there is no light, associating the light andthe dark to Platos Cave; the theory of the harsh light being the realworld, and the soft darkness is the ideal world. ABecause Keats cannot seein the darkness, he relies on his other senses, taking us through them inthe next stanza. Not being able to see makes the experience more intense,and the language intensifies with it, and the tone of the poem changes. Even in the dark refuge, death is present; embalmed meaning both amethod of burial and a sweet smell. Even in the ideal world there are stillnegative points. The hints of death bring the tone of the ode down again,to prepare us for his coming out of his trance in the last stanza. Itcould be said that death was almost anticipated (in a sort of propheticirony) by the vague suggestions in the words Lethe, hemlock, drowsynumbness, poisonous, and shadowy darknessIn the sixth stanza, Keats starts to distance himself from thenightingale, which he joined in imagination in the earlier parts of theode. Keats says he yearns to die, a state which he imagines as only joyful,as pain-free, and a state in which he can truly merge with the birds song. The nightingale is set apart as wholly blissfulfull-throated ease inthe first stanza and pouring forth thy soul abroad / In such an ecstasy!(lines 7-8). In the last two lines of this stanza, the poet no longeridentifies with the bird. He realizes what death means for him; death isnot release from pain; rather it means non-existence, the inability to feelthe birds ecstasy. Keats realizes that it is the song that will last, notthe bird, because if the nightingale were to fly away, the song would leavewith it. .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea , .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .postImageUrl , .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea , .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:hover , .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:visited , .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:active { border:0!important; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:active , .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud98aa9067b8a8d2653643d539a1b1eea:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drug Legalization In America EssayKeats moves from his awareness of his own mortality in the precedingstanza to the perception of the birds immortality. On a literal level, hisperception is wrong; this bird will die. On another level, he is suggestingthat the nightingale is a symbol of the continuity of nature. AForlorn and perilous would not ordinarily be associated withmagic/enchantment. These words hint at the pain the poet recognized in thebeginning of the poem and that which he is trying to escape. The poet repeats the word forlorn from the end of the seventhstanza; Keats is now forlorn, as thinking of the world has brought him backinto the real world. He describes the word forlorn as a bell, and each wordfrom the very to sole self has one syllable, and when read sounds verymuch like the tolling of a bell. In lines 2 and 3 or this stanza, the poetsays that fancy (his imagination) has cheated him, as has the elf (thenightingale). The bird has ceased to be a symbol and is again the actualbird the poet heard in the first stanza. Keats, like the nightingale, hasreturned to the real world. The birds song becomes a plaintive anthemand gets fainter as it flies away, which is Keats examining the idea ofpermanence through art, and art being beauty. If the bird flies away, thesong will leave too. The song dying is the last of the death imagesrunning through the poem. With the last two lines of the ode, Keats wonders whether he has hada true experience or whether he has been daydreaming. He is bothquestioning the validity of the experience, and expressing his inability tomaintain a true vision for a long time. This is another time where heexamines the permanence of things in art and the imagination. Is hisexperience a false vision, or is it a true experience of insight into thenature of reality?