Greatest Happiness Principle Analysis Philosophy Essay

Greatest Happiness Principle Analysis Philosophy Essay Some of the eighteenth century English moralists, including Butler and Shaftesbury, stressed the naturalness of benevolence or of seeking the good of others and of its place in the moral life and Hutcheson actually stated that the objective or material end of good conduct is the greatest happiness for the numbers, the phrase that came to be the motto of English Utilitarianism. The great leaders of this school at its prosperous period, the beginning of the nineteenth century, were Bentham, James Mill, and his son, John Stuart Mill. If these moralists had merely argued for a purely hedonistic theory of ethics, maintaining that pleasure is the sole good, their theory might not have met with such general acceptance. Attributed with the fundamentals of utilitarianism are Jeremy Bentham and afterward, John Stuart Mill. They are often referenced together; however, each had opposed viewpoints on more than a few aspects of the theory. Bentham was more basic in his image of utility, focusing on the primal human instincts of making the most of pleasure and avoiding pain. He promoted a scheme called the hedonic calculus. In this method, one could algebraically decide the right choice by setting the potential positive outcomes and negative consequences of an action against another. Bentham was comfortable equating the pleasure of a game of pushpin to that of reading poetry; Mill was choosier, articulating hierarchies of pleasures depending upon their scholarly value. Utilitarianism is based on two sets of premises, the axiomatic truths of egoistic hedonism on one side, and the principles of benevolence and equity on the other side. A mans dedication to the pursuit of general happiness is the best means of achieving happiness for him so reconciliation between egoistic hedonism and utilitarianism maybe possible upon recognition that another persons happiness is of identical value to ones own. Mill believed that the most ethical action was that which brought the most people the greatest amount of happiness. Happiness, according to Mill, is pleasure and the absence of pain, and unhappiness is pain, and the privation of pleasure. The crux of Mills ethical theory is his Greatest Happiness Principle, according to which actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Every human being tries to promote his or her own happiness, and avoid unhappiness, which is natural rather than ethical however promoting happiness becomes an ethical theory when applied to all human beings, rather than just individuals. Utility is defined as maximizing pleasure over pain, According to Mill, human pleasures are much superior to animalistic ones: once people are made aware of their higher faculties, they will never be happy to leave them uncultivated; thus happiness is a sign that we are exercising our higher faculties. It is true that some pleasures may be base; however, this does not mean that all of them are: rather, some are intrinsically more valuable than others. When making a moral judgment on an action, utilitarianism thus takes into account not just the quantity, but also the quality of the pleasures resulting from. A pleasure is of higher quality if people would choose it over a different pleasure even if it is accompanied by discomfort, and if they would not trade it for a greater amount of the other pleasure. Moreover, Mill contends, it is an unquestionable fact that, given equal access to all kinds of pleasures, people will prefer those that appeal to their higher faculties. The people best qualified to judge a pleasures quality are people who have experienced both the higher and the lower. Furthermore, Mill observed that even if the possession of a noble character brought less happiness to the individual, society would still benefit. Mill also argues that peoples achievement of goals and ends, such as virtuous living, should be counted as part of their happiness. Since the utilitarians standard for judging an act is the happiness of all people, not of the agent alone, thus, a person must not value his own happiness over the happiness of others; and law and education help to instill this generosity in individuals. However, this does not mean that peoples motives must only be to serve the greatest good; indeed utilitarianism is not concerned with the motives behind an action; the morality of an action depends on the goodness of its result only. Moreover, in most aspects of everyday life, a person will not be affecting large numbers of other people, and thus need not consider his or her actions in relation to the good of all, but only to the good of those involved. It is only the people who work in the public sphere and affect many other people who must think about public utility on a regular basis. Utilitarianisms sanctions (internal and external),a feeling for humanity, are based on natural human sentiments, which the proper system of education could nurture. In order to show that happiness is the sole criterion for morality, it is necessary to show that people never desire anything but happiness. Mill says that people do desire things like virtue, which in common language is distinguished from happiness. However, Mill states that people love virtue only because it constitutes a part of happiness. Mill argues that happiness is not an abstract idea, but a whole with component parts. Because virtue is a part of happiness, and promotes the general happiness, utilitarianism encourages the development of virtue. Act Utilitarianism holds that actions should be judged directly according to their consequences for happiness while rule utilitarians are in favor of the principle that actions should be judged according to rules which, if followed, will have consequences conducive to the greater happiness. Critical appreciation Contrary to the impression Benthams and Mills highlighting upon pleasure may give, utilitarianism does not imply or endorse an egotistical approach to life. Bentham says, Each is to count for one and no one for more than one. i.e. my own pleasures and pains and those of others are to be calculated and compared exactly on a par. Utilitarian(s) insist that everyones welfare should be treated as equal. This ensures that utilitarianism is not an egotistical doctrine. Neither is utilitarianism altruistic, i.e. it does allow us to be concerned with our own welfare, though not to the exclusion of others, an attitude of generalized benevolence. The statement that pleasure is the only thing that is desirable commits a naturalistic fallacy. Desirable means what ought to be desired cannot be defined in terms of what men desire and that men actually desire it is no proof of a thing being desirable To infer from the statement that each persons happiness is a good to each particular person, the conclusion that the general happiness is good to the whole number of persons, commits the fallacy of composition.

Evaluating the Research Process Essay

In this week’s paper, I choose a peer-reviewed research article which explained the research process and what can be assumed from the study based on these particular questions given: How is the literature review used in this research; What are ethical considerations for data collection; What is the data telling us in terms of statistical analysis; Are the findings statistically significant; Do the conclusions match the results of the study; Do the conclusions answer the research questions in the definition of the problem; Are the conclusions appropriate; and Do I have enough information to make a decision on the effectiveness of the study and if so, is it effective? To explain the research process, there are a number of steps which has to be applied. The first step would be to identify the research problem coming up with questions that are important and reasonable for the study. Second, a research proposal should be composed including an introductory, a literature review, a re search design and method, a data analysis with protection of an individual’s topic, and a timeline. Third, a pilot study should be managed in order to expand and carry out data collection methods and alternate techniques. Fourth, coordinate a major research. Fifth, arrange an outline. The sole purpose of this study and the goals intended are to compare how effective structured Community Health Workers provide home visits, with the use of an intervention developed through-out a community established participatory research offering quality assistance through the WIC or the Women Infants and Children’s department visitations. These purpose for these visits are to prevent the growth of overweight and obesity during the infant stages through their primary years. A literature review is used to summarize the study, review it, and then determine what the outcome will be. The literature review is used in this research as a summary which explains how the study was substantial in  identifying the link between childhood obesity, serious health issues, psychological, behavioral, social consequences, and adverse physical. It also reports the importance of the mother’s obesity level and the mother body mass index (BMI). The researcher’s recruitment process included Hispanic pregnant women participants as their ethical considerations for the data collection. The participants and their data were kept confidential due to the fact that they were pregnant and being recruited during their third month of pregnancies by the WIC clinic. The individuals conducting the research recruit in a private room and they are enrolled in the study in the privacy of their own homes during the prenatal home visits. During this process written informed consents are signed and obtained for themselves as well as their newborns to participate in the study. These individuals are randomly selected into the control group up to their first prenatal visit is complete. This allows the data collector to stay blinded to the studies assignments. The fact that the data collector is blinded to the identity of the group participants, for each group provided there is an ethical consideration. In terms of statistical analysis, the data provides a table which informs the research group about the timeframe, what instruments were being used, the ecological level, the purpose of the measurements, the variables, and when and how it was collected. However, since the research is incomplete, and continues, the results are inconclusive. This research is conducted over the first three years of and infant’s life. Unfortunately, due to the continuance of the research, there are no significant statistical findings and there is no research study to draw a conclusion just yet. The projected conclusions are appropriate for this study, but there is a lack of information due to the fact that the study continues to go on. The study is designed to prevent childhood obesity because preventing obesity in infants and young children is a promising approach to reversing the childhood and adult obesity epidemic (reifsnider, mccormick, culen, szalacha, moramarco, moramarco, diaz & reyna, 2013). Being obese as a child has the tendency to be persistent while growing into the adult stages of life and have a greater chance at increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The eating habits, exercises, and sleeping habits are all established while in the youth stages. These are methods that continue to effect quality of life, obes ity, and health for the duration of a child’s life. At this point and  time, I do not feel that there is enough information to make a decision on the effectiveness of the study because the study is incomplete. This study continues to recruit participants and has an estimated completion date of December 2016(reifsnider, mccormick, culen, szalacha, moramarco, moramarco, diaz & reyna, 2013). The research investigation has an extensive and broad span appropriate and potentially for the instantaneous spread across the WIC departments. They plan to reveal the results of how effective an ordinary population method would be in prohibiting obesity throughout the first 2 years of life as well as the involvements endurance from ages 2 to 3. This can be easily implemented and modified for many locations and various localities and will supply verification for strategy revisions to impact health throughout life (reifsnider, mccormick, culen, szalacha, moramarco, moramarco, diaz & reyna, 2013). References: reifsnider, E., mccormick, D. P., culen, K. W., szalacha, L., moramarco, M. W., moramarco, M. W., diaz, A., & reyna, L. (2013, 09 24). A randomized controlled trial to prevent childhood obesity through early childhood feeding and parenting guidance: rationale and design of study. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-13-880.pdf

Compare and Contrast - 1054 Words

IMImportant Scholars of Education: The Work of Paulo Freire and William W. Brickman Alana L. Jackson Northcentral University Author Note Alana L. Jackson, Department of Education, Northcentral University Abstract This article discusses the contributions of the amazing scholars Paul Freire and William W. B. Brickman and how their theories on education impacted their philosophies on improving education in their time. Friere believed the, â€Å"Banking† concept of education was the best theory to improve education in the poverty and oppressed areas(Flanagan, 2005) versus Brickman argued that the â€Å"comparative† approach on education gives students more versatility of educational learning(Silova and Brehm, 2010). These scholars developed†¦show more content†¦Through this, Brickman was known for his â€Å"study tours† which added extensive knowledge to the comparative field (Silova and Brehm, 2010). Challenges. The challenges of Paulo Freire were that his educational theory was based on a political oppressed people. The problem with this educational method is that it would not be applicable consistently in comparison to more developed countries. His oppressed and oppressor political view in terms to education would not carry the same weight in more democratic societies where education is not as politically dominated (Flanagan, 2005).However, the challenge of William W. Bickman entails he felt that the new found theories of science and statistics was starting to jeopardize his philosophy of comparative education (Silova and Brehm, 2010). His main concerned that these current scholars would focus on more practical educational theories versus his ideology of methodological development on comparative education. Similarities. To become great educators, one must possess the love and passion for education and finding different strategies to improve the education for students. Friere and Brickman both shared the common passion and love for improving education in their time. Their passion to improve education came from world events that change how they viewed the elements of education. Freire and his family encountered a financial crisis and Brickman developed comparative education after World War II. TheirShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe Compare/ Contrast Essay First, let’s explain compare and contrast: When we compare, we show our readers a subjects similarities. When we contrast, we show our readers a subjects differences. Compare and Contrast essays are learning-process essays. You learn about your subject as you gather and organize information. This type of essay takes a bit of organization, and its this organizational process, this gathering of facts, that helps you learn as you go. 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The two poems by Seamus Heaney I will be writing about are death of a naturalist and blackberry picking. The poem by D H Laurence I will be writing about is discord in childhood. Death of a naturalist Death of a naturalist is about Seamus Heaney as a child going to this pond where every year he went to collect frogspawnRead MoreCompare and Contrast1122 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast Essay In today’s society the majority of the crimes are still being committed by people who have possessed a firearm that has been obtained illegally or without proper permits. That being said there has been a strong push for gun control because of the rise of shootings involving a large group of people such as the Columbine massacre, Virginia Tech shooting and latest Aurora movie theater shooting involving people who have purchased firearms legally. Gun control laws in theRead MoreCompare and Contrast2738 Words   |  11 PagesCompare and Contrast Economic Market Systems In differentiating between market structures one has to compare and contrast public goods, private goods, common resources, and natural monopolies. All of these are major factors that need to be considered. Public goods are those goods in which all of society benefit from and are equally shared among everyone within. These types of goods can be consumed simultaneously by several individuals without diminishing the value of consumption to any individualRead MoreCompare and Contrast2751 Words   |  12 PagesCompare and Contrast Economic Market Systems In differentiating between market structures one has to compare and contrast public goods, private goods, common resources, and natural monopolies. All of these are major factors that need to be considered. Public goods are those goods in which all of society benefit from and are equally shared among everyone within. These types of goods can be consumed simultaneously by several individuals without diminishing the value of consumption to any individual

Crime Is Defined And Recorded, And Will - 1415 Words

Becker (1963) believes that an act of deviance is created through the process of labelling. This view is based on the idea that societies have rules that determine what is acceptable or unacceptable. These are determined by those in power, such as the government and police. If someone breaks these rules, they are labelled deviant. This essay will look at the implications of this view in regards to how crime is defined and recorded, and will also assess the effect this has on official criminal statistics. Becker (1963: p. 9) states that, â€Å"‘social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance’, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders†. If the label is successfully†¦show more content†¦It also highlights how biased the procedure of labelling can be. Labelling theory has been criticised because it fails to explain where deviance and an individual’s initial motivation for deviance comes from. It implies that, ‘there would be no deviance without formal intervention’ (Downes and Rock, 2003). Gouldner (1968) argues that the labelling theory invites us to ‘view the deviant as a passive nonentity who is responsible neither for his suffering nor its alleviation-who is more â€Å"sinned against than sinning†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. This means that the labelling theory doesn’t place responsibility on the criminal’s motivation to commit crime. This is linked to the issue with official statistics on crime, as they cannot provide insight into motives of crime, as they are purely quantitative, meaning that we can’t get insight into the thoughts and feelings of the criminal. This brings up the issue of whether official statistics on crime actually provide any insight into crime. Koffman (1996) argues that official statistics simply show us the social response to crime. This is linked to the media, as the media can cause a heightened public awareness of a social problem, which can lead to reporting. An example of media involvement in creating a societal reaction (moral panics) is Stanley Cohen’s study on the ‘mods and rockers’, in which two