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Moral Philosophy Term Paper

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Submitted By Jollygurl
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Cagayan State University
Tuguegarao City, Carig Campus
College of Arts and Sciences

“UTILITARIANISM”
A Term Paper in Philospohy 12 (Moral Philosophy)

SUBMITTED TO:

Karen Acoba
Instructor

SUBMITTED BY:

Joanne Marie B. Sanchez, BS BIO I – A
11:30 – 1:00 pm TTH

March, 2016

Introduction

“What is right and wrong?” Every day we ask that question, whether in simple situations like choosing a dress to wear in a party, or complicated ones like judging a supposed criminal. It guides our decisions, and helps to get better hold of our actions.

In the field of Philosophy, the rightness or wrongness of a moral action is also a vital topic. This topic is termed as Normative Ethics – The study of ethical action. It is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how one ought to act, morally speaking. Theories like Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative, and Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism are some of the Normative Ethics theories.

In this study, we will discuss about Utilitarianism. With the objectives of: simplifying a complicated Philosophical theory for students, and understanding deeply the principles of Utilitarianism.

Discussion Utilitarianism is mainly characterized by two elements: happiness and consequentialism. Utilitarian happiness is the biggest happiness which (supposedly) every human being looks for. In utilitarianism everything useful to happiness is good. Therefore, the name of the doctrine is utilitarianism, based on the principle of utility. Utility is found in everything which contributes to the happiness of every rational being. The criterion of good and evil is balanced between individual's happiness and the happiness of the community, "each counting in an equal way" (Bentham, Introduction in the principles of morality

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