In the fire service, one of the most dangerous activities we do every shift is drive code three (lights and sirens). It seems as though every response requires code three, screaming down the road with lights and sirens, blasting the air horn like it has extraordinary power to move vehicles out of the way. On this occasion, the call is for an elderly male suffering a heart attack. From a utilitarianism, standpoint is driving code three the appropriate action? Utilitarianism is taking the morally right action that “produces the greatest overall positive consequences for everyone” (Hinman, 2013, p. 124). From this point of view, it does not appear that risking the lives of the firefighters and the public to attempt to save one person is a valid moral decision. However, the utilitarian maintains the actions should produce the greatest overall utility, determined by weighing consequences, acts, rules, and practice (Hinman, 2013). The most common version of utilitarianism is always to perform the action that will maximize the greatest results or act utilitarianism (Hinman, 2013). …show more content…
However, the actual vs. foreseeable consequences dispute indicates the firefighters should determine the action that has the highest level of expected utility and then act accordingly. In this case, driving code three in the middle of the night suggest there will be minimal traffic resulting in diminished risk to the public, therefore, warrant driving code three. Unfortunately, this could turn out to be the wrong action when a single car runs a stop sign and collides with the fire
Utilitarianism is the most appropriate use in everyday life. Actions done by an individual are done with the well being of all involved. Even if the act is considered immoral the act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism justifies certain actions as morally right. It ultimately focuses on the maximization of everyone’s
“(2) The emergency is of such a nature as to induce a well-grounded apprehension of death or serious bodily harm if the act is not done;” and
Most people would pull the lever to divert the train onto the tracks where only one person is working. To throw the switch in order to maximize well-being, saving five workers corresponds with the ethical example of utilitarianism. Utilitarians believe the most ethical course of action is the one that offers the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Most people would pull the lever to divert the train onto the tracks where only one person is working. To throw the switch in order to maximize well-being, saving five workers, corresponds with the ethical example of utilitarianism. Utilitarians believe the most ethical course of action is the one that offers the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Let’s start by gaining an understanding of what utilitarianism means. The definition given to us earlier in our textbook, Exploring Ethics, in the article, Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism, it defines act utilities as an act that, “is right if and only if it results in as much good as any available alternative”. This goes back to the tedious task of trying to analyze countless number of alternatives and figure out which one brings about the most
Two different forms of utilitarianism are described in our text. The first is called act utilitarianism. According to Shaw and Barry, act utilitarianism states that we must ask ourselves what the consequences of a particular act in a particular situation will be for all those affected (p.60).
To apply utilitarianism to this ethical controversy one has to evaluate which option would benefit society
A man ends up in a South American town in front of a group of 20 inhabitants who had protested against the government and were about to be killed as punishment and to serve as warning. Understanding that the man, Jim, had ended up in the town by accident, they decide to honor him as a visitor and give him the privilege of killing one of the Indians. As a result, the other 19 will be set free. The utilitarian response to this is that Jim should kill the one man. The utilitarian must again forget his integrity and act for the greater good. Although his best benefit may be to not kill one man, he must consider the complete picture; he is saving the lives of 19 people.
A Utilitarian standpoint weighs the hedons and dolors in a situation. Ultimately it says that the most ethical thing to do
The utilitarianism approach requires that you decide what course of action needs to be done and evaluate the outcomes of each action. John Q did evaluate the outcomes of his action and in doing so he did not harm anyone in the process. His actions did give him the outcome he wanted saving his sons life.
Whereas law enforcement initially functions as individuals, fire dispatching normally involves one or more units of personnel. The types of fire calls are as unpredictable as law enforcement. There are many different types of fire calls, something as simple as smelling smoke, to a fully involved structure with occupants inside. It is the dispatchers responsibility to glean detains that will allow fire fighters to respond with the appropriate personnel and apparatus. When seconds count, it is critical that dispatchers obtain complete and accurate information. On occasion there is a nexus between firefighting and law enforcement such as an arson fire. Again it is critical that the dispatcher obtain complete and accurate information. It may be necessary to coordinate a law enforcement response simultaneously with a fire response. An example would be the arson fire of the Muslim mosque in Joplin in 2012. This was a total loss structure fire that was deliberately set. Ultimately information obtained by dispatchers and conveyed to line police officers resulted in a conviction of an arsonist and the ability of the mosque to get financial recovery and
Utilitarianism is a moral theory that has long been the subject of philosophical debate. This theory, when practiced, appears to set a very basic guideline to follow when one is faced with a moral dilemma. Fundamental Utilitarianism states that when a moral dilemma arises, one should take action that causes favorable results or reduces less favorable results. If these less favorable results, or pain, occur from this action, it can be justified if it is produced to prevent more pain or produce happiness. Stating the Utilitarian view can summarize these basic principles: "the greatest good for the greatest number". Utilitarians are to believe that if they follow this philosophy, that no matter what action they take, it
In addition to this it has the property of universalisality in that the right action will be right for everyone. However, as a pragmatic and functional system of moral analysis, Utilitarianism has a number of difficulties. One of the major problems is the fact that it is extremely difficult to quantify happiness, and if it is not possible to decide which of several available actions produces the most happiness, it follows that it is not possible to decide which action is the right one. Also a particular action generating a high degree of happiness may have unforeseen consequences that have the opposite effect. Can it be morally right to have a completely innocent and well person killed if two seriously ill people could be saved by an organ transplantation? Is an action always and incontrovertibly right because it gives greatest happiness to the greatest number of people? – Brady(1999) refutes this: “the majority vote is not an ethic; it is a social choice technique.”
Utilitarianism is a limiting ethical theory that fails to grasp ethically reality. “The greatest good for the greatest number” is not ethically right in every situation. Although the majority would benefit, the minority will heavily suffer. Considering the overall consequences of our actions, the good may not always outweigh the bad, but this does mean that the good will be the ethically right thing to do. One may think they are “maximizing the overall good,” but in reality, harming many.
Being a follower of a theory that believes in the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people, a Utilitarian would choose to save five lives over one every single time. Furthermore, the decision to pull the lever would be allowable as well as be the superior choice in accordance to the beliefs of Utilitarianism, in comparison with the other choice, which is to let the five people die and not do anything about