Introduction
Utilitarianism originated in Ancient Greece and is a Consequensialist Ethical theory. It is, "the belief that the outcome of ones action determines whether or not what they have done is good or bad." Its aim is to create the most pleasure and the least pain for every one around them in every situation. The Hedonic Calculus weighs up the pain an pleasure generated by the available moral actions to find the best actions. These are:
1)Its intensity
2)Its duration
3)Its certainty or uncertainty
4)Its propinquity or remoteness
5)Its fecundity, or the chance it has to be followed by sensations of the same kind: that is, pleasures, if it be a pain
6)Its purity
7)Its extent and the person to it extends
1)Its intensity
2)Its duration
3)Its certainty or uncertainty
4)Its propinquity or remoteness
5)Its fecundity, or the chance it has to be followed by sensations of the same kind: that is, pleasures, if it be a pain
6)Its purity
7)Its extent and the person to it extends
Arguments for and against The Death Penalty
The Death Penalty could be seen as maximising pleasure. Killing one person involves less pain that letting that one person kill lots of people. The Death Penalty gives people jobs which provides money and then pleasure for a person and their family. However there are many disadvantages of The Death Penalty. It is extremely expensive to administrate and Canada alone would save $170 million per year. The Death Penalty will also maximise the pain of the family and friends of the victim. As Utilitarianism's aim is to minimise pain, Utilitarianism does not believe in The Death Penalty.
Positives and Negatives of Utilitarianism
The ethic of Utilitarianism has many strengths as well as weaknesses. It has simple percepts which are understandable to everyone. There is no emotion used in Utilitarianism and is all based on reality and the truth. It also usually results in a positive outcome. However, it is very opinionated. No one can predict the future so no one can be sure of what path truly minimises pain and maximises pleasure.
Conclusion
Utilitarianism tells us that the Death Penalty is immoral as it maximises pain for many people and is an irreversible sentence when imprisonment is not. A Utilitarianism tries to find use out of every situation they can and by executing them, it takes away their ability to be useful.