Utilitarian Ethics Essay - 1970 Words

The morality of killing animals (when there is no suffering involved) posses a challenge for utilitarian ethics. This topic is primarily addressed in practical ethics, given the enormous consequences that animal farming have on billions of animals every year. However, this problem goes further, to the core of utilitarian ethics, having to address issues such as value theory, the value of different lives and the importance of psychology in matters of life and death. My objective is to address this issue working within a utilitarian framework. Research 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†¦show more content†¦She may have hopes or plans for the future that will be thwarted if she is killed. Moreover, she may have the explicit preference to continue alive, preference that will be frustrated if she is killed. On the other hand, hedonistic utilitarianism refers to the loss of happiness when someone is killed (assuming that the victim would have led a life worth living). However, as the victim is already dead, and being death is not itself painful or unpleasant, this reason is often deemed controversial. In the case of humans, the hedonistic utilitarian can point to indirect reasons, such as the fear the killing may bring into the rest of society (if they find out about the killing, other members of society may fear they will be killed too), and the suffering the death may bring to fr iends and relatives of the victim. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that none of these reasons refer to the loss of the human victim himself. Typically, we do not condemn the killing of an innocent being due to the effects it may have on others (although it could be an aggravating factor), but due to the loss suffered by the victim herself. For these reasons, historically, utilitarianism has been accused of not having a strong enough stance against killing (reference needed). Relevantly for our discussion, note how this problem is more pressing when it comes to non-human animals. First, the preference utilitarian reasons against killing do not apply toShow MoreRelatedEthics Paper681 Words   |  3 PagesEthics Barbara Avery Ethics/316 April 11, 2012 Monica McMorise EthicsWrite a 350- to 700-word essay comparing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. 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