Table of Contents
- 1 What is utilitarian ethical decision making?
- 2 Do you think utilitarianism is a good method for ethical decision making?
- 3 Why is utilitarianism used in business?
- 4 How is utilitarian applied in the workplace?
- 5 How would an utilitarian make a moral decision?
- 6 What are the steps in making an ethical decision?
What is utilitarian ethical decision making?
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. It is the only moral framework that can be used to justify military force or war.
What is an example of a utilitarian decision?
An example of utilitarianism that shows someone making an individual “good” choice that actually benefits the entire population can be seen in Bobby’s decision to buy his sister, Sally, a car. Bobby buys Sally the car so that she can get back and forth to work.
Do you think utilitarianism is a good method for ethical decision making?
Utilitarianism offers a relatively straightforward method for deciding the morally right course of action for any particular situation we may find ourselves in. Second, we determine all of the foreseeable benefits and harms that would result from each course of action for everyone affected by the action.
What is ethical approach in decision making?
Adopt the utilitarian approach to ethical decision making in 3 steps: Identify potential actions and next steps. Ask who will be affected and weigh up or calculate the potential benefit and harm of each action. Choose the action that achieves the least harm and the greatest good for the highest number of people.
Why is utilitarianism used in business?
Utilitarianism is already widely used as a business ethic approach, although it is not well developed in the literature. Utilitarianism provides a guiding framework of decision making rooted in social benefit which helps direct business toward more ethical behavior.
What is utilitarian ethics in communication?
Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics which holds that the best moral action is the one that maximizes utility. Utility in this context is happiness, or pleasure. In short, this is about ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’.
How is utilitarian applied in the workplace?
Utilitarianism is therefore concerned with actions that produce benefit and avoid harm. Utilitarian workplace values include honesty, keeping promises, professionalism, caring for others, accountability and avoiding conflicts of interest.
What are the approaches to decision-making?
Three approaches to decision making are avoiding, problem solving and problem seeking.
How would an utilitarian make a moral decision?
Utilitarianism is a teleological method of making moral decisions, which means that the final decision is made based on the consequences of the action. It is based on the idea that we should bring about “the greatest happiness for the greatest number” and should make moral decisions based on whether the consequences caused pain or happiness.
What are the principles of utilitarian ethics?
Utilitarian ethics considers the common good rather than personal advantage.
What are the steps in making an ethical decision?
The first step in making an ethical decision is to gather the facts. Try to be as neutral as possible in describing those facts, bearing in mind how inclined we all are to distorting information to benefit ourselves, so you have a tendency to overlook, distort, or stretch the facts to suit ourselves.
Is utilitarianism good or bad?
“Utilitarianism is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions” (9). By this criterion, actions considered by themselves are morally neutral—it all depends on their consequences as to whether they are good or bad.