Layout 1 - Civil Air Patrol

07-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt pp 13-end_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:40 Page 29
CRITICISM OF UTILITARIANISM
Earlier we considered the happiness point values of ice
cream sundaes and mountain vacations. Who can really say
ice cream is worth 12 points and not 14 or 20 or 43.875
What wins the happiness battle: poetry or new sneakers
Critics say that utilitarianism is too subjective, too prone to
a biased person’s faulty “guesstimates.”
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happiness
points
Moreover, this point system becomes even less reliable
when the moral problem involves the happiness of several
people. Utilitarianism depends upon your having a fair and honest
way to quantify and weigh the happiness of everyone affected. 89
Perhaps an even tougher criticism of utilitarianism is that it leaves
us wondering how to balance the happiness of the individual against
the happiness of another or of the group. A peeping Tom gets
satisfaction by watching his victims, who do not experience any
dissatisfaction because they do not know they are being watched.
The peeping Tom supposedly creates happiness! Most people would
say that’s absurd. We just know that creeps are morally repugnant.
91
happiness
points
133
happiness
points
82
happiness
points
7
happiness
points
Peeping Toms
If utilitarians value personal
happiness, how would they
argue against peeping Toms
Your needs and wants might conflict with the group’s needs and
wants. Therefore, utilitarianism must explain how far beyond the
call of duty you must go to satisfy the group. Lt Murphy is undoubtedly
a hero. But was he morally obligated to give up his life so that
his friends would survive Utilitarians say yes, unreservedly. One life
for ten is mathematically a bargain. So much for human dignity and
the belief that every person is of unique and irreplaceable value.
One thing is certain: utilitarianism may not be a perfect moral philosophy,
but it does raise some troubling questions.
CONCLUSION: The MARK of an ETHICAL LEADER
Ethics encompasses so many theories because so many sincere,
honest men and women have invested lifetimes of brainpower to the
great conversation of moral philosophy. No one theory seems to be
a silver bullet. As an aspiring young leader, you must figure out what
makes one action right and another action wrong. What is your
criteria Is that criteria rational How are you going to live in accordance
with that criteria It seems there is more to integrity than
what you first learned as an airman.
The mark of an ethical leader is a willingness to take moral challenges
seriously, to think deeply about a personal code of ethics, and
to apply that code consistently. We return to the warning posed in
this section’s opening epigraph: “There is always a philosophy for
lack of courage.”
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