Discussion Forum Unit 2
Utilitarianism is the belief that a morally good action is one that helps the greatest number of people. According to Merriam Webster dictionary: …”it is a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain or the greatest happiness of the greatest number.”( Merriam-Webster.com, n.d.)
How is the lottery an example of the utilitarian monster?
By utilizing near-universal human weaknesses in problematic argumentation (in other words, by taking money from the poor and investing part of it in social programs for general public purposes) lottery can be seen as an ought to maximize the overall good.
How can you set yourself up to argue in favor of or against the ethical existence of the lottery in terms of monetized utilitarianism?
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We are all different, with a diverse background, characters, and life experience. With regards to gambling, lottery is one of the best tools in hands of psychology which could expose the weakness of the human. Those who like to gamble would find the way to risk their money by going to the casino or any other similar activity. In my point of view, by establishing legal lottery government is trying to utilize human weakness, otherwise, this capital would vanish in hands of criminal structures.
Could the case be made that, from a hedonistic utilitarian standpoint, the lottery is ethically recommendable because it serves the welfare not only of the winner but also of the millions of losers?
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, hedonism asserts that the primary motivation of all human behavior is the passion for pleasure (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2017).
Many government-sponsored lotteries proceed funds to programs that serve everyone, some redistributing money to hospitals, kindergartens, schools, sports events