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What Are The Arguments Against Utilitarianism

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Objection against utilitarianism and the theory of invisible hand

The “invisible hand” was first introduced by Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations” as a metaphor to describe the unseen price mechanism which generates positive externalities due to individual self-interest to maximize their well-being in allocating resources in the free market. (Thornton, 2009) Smith anticipated that the “invisible hand” will be the most efficient without government intervention.
Utilitarianism, founded by Jeremy Bentham, is a single principle which minimised pain and maximized pleasure and happiness. John Stuart Mill expanded this concept of utility to include not only the quantity, but quality of pleasure, while focusing on rules, instead of individual moral actions. (Utilitarianism, 2015)
Some may argue that “invisible …show more content…

Suppose your live is at risk for the sake of the many lives. For example, being one person with all the healthy organs, you could donate them and save the lives of five. According to the utilitarianism it will be the best and ideal choice to sacrifice yourself so as to save the lives of the other five. This obviously be unlikely to happen as one put the happiness of one above all others due to self-ownership.
Furthermore, Utilitarianism violates the basic of human rights. It technically impossible to measure the value of a person’s life relative to another. Some may argue that a person’s life is measured by the contribution he has or could made to the society but others may argue that they are equal. In order to calculate the exact value of one’s life is thus subjected to each individual perspective and hence impractical. Another point is that happiness cannot be accurately measured. Thus, the concept is flawed from the start. Who says that the unhappiness caused by the death of one person is equal to the happiness gained by the one

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Therefore, this form of utilitarianism highlights that the most important is the happiness of everyone and not the happiness of any particular person. In order to explain this assertion, for example, take Hitler, if he has had conquered the Europe it would be a very good place to live for those who are Aryans, yet it would be terrifying for other people. It is make some suffer to make others prosper. I think correctly, that principles of this sort can have some pretty awful results because sometimes the greatest happiness of the greatest number involved disregarding the interests of a minority, even to the point of enslaving them or killing them This isn't the only objection to utilitarianism, but it’s an important and I believe a fatal

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Utilitarianism as explained by John Stuart Mill is a principle that is defined as “The greatest happiness for the greatest number of people for the greatest length of time.” Mill explains that we are happiness seeking individuals but at the same time, so is everyone else. So if I am in an ethical situation, I should always choose the path that has the greatest happiness for everyone, including myself. According to Mill, happiness for him is just pleasure and the absence of pain. In reality, I should think about my choices, think how many people will be “happy” with the least amount of pain as a whole.

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