10.20.2005

What kind of utilitarianist are you?

Here's a little anecdote I'd like to share:
At the last Saint-Jean, I was in Vaudreuil watching the fireworks and getting to know the people a bit. As it turns out, the fireworks were right over the water on the Vaudreuil side. Although fireworks have always puzzled me in a way, what seriously puzzled me was the fact that straight across the river was the Veteran's Hospital. Of course, being this amazingly heart warming person, I pointed out that all the veterans must be ducking under their beds across the river thinking its World War II all over again. I was met with a lost of frustration and disapproval from the people around me.

So, now that I've gotten into the study of ethics and refined my knowledge of the different theories, one is easily applicable here; Utilitarianism. This theory deals with the whole 'for the majority' rule. This theory is then broken down into two categories: Act utilitarianism, and rule utilitarianism. Give a simple example:
Six people are in the hospital waiting for a specifically different organ, a new patient gets to the hospital and might die. Someone applying the rule of act ut. Would be in favor of killing the new patient that walks in to get his organs. He figures, 1 death, 6 survives, fair trade. On the other hand, applying rule ut. would mean looking at the rule and would simply say that it is unethical to kill a man no matter what.

So, in the case of the fireworks, seeing it from an act ut.'s point of view I realized that the veterans might be shitting their pants. Yet, these fuckers who apply rule ut. say it is unethical to think in such a disrespectful way of veterans. They would be willing to block out the stereotype because of a rule. Yet, the veteran's problem still isn't gone.

Last time I look out for a minority.

3 Comments:

At 21/10/05 11:32 AM, Blogger Portelance said...

I'm the kind that eats your children...

 
At 21/10/05 1:32 PM, Blogger Chartier said...

*insert placenthia joke*

 
At 21/10/05 2:08 PM, Blogger Portelance said...

I shall chew on your umbellical cord and plunge your placenta into the depths of my gaping anus, child-mongerman.

 

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