Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Utilitarianism and the U.S. Decision to go to War in Iraq (2003) with References to John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant and Thomas Nagel
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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This is a 9 page paper discussing the application of utilitarianism to the U.S. decision to go to war with Iraq without U.N. approval. John Stuart Mill’s “Greatest Happiness Principle” and utility is used in terms of moral decisions and can be applied in regards to act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism. Basically, morals and decision making are based on the ideas of rule-utilitarianism in which the consequences of certain actions are considered in terms of the whole, or everyone. Act-utilitarianism however, which can for Mill void rules in certain circumstances, evaluates an action based on the circumstances solely related to the action. The decision making process is only considered a moral one if it is based on good will, according to Immanuel Kant. Thomas Nagel, on the other hand, argues that the U.S. often acts within its own circumstances (act-utilitarianism) and in cases of war, once enacted, the decision to start war, or whether the decision was moral or not, is forgotten and replaced with future speculations of peace, freedom and economic prosperity. Similarly, the application of act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism can be applied to the recent U.S. decision to declare war on Iraq without the approval of the U.N. Security Council. Theoretically, the U.N. is following the moral guidelines of rule-utilitarianism where as the U.S. is following those under act-utilitarianism.
Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
9 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_TJutilw1.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
moral decisions and can be applied in regards to act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism. Basically, morals and decision making are based on the ideas of rule-utilitarianism in which the consequences of certain
actions are considered in terms of the whole, or everyone, in the long term. Act-utilitarianism however, which can for Mill void rules in certain circumstances, evaluates an action based on
the circumstances solely related to the action. The decision making process is only considered a moral one if it is based on good will, according to Immanuel Kant. Thomas Nagel,
on the other hand, argues that the U.S. often acts within its own circumstances (act-utilitarianism) and in cases of war, once enacted, the decision to start war, or whether the
decision was moral or not, is forgotten and replaced with future speculations of peace, freedom and economic prosperity. Similarly, the application of act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism can be applied to
the recent U.S. decision to declare war on Iraq without the approval of the U.N. Security Council. Theoretically, the U.N. is following the moral guidelines of rule-utilitarianism where as the
U.S. is following those under act-utilitarianism. The Difference Between Act-Utilitarianism and Rule-Utilitarianism The idea of applying the utilitarian-based "greatest happiness principle" is seen as the distinction between act-utilitarianism and
rule-utilitarianism. Act-utilitarianism "supposes that each particular action should be evaluated solely by references to its own consequences" and an act-utilitarian asks "How much pleasure or pain would result if I
did this now?" (SWIF, 2001). Rule utilitarianism, on the other hand, "considers the consequences of widespread performance of similar actions" as a rule-utilitarian asks "What pleasure or pain would result
if everyone were always to do this?" (SWIF, 2001). Moral conduct therefore is related to the answers to the questions and "although Mill noted that reliance on moral rules may
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