Utilitarianism
Discussion 2
Utilitarianism is an ethical system that holds that the greatest good stems from actions that result in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of individuals. Jeremy Bentham was a major proponent of this ethical system. For purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the counter-terrorism actions undertaken by the US government and by the US law enforcement agencies in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attack.
- In your initial post, identify a crime control action or policy undertaken in the US in the wake of 9-11 that you believe could be morally questionable; this can be legislation passed, a local policy enacted, or even the police handling of a particularly high-profile case.
- Provide a brief overview of this act or policy.
- Describe how this morally questionable act or policy was justified to the public using utilitarianism reasoning.
- Do you believe that this is an example of faulty ethical justification in the name of crime control? Provide support for your reasoning.
- In your peer replies, please propose an alternative or revision to the crime control action or policy discussed by your peer.
- State which ethical system your proposal is based upon and explain why you feel this is a preferable approach over the utilitarianism approach.
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