Utilitarianism In Australia

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Utilitarianism is one of the most prominent of modern ethical philosophies that persists to emerge throughout social political debates and policy. According to Palmer, the fundamental intention of utilitarianism is to promote universal well being which by means conveys (2002, 446) “the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people”. Following the social democratic era of the post-war boom, Utilitarianism has continued to be a dominant Australian public philosophy. The intension of this paper is to discuss the degree of impact Utilitarianism has had on the historical development of the Australian welfare state. Uilitarian ethics are said to focus on the distinctive concepts of welfarism and consequentialism (Graham 2004,…show more content…
Individuals may vote for a particular party based on their social policies despite not being directly affected by its content (e.g. baby bonus). This in turn can maximise the well being of the effected individuals. Another take on this is that individuals could vote based on economic self interest. Such votes thus assert influence on policies regarding the welfare state. There are limitations and strengths in which utilitarianism has impacted on the historical development of the Australian welfare state. However it is useful to draw on the strengths from the notion discussed and apply the positives in social policy, as utilitarianism plays a vital role in promoting broader notions of the common good and general economic societal well…show more content…
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