Mills Conception Of Utilitarianism

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MIDTERM EXAM: ~ Using the knowledge you have acquired during the first half of the semester evaluate one of the main moral theories in contemporary society: Utilitarianism. In order to achieve this goal you need to addrress Utilitarianism's originin, principles, and main argument in an essay form. Make sure you take into consideration the differences between Betham and Mills' conception of utilitarianism, as well as make the distinction between rule and act Utilitarianism. ~ Have a clear thesis. This is your postition on the analysis. i.e. I think Utililtarianism fits the conditions of our society, therefore is the best theory for our specific conditions. Utilitarianism is too relative, hence does not help to clarify an ethical problem.…show more content…
Given the actual conditions of having different moral codes co-existing in our communities and ethical problems that had not been presented with such intensity before, achieving this goal is even harder than it used to be. Studying ethics, as we will notice during the development of the course, is not an easy task. In order to do it, please be ready to open your mind to objectively analyze ideas that may differ from your moral code. Be aware that having a deep personal conviction is not a guarantee of the rightness of an ethical position. Rather, we will use different tools to analyze the arguments, validity, usefulness, and practicality of some of the ideas philosophers have explored in order to answer ethical questions. We will also analyze some of the ethical issues we are facing in our…show more content…
Use this assignment as a tool to develop your philosophical ideas. It will be graded on the depth and structure of your ideas. An A essay shows a clear understanding of the ideas presented on the readings as well as original thinking. An essay with clear understanding of the arguments but without original input is a B. A C essay shows only that you read but still need to work more on the ideas. Any essay of lower quality than the quality mentioned above will receive a D. Again, this essay will be graded on the quality of your ideas as well as the correct presentation of them. Please, notice that this assignment is not a report, but a philosophical essay, which imply that you should have a valid position on the issue and that you are able to argue in favor of it. If by the time you need to write this essay you are still not clear on how to write a philosophy paper, please ask me or consult Jim Prior’s Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper. The required length of the essays is 1000 – 1200 words written in double space. The essay is due on June 14th in both an electronic and a hard copy at the begging of the class period. The final component of your grade is a class presentation. I will organize the teams after June 17th. You, altogether with you teammates will give a presentation on a topic to be assigned. This presentation will be graded on the professionalism of the presentation,
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