3.1.1  Utilitarianism

Many people have jumped from the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. One such case involved a young man and his three year old daughter. Earlier that day the man had shot and killed his pregnant ex-wife. Following these events in 1990, discussions began about whether the tower should be closed down, left as it is or whether an eight foot crash barrier should be built to prevent would be suiciders the opportunity to jump.

It was argued by the owners of the tower that the cost of erecting the barrier would be too great. It was argued by the tourist office that the barrier could be detrimental to the tourist trade, since fewer people would pay to climb the tower. Why should the majority be punished for the sins of a few, who will find somewhere else to go anyway.

How should this matter be decided? One way is to consider the total benefit and the total cost. Whatever has the greatest value is the best alternative. This method is known as utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a teleological theory because it is concerned primarily with the consequences.

Warning ... Utilitarianism is not the same as hedonism.

Utilitarianism says that an action is right if it provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It was first explained by Jeremy Bentham who lived from 1748 - 1832 and then was developed further by John S. Mill who lived from 1808 - 1873.