Analysing Utilitarianism By John Stuart Mill Philosophy Essay

Analysing Utilitarianism By John Stuart Mill Philosophy Essay John Stuart Mill opens his essay, Utilitarianism, by mentioning that theres little progress being made toward a standard system that judges peoples actions as morally right or wrong. For over 2000 years, philosophers have tried to lay the foundation of morality, but have yet to come closer to an agreement of what the notions of right or wrong are based on. Mill argues that unlike science where particular truth precedes general theory, ethics needs general laws in order for morality to have legitimacy or significance. (944) In ethics and law, all actions exist to promote a particular end; thus an action can be deemed right or wrong depending on what ends are being pursued. If the ends are good, the action is therefore a good one; if the ends are bad, the action is therefore a bad one. Therefore, it is necessary to know by what standard human actions should be judged. It is important to note that Mill defines moralitys purpose as that of bringing about a particular state of the world. Mill continues and states that utilitarianism, or the greatest happiness principle as Bentham called it, is the cause in forming moral doctrines and keeping them stable and solid over the years. He explains that his essay will be an attempt to prove utilitarianism in ethics and demonstrate why this moral foundation is so central to our existence as human beings. In Chapter 2, Mill tries to present and respond to criticisms against utilitarianism. He notes that many people misunderstand the true definition of the principle. They define it in a restricted and colloquial sense in which utility is the opposition to pleasure. (946) When in reality, it has everything to do with pleasure and absence of pain. Utility or greatest happiness principle hold that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure. (946) He continues and says that pleasure of freedom of pain are the only things desirable as ends. Thus, things are desirable only if they bring about pleasure and prevention of pain; actions are good when they lead to general happiness and bad when they fail to do so. Mill targets the critics that claim that he and other Epicureans reduce and degrade the meaning of life to pleasures like those of swine, and replies that human pleasures are superior to those of beasts. Human beings have faculties more elevated than the animal appetite. (947) Once we are aware of these higher faculties, we will never be happy until these faculties are gratified. When making moral judgment, utilitarianism takes account not just the quantity but also the quality of the pleasures resulting from it. Mill differentiates between high and lower pleasures. A pleasure is of higher quality if one chooses it above any other pleasure, even if its accompanied with discomfort. It is also something that wont be traded for any quantity of the other pleasures. Furthermore, according to Mill its an unquestionable fact that when given many pleasures one would choose that in which appeals to their higher faculties. Even if it means hell suffer more in life, he would never choose a lowe r existence, preferring instead to maintain his dignity. Few human creatures would consent to be changed into any of the lower animals, for a promise of the fullest allowance of a beasts pleasure; no intelligent human being would consent to be a fool, no instructed person would be an ignoramusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (947) Mill continues and responds to those who say that happiness, in any form, cant be a rational purpose of human life and action because its unattainable. In addition, critics claim that people can exist without happiness; that all noble men have become virtuous by renouncing happiness. First, Mill replies its an exaggeration to state that people cannot be happy. If happiness is defined by a perpetual feeling of pleasure, then Mill admits that its impossible to obtain it. The state of pleasure is not long lasting; its temporary and intermittent. He contends that happiness are moments of rapture occurring in a life troubled by few pains and when defined as such is indeed possible to attain. It would be possible to all people, if level of education and social arrangement would allow it. Moreover, those who cant find happiness generally care for nobody but themselves and have failed to open their minds and exercise its faculties; they are selfish and have a lack of mental cultivation. Thus , if people are educated to learn and develop appropriate values, they have the capabilities to be happy. Next, Mill addresses the argument that state that people can do without happiness. He admits that its true that people have existed without happiness, but they were martyrs, doing so voluntarily. This is usually done to achieve an end greater than happiness, which is virtue. The sacrifice of giving up their happiness is done so, so others dont have to make a similar sacrifice. They increase the amount of happiness in the world. They would not commit such an action if it would produce no fruit for any of [their] fellow creatures. (951) However, Mill does say that these martyrs are proof of what men can do, but not an example of what they should do. Nevertheless, the willingness to sacrifice your happiness for that of others is the highest of virtue. Mill specifies that utilitarians only see sacrifices as good insofar it promotes and increases the state of happiness. If it fails t o do so, its considered a waste. He emphasizes that utilitarians judge an act as right if it affects the happiness of all people and not of the individual. The morality of an action depends on the goodness of its results only, and not the motives behind the actions. It is all about consequences. Mill, however, states that since many dont affect large numbers of people on a daily basis, they only need to consider his or her own actions in relation to every individual involved in the action. Its only those who have an impact on the public that should think about public utility on a regular basis. Another criticism against utilitarianism is that it underestimates human nature to find exception to rules. For example, someone will justify breaking the rules by simple stating that a given action increases utility. Mill argues that this is not only the case with utilitarianism; this happens in every moral system. There is no ethical creed which doesnt temper the rigidity of its laws. (956) He further says that having the application of the standard of utility is better than having none at all. A philosophy cannot be binding if it does not contain inherent consequences for those who break the rules. In chapter 3, Mill discusses what motivates us to act in ways approved of by the principle of utility. He explores all the possible sanctions utilitarianism might impose, upon those who do not abide by it. He writes that theres no reason utilitarianism cant have or wont impose all the sanctions that belong to other moral systems. These sanctions can be either external or internal. External sanctions include outer impacts on an individual, such as peer pressure or the fear of gods wrath. Internal sanctions come from within, from ones conscious. It is a feeling in our mindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦attendant on violation of duty. (957) Internal sanctions are more powerful than any external sanction, given that internal sanctions have more potential to influence ones actions. Thus, if internal sanctions provide the strongest influence over peoples actions, utilitarianism must appeal to peoples inner feelings in order to have a binding force on them. Mill believes that moral feelings are acquired and notes that they are no less natural because of it. Moral feelings may not be part of human nature, but they are a natural outgrowth from it. They are capable to spring up spontaneously, but at the same time, they can be cultivated and educated. However, bad moral principles can also be likely to come about due to external sanctions. Because these moral feelings are imposed and not naturally developed, theyre called artificial moral feelings. Mill notes that it is very easy to distinguish between the two. Artificial moral feelings eventually fade and crumble under scrutiny analysis, while naturally developed feelings do not. Since the principle of utility doesnt break down under analysis, we can assess theres a natural basis of sentiment for utilitarian morality. (959) In chapter 4, Mill discusses what is required of utilitarianism for it to be believed as valid, even if its impossible to prove the first principle by logic. If a person can actually see an object that means, that said object is visible. If a person hears something, that means there is sound. With that in mind, Mills argues that the proof of something being desirable is that people desire it. Hence, happiness is desirable since each person desires his own happiness. We can also say that each persons happiness is a good to that person and general happiness a good to all people. If something desirable is an end to an action and happiness is desirable, then its clear that happiness is one of the ends and one criterion of morality. However, in order to show that happiness is the only criterion for morality, its essential to show that people never desire anything but happiness. Mill claims that you could say that people desire things like virtue or the absence of vice which is generally s eparate from happiness. Then again, he argues that happiness is a whole idea with component parts. People desire virtue because its part of happiness and promotes the general happiness. Mill notes that theres a difference in desiring something as a means to happiness and desiring something because its part of happiness. Whether or not its true, can only be answered through self-reaction and observation of others. Mill says that throughout history one of the biggest obstacles to the acceptance of the principle of utility has been that fact that it doesnt allow for a theory of justice. In chapter 5, Mill defines justice and makes the connection between justice and utility. Mill takes on the meaning of justice. He lists things that are commonly associated with being just and unjust. First, it is considered unjust to deprive any one of his personal liberty, his property, or any other thing which belongs to him by law. (965) However, this concept has exceptions. For example, a person may have legal rights he should not have due to a bad law. While people vary whether bad laws can be justly disobeyed, all people agree that laws can be unjust. Therefore, law cannot be the ultimate standard of justice. Second, it is considered to be unjust when someone withholds from any person something he has a moral right to possess. Third, it is considered just when a person receives what he deserves (whether goo d or evil) and unjust when he receives a good or undergoes an evil in which he doesnt deserve. Mill explains that this, is the clearest and most emphatic form in which the idea of justice is conceived by the general mind. (966) People are thought to deserve good things if they have done right and evil things if they have done wrong. Fifth, its considered unjust to show favoritism and preference to one person over another, in inappropriate circumstances. This can be the case in a courtroom, when a judge sways the verdict based on his own fondness and not based on facts. But, when regarding the issue of friends and family one doesnt have to be impartial. Lastly, the idea of equality is seen by many to be part of justice. Mill further investigates the meaning of justice by looking at its etymology. In most languages, the words origin comes from either positive law or authoritative custom. Therefore, the most primitive element of justice is the idea of conformity to the law. Ultimately, Mill argues that the ideas of justice are united by the concepts of rights. In cases of justice, the person who has been wronged has had his or her moral right imposed upon and has the moral right to seek repayment. Mill then turns to argue that the sentiment of justice can be linked to the principle of utility. He says that there are two components to justice. The first is the desire to punish. The second is the knowledge that there is an individual whos a victim of wrongdoing. The desire to punish comes from the impulse of self-defense and the feeling of sympathy. Like all animals, humans have instincts of self-defense. Unlike animals, humans are capable of sympathizing not only with loved ones, but also with strangers, people they have no connection with at all. Justice then, reflects the natural feeling of retaliation and vengeance, expanded by the feelings of sympathy and intellect to apply to things that harm society. These feelings are not moral feelings but we can see the justices moral component can be seen in the way people are outraged by the injustices they see, not just on themselves, but also on everyone else. This demonstrated a moral concern. Mill also claims that the idea of a right is not a concept separate from justice. When we call anything a persons right we mean, he has the valid claim on society to protect him in the possession of it, either by the force of law, or by that of education and opinion. (970) The reason for this is utility. Mills then argues that if justice is indeed independent from utility than why is questions related to justice are often debatable. We are continually informed that Utility is an uncertain standard, which every different person interprets differently. (971) Hence, justice is grounded on utility and is the most important part of all morality; it concerns many of the most basic essentials of a humans well-being. Furthermore, the preservation of justice keeps the peace among the people. Therefore, there is a strong utility interest in preserving and enforcing what justice commands. Most of the applications of justice discussed earlier are ways to maintain the notion of moral rights. The Greatest happiness principle doesnt have meaning unless each persons happiness is valued exactly the same as somebody elses, which is basically the idea of impartiality and equality. In addition, people are seen to have an equal entitlement to happiness, and an equal entitlement to the means of happiness.

Case Study Building Shared Services Essay

ABSTRACT The following paper describes the case study of RR Communications from the view point of Vince Patton the CEO who deals with issues like different IT business units mainly Internet, mobile, landline and cable TV services working independently and neglecting the services of other department thus causing a downfall in the company’s valued services for the customers, CIO’s who are involved with IT-Business alignment are only focused on their individual department and strongly oppose the fact of centralized IT systems, Lack of centralized data i.e. because of the opposition face from department CIO’s , the paper discusses decisions made by Vince Patton to benefit RR communications like centralized IT systems , and decision to implement the shared service for customer calls , reduce the number of suppliers and third party vendors. The paper also discusses certain questions to understand the case in much detail and finally a proposed solution on how to implement the sh ared services. INTRODUCTION Issues of the case study The issues of RR communications identified in the case study are as described  below 1. Lack of centralized IT systems and single leadership, currently there are different departments for each vertical and each a CIO who wish to hold on to their department, this division causes lack of coordination and understanding the other service which has an negative effect 2. Failure in leadership has caused great problems for the company as an enterprise, the division presidents do not want to cooperate with the VP of IT to establish a congregation of the IT departments which has caused internal conflict and an upsurge to unite the database and bring a share system service for customer calls. 3. Their absence of single database has problems with managing data from duplication, storing and protection, and so with each division having their own data of customers to manage and provide service for the customers tend to receive four separate bills which is not helping to retain customers for the services provided. 4. Proliferation of unwanted projects because of the presence divisions who might feel the need of an project which in the enterprise point of view is unwanted, hence the VP’s suggestion of a monthly meeting to discuss the enterprise projects , its need, and scheduling them, budgeting , resource allocation was suggested. 5. Lack of information management makes it difficult to manage the business as a whole, makes it nearly impossible to bring in new technology or space of innovation is stifled because each division doesn’t seem to be in sync leading to increase in cost DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. List the advantages of a single customer service center for RR Communications. Implementing single customer services for RR communications by removal of departmentalized services for each service has the following advantages a. A single system for multiple department of services remove data redundancy like customer calls entry, customer information entry etc. thus expediting the process as for every call since personnel working on them are equally allocated and every person has some knowledge of the other sector information. b. A single system also prevents customers from being transferred from one department to another, and also just one bill can be set up to sent to the customer making it easier for the consumers to understand what c. Company can implement new products and services and  remain competitive in the market d. Common customer data repository which is advantageous for the company to reduce data procurement and maintenance cost e. Reduces complexity of multiple departments running playing by different rules thus making internal operations more effective and efficient f. Customer centric systems results in great customer satisfaction g. Sharing of information amongst many systems provides faster decisions on customer or system issues 2. Devise an implementation strategy that would guarantee the support of the divisional presidents for the shared customer service center. The case study clearly states that the divisional presidents/CIO’s are absolutely not convinced with the idea of integrating business units on the customer service center brining in shared customer services for many reasons stated like; for their own reasons of losing power in their department, their lack of concern on organization benefits whole as an enterprise, their worry on their individual projects not getting the right number of resources or budget. But some of the strategies if put forth rightly could have all the divisional presidents agree on the shared customer service a. Meetings that focus on IT decisions to be made together as an enterprise and allocate budgets and resources accordingly hence not leaving any division project on the loose loop. b. Bringing in the right infrastructure, metrics, enterprise architecture to help IT standardize their operations which brings the organization to have a consistent brand and successfully sell their services and each department president can receive support. c. Bringing IT folks into business discussions so that they understand the business aspect of the shared services and see what benefits their divisions and resources and pitch in their own ideas. d. Identifying business opportunities that matter to the divisions and ensuring any one department is given preference over the other e. The idea of creating a centralized database and a single data architecture that is accessible to all divisions improves customer satisfaction, lower costs, maintain integrity of data and also prevent duplicate data. And with these advantages the division president can see what is in store for their departments with respect to customer satisfaction. f. IT governance mechanism that handles all the department projects through monthly meetings where the division president can be given  an heads up projects that will be handled and that no project will be scrapped or lack budget and resources and those projects when using shared services can benefit maximum to the enterprise. 3. Is it possible to achieve an enterprise vision with a decentralized IT function? Working in the organization keeping in mind that the work is focused on the business as a whole and not concentrated to any particular department is the way a company needs to grow, but having many divisions and division of labor makes it difficult to envision company’s values, profitability and sustenance. Hence, decentralization of IT into smaller department causes confusion among the department makes information management a huge challenge. And with many departments and leaders for each miscommunication is bound to happen as each division leader is bound to think of his own department much more than work on the vision of the whole company thus causing chaos, disorganization of the project work to progress in the fast lane. And a decentralized IT in a company makes it difficult to track legacy customers or bring in new ones thus a loss in profit for the organization is sure to happen. 4. What business and IT problems can be caused by lack of common information and an enterprise IM strategy? Lack of a centralized information/data repository in any enterprise means lack of clear coordination among the various departments because of lack of communication and in all possibilities each department would not have access to their information if need be which can cause data redundancy. And with multiple silos of data storage and maintenance cost can considerably increase ultimately wasting financial and personnel resources. 5. What governance mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure common customer data and a shared customer service center? What metrics might be useful? To push forwards the implementation of shared services and encourage common customer data certain governance mechanism such as converging IT and Business, Involve IT in business meetings and being apart in making business decisions for the projects, once the shared system is established along with centralized data system each department can be regulated with the new data  which enhances performance. With systems in place, certain metrics can be developed to assess the risk involved, cost incurred, and weak areas in the department that requires immediate attention technically. CONCLUSION From the discussion above with issues, and answers discussing solutions, required governance, metrics and proposed plan it is understood that what RR communication requires is a centralized customer service that shares information amongst different divisions, and single data repository. Along with these, division presidents hindrance to these tasks needs to be put to an convincing end and let them know how well they can be involved in getting these systems in place with advantages to their department. Also uniting different divisions into one is an idea being thought over which will reduce auditing costs of each division, less cost to maintain data individually and makes sure the information transition is smooth and regulated. With this consolidated information, the company’s vision of maintaining its brand can be achieved through cross sales as each division will work with each other leading to faster and effective services rendered to the customers and thus achieving the vision for the enterprise as a whole. REFERENCES 1. Bakos, Treacy. (June 1986).Information technology and Corporate Strategy. Retrieved from http://people.stern.nyu.edu/bakos/itandcs.pdf 2. Nilles, Jack. The Impact of It on organizations. Retrieved from http://www.skyrme.com/insights/5itorg.htm 3. Kokemuller, Neil. Decentralized Company Business Structure. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/decentralized-company-business-structure 20629.html 4. IT Policy and Strategy, Wilmington University. Boston, MA. Pearson learning Solutions

The Good, the Bad and I Believe Essay Samples

The Good, the Bad and I Believe Essay Samples The History of I Believe Essay Samples Refuted Education plays an extremely important function in the lives of individuals. You also have to discover methods to motivate your students to learn. Teachers also must put up with parents also and stay in mind that parents aren't always likely to agree with the teacher and her methods and manner of teaching. You may choose to share your private life events with the reader so as to explain the origins of your beliefs. As an example, in Japanese education system, special emphasis is given to community support, though many folks don't understand why it is essential. Needless to say, on condition you do not infringe on other peoples freedom or rights. The shorter the length, the larger the concentrate on the central belief in a person's life. The Argument About I Believe Essay Samples If for, whatever reason, you're not able to finish your paper by yourself, it could be recommended to find expert guidance and rely on outstanding assistance such as ours. Last, the most essential issue is to keep on topic. The simplest approach to decide on the sort of an essay is to realize the writer's point of view. There's no ideal solution about how to compose an effective essay. Describe a topic you truly care about from current events, and what exactly you think about this subject. Naturally, there are occasions when you're going to be assigned specific topics to work on. Therefore, the topic also has to be informative and manageable. Quite simply, you should opt for a topic that's narrow enough that you're able to acquire enough info to create a great paper, and broad enough that it may be comprehensively developed within the indicated word count. I Believe Essay Samples: No Longer a Mystery You could also ask your writer to supply a draft, from which you are able to gauge the development of your purchase. You are likely to love our work. Luckily it was not the end. Each one of your wishes concerning the order matters for the writers. You must also meet and understand your students too. Students have to compose essays based on the teacher's instructions or their preferred style in writing. The student is often predicted to demonstrate an awaren ess of the class material, besides carrying out extensive research. Today, most college students find it difficult to compose an essay on a specific topic. Writing an essay is a critical role in academe life. It is a gift that comes naturally. Essay writing is often practiced is schools. It is one of the most challenging tasks students have to undertake. Regardless of what genre you would like Business Studies, Microeconomics, Business Management and Financial Accounting, we're here to serve your needs. It is possible to also obtain insightful ideas for how to begin your paper, including an outline on the best way to proceed. Who knew essay writing might be so tough. Some consider essay writing a burden even though others see it like a chance to share their ideas and opinions. Anyway, this essay ought to be a reflection of the life of somebody. Stephen's essay is quite effective. All About I Believe Essay Samples At times it's helpful to observe how others were able to get over the difficult first-line hump. There's nothing I need to hide. There are lots of conditions in athletics where you must earn a fast and important decision and the consequences of that decision will impact the entire team. One of the most difficult things for humanity to become wrought is grief.

Biography of Adam Smith, Founding Father of Economics

Adam Smith (June 16, 1723–July 17, 1790) was a Scottish philosopher who today is considered to be the father of economics. His seminal work, The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, influenced generations of politicians, leaders, and thinkers, including Alexander Hamilton, who looked to Smiths theories when, as secretary of the treasury, he fashioned the economic system of the United States. Fast Facts: Adam Smith Known For: Father of economicsBorn: June 16, 1723 in Fife, ScotlandParents: Adam Smith, Margaret DouglasDied: July 17, 1790 in Edinburgh, ScotlandEducation: University of Glasgow, Balliol College, OxfordPublished Works: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), The Wealth of Nations (1776)Notable Quote: Every individual†¦ neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it†¦he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Early Years and Education Smith was born in 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, where his widowed mother raised him. At age 14, as was the usual practice, he entered the University of Glasgow on a scholarship. He later attended Balliol College at Oxford, graduating with extensive knowledge of European literature. He returned home and delivered a series of well-received lectures at Glasgow University, which appointed him first as the chair of logic in 1751 and then chair of moral philosophy in 1752. Founding Father of Economics Smith is often described as the founding father of economics. A great deal of what is now considered standard belief about the theory about markets was developed by Smith. He explained his theories in Theory of Moral Sentiments, published in 1759. In 1776, he published his masterpiece, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, which today is generally called The Wealth of Nations. In Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith developed the foundation for a general system of morals. It is a very important text in the history of moral and political thought. It provides the ethical, philosophical, psychological, and methodological underpinnings to Smiths later works. ​ In this work, Smith stated that man was self-interested and self-commanded. Individual freedom, according to Smith, is rooted in self-reliance, the ability of an individual to pursue his self-interest while commanding himself based on the principles of natural law. The Wealth of Nations The Wealth of Nations is actually a five-book series and considered to be the first modern work in the field of economics. Using very detailed examples, Smith attempted to reveal the nature and cause of a nations prosperity. Through his examination, he developed a critique of the economic system. Most commonly known are Smiths critique of mercantilism and his concept of the invisible  hand, which guides economic activity. In explaining this theory, Smith stated that wealthy individuals are: ...led by an  invisible hand  to make nearly the same distribution of the necessaries of life, which would have been made, had the earth been divided into equal portions among all its inhabitants, and thus without intending it, without knowing it, advance the interest of the society. What led Smith to this remarkable conclusion was his recognition that wealthy people dont live in a vacuum: they need to pay (and thus feed) the individuals who grow their food, manufacture their household items, and toil as their servants. Simply put, they cant keep all the money for themselves. Smiths arguments are still used and cited today in debates. Not everyone agrees with Smiths ideas. Many see Smith as an advocate of ruthless individualism. Regardless of how Smiths ideas are viewed, The Wealth of Nations is considered to be, and is arguably, the most important book on the subject ever published. Without a doubt, it is the most seminal text in the field of free-market capitalism. Later Years and Death After living in both France and London for a time, Smith returned to Scotland in 1778 when he was appointed the commissioner of customs for Edinburgh. Smith died on July 17, 1790, in Edinburgh and was buried in the Canongate churchyard. Legacy Smiths work had a profound effect on the American  founding fathers  and the nations economic system. Instead of founding the United States on the idea of mercantilism and creating a culture of  high tariffs  to protect local interests, many key leaders, including  James Madison  and Hamilton, espoused the ideas of free trade and limited government intervention. In fact, Hamilton, in his Report on Manufacturers espoused a number of theories first stated by Smith. These theories stressed the need to cultivate the extensive land that was available in America to create a wealth of capital through labor, distrust of inherited titles and nobility, and the establishment of a military to protect the land against foreign intrusions. Sources â€Å"Adam Smith.†Ã‚  Econlib.Brett, Sarah, and Oxford University Press. â€Å"Adam Smith (1723-90).†Ã‚  Oxford University Press | Online Resource Centre.Founders Online. Alexander Hamiltons Final Version of the Report on the Subject of the Manufactures.  National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration.