Military Ethic - Utilitarian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Military Ethic - Utilitarian - Essay Example According to Mill’s perspective of the utilitarian theory, he notes that the quality of happiness is the fundamental aspect of the utilitarian theory and not the amount of happiness. Mill’s indicates that happiness cannot be quantified as it is a quality. On the same breath, Mill’s says that the theory aims to enhance the highest ability of attaining happiness for the largest number of people. To what extent? To as many as possible. On the other hand, Bentham has a different set of principles that governs this theory. Bentham asserts that the importance of pleasure and pain in each person. Bentham agrees or disagrees of any act depending on the amount of pain or pleasure that results from the act. Bentham compares associates pleasure with good and pain with evil. The main assertion of Bentham is that pain and pleasure can be quantified. The two theorists seem to differ on the aspect of quantification. Can happiness or pain or pleasure be quantified? (Gierson & Ho lmgren, 2000). The utilitarian theory can be applied to certain the overall rules or certain actions. Application of the theory to the overall rules is termed as rule-utilitarianism, while the application of the theory to certain actions is termed as act-utilitarianism. In application of the theory through the act-utilitarianism, â€Å"An act is right if and only if it results in as much good as any available alternative.† (Pojman & Fieser, 2011). The application of this theory based on the act perspective is based on the good. The good that will result from the action. The question is, how much good results from many military actions? The other application of the theory through the rule-utilitarianism states that the utilitarian theory is utilized to evaluate if the regulations of behavior or conduct are valid. If one behaves in a certain way, is it