What are the main strengths and weaknesses of Utilitarianism?
Strengths – It always seeks the Greatest Good For The Greatest Number. This means that the majority will always benefit. Another strength could be that following this philosophy does not leave room for being emotional – this could help in difficult situations. Use Jeremy Bentham here. he was a leading Utilitarian. Also worth mentioning is the hedonic calculator. This should be in your book! Its seven points to consider when making a moral decision. Weaknesses- It neglects the minority. For example the fox hunting ban – it has seriously ruined the lives of small communities, yet because the majority (who did not understand it) voted against it, it was banned. This shows how an ignorant majority have (arguably) unreasonable power. Also it is very unrealistic. To expect people to act in the interets of others above themselves. There is famous example you can use to illustrate this: A train bridge conductor is about to let down the bridge for a train to cross, when he notices that his son
