Lying, By Jeremy Bentham - 1613 Words

I am going to argue why lying is immoral no matter who you might be lying to, friends, family, and even someone you do not know. This is immoral because even though lying to someone may bring relief or happiness it’s still hiding the truth from that person. Hiding something they deserve to know even though it may hurt them may also be a form of lying. There are many situations where lying may end friendships, relationships, or even tare families apart because most people want to know the truth no matter how harsh, because eventually the truth may come out. In addition to hiding information, there are also other forms of lying. Telling someone false information as well as withholding information are forms of lying. The worst part about telling a lie is that the more you do it the more comfortable one may become. Lying becomes a habit to many people, a habit they have a hard time breaking. Lying can simply be defined in one word, deception. Jeremy Bentham who is a British philo sopher in the 1700’s and early 1800’s believed in the principle of utility otherwise known as utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham thinks it’s permissible to tell a small lie because in the long run Bentham is looking for the ultimate amount of happiness. Bentham believes in the greatest happiness for the greatest number. As long as an act brings more happiness than disappointment then that act is moral. One situation may be three friends found out something that their other friend does not know but canShow MoreRelatedThe And Critique Of The Theory Of Utilitarianism1706 Words   |  7 Pagesthis paper I am going to argue that telling a small lie that would cause no great harm to a friend in order to spare their feelings is an acceptable thing to do. I am going to examine this issue through the perspective of important philosophers Jeremy Bentham(Utilitarian), then through Immanuel Kant(Deontology). After talking about this issue through both of their perspectives, I will argue which person has a more defensible belief. Then I will talk about and critique Kant’s belief to tell the truthRead MoreEssay about Utilitarianism: The Greatest Happiness Principle528 Words   |  3 PagesUtilitarianism was first brought up along the nourishing of â€Å"The Greatest Happiness Principle† introduced by Jeremy Bentham and further developed by John Stuart Mill, who was a follower of Bentham (Sweet, 2013). Based upon its principle, Utilitarianism states that to be good is to generate the greatest possible amount of happiness for the greatest number. In contrast with rational egoism, Utilitarianism focuses more on maximizing the overall net happiness of the majority. When facing a decision toRead MoreDuty Ethics Vs. Utilitarianism1441 Words   |  6 Pages Duty Ethics vs. Utilitarianism The two ethical theories I will discuss are from the works of Jeremy Bentham (utilitarianism), and Immanuel Kant (duty-ethics). These philosophers outlined two different theories of moralphilosophy. Bentham utilitarian theory focus on the moral rightness. His belief is that everyoneshould perform that act which will bring about the greatest amount of good over bad for everyone affected in any given situation. Kant’s theory and my personal preference ofRead MorePro Life And Pro Choice1403 Words   |  6 Pagesundeniable. These two conflicting views bring about very different arguments that must be considered when talking about abortion as an ethical issue. Part II. A. Jeremy Bentham is a Utilitarianist, meaning that he believes people should act in a way that promotes the greatest good for the greatest number. Consequentialist, like Bentham, focus on the positive or negative affects produced by an action. Bentham’s theory involves using the Principle of Utility to determine if an action is good or badRead MoreWhat Is The Right Thing?997 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the right thing to do? This is often a simple yet very challenging question for people to answer. On the topic of lying, is it okay to do it in certain situations and not in others, or should you always tell the truth? There is never one right answer for this question. One of the most common situations presented is this: Imagine you are on a cruise and the captain announces that the ship is sinking and everyone needs to load onto life rafts. The only issue is that there are 11 people andRead MoreUsing Utilitarian Ethicals to Determine Right From Wrong Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pageswhether or not to continue to sell their transistor to the company and risk the negative connotation and ultimately the loss of shareholders in the company, associated with the deaths that occurred (Shanks, 1996). This analysis will explore the use of Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarian ethics in the decision making process for that company in this vital time. The Utility test and the Common Good Test will then be applied to this situation and through that decision making process and then compared. This willRead MoreUtilitarian s Vs. Deontologists1593 Words   |  7 Pagesto further determine what a right action is (Kant 533). He argues, under the formula of the universal law, that a right action is a maxim that could become a universal law and no contradictions would arise (Kant 533). Kant gives an example for why lying is not a right action. He states that there is a man who needs money even though he knows he will not be able to pay it back, his maxim is â€Å"’I will borrow money and promise to pay it back, though I know that this will never be done’† (Kant 534). KantRead MoreAssiginment 1 Ethical1713 Words   |  7 Pagesmorally right if consequences of the actions lead to happiness’ (Stuart, 2009). These two important theories will be analyzed and discuss in the relevance to Mikes options, for his situation. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory; by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill who were the first to develop this theory in detail. It is a consequentialist theory because ethical decisions should be made on the expected consequences of the action weather its right or wrong. The good: things that areRead MoreDeontology And Utilitarianism : Values And Society First Essay1398 Words   |  6 Pagesconcepts and decisions to frame our lives, giving structure to what we believe is right and wrong. More often than not, these concepts bring argument to what has already been set in stone by tough, controversial philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham due to the nature of the topics and sensitivity they cause. In this essay, I look to discuss the trolley example in relation to deontology and utilitarianism; what each of these concepts tells us about the best way to behave in the example, andRead MoreWho Is The Right Or Wrong?976 Words   |  4 Pagessake of duty, which is what is considered to be morally correct and just, and the qualification is the motive behind the action, that should not contain self-interest, which is what makes the action moral in itself. On the other hand, we have Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher and founder of Utilitarianism, asserting, â€Å" Pain and pleasure†¦ for them alone point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do†¦ the standard of right and wrong are fastened to their throne, [being]