Why Rule Utilitarianism Is Better than Act
Rules utilitarianism, on the other hand, is the belief that an action can be morally right if it conforms to the rules that lead to the greatest good or happiness. He believes that the rightness of an action is determined by the rightness of its rules, and that when the right rule is followed, the greatest good or happiness is attained. Act utilitarians say they recognize that rules can have value. For example, rules can provide a basis for action when there is no time to think. In addition, rules can set a default position, a justification for performing (or omising) a certain type of action, as long as there is no reason not to. But if people know that more good can be done by breaking the rule, then the default position should be overridden. In addition, utilitarianism aims to increase the overall amount of satisfaction or happiness for the greatest number of people. Therefore, the moral good that can be done under utilitarianism is what promotes the greatest benefit for the majority of people, even if the individual who acts will not prosper or be satisfied at all times. This concept therefore takes into account both the well-being of others and one`s own well-being. Critics of the act`s utilitarianism say it allows judges to sentence innocent people to harsh sentences if it maximizes benefits, allows doctors to kill healthy patients if it allows them to use a person`s organs to save more lives, and allows people to break promises when it brings a little more benefit than the promise.
This does not mean that rule utilitarians always support rigid rules without exception. Some regulations may identify types of situations in which the prohibition is overturned. For example, in medical emergencies, a driver may rightly cross a red light or stop sign based on their own assessment that a) it can be done safely and b) even a short delay can cause serious damage. Thus, the correct rule does not need to be “never cross a stop sign”, but can be something like “never cross a stop sign, except in cases that have properties a and b”. Also, there will be a lot about driving or other behaviors that can be left to people`s discretion. Traffic rules do not tell the driver when to drive or what their destination should be. The classic example of rule utilitarianism is that of road traffic rules. In this scenario, the morality of the action is weighed against its universal consequences resulting from compliance with rules and regulations. Therefore, rule utilitarianism is sometimes seen as avoiding the problems associated with actutilitarianism. Act utilitarianism focuses on maximizing the amount of happiness for each individual.
This ensures that no need of one person takes precedence over those of another and that everyone has the same chance of happiness. Act utilitarians believe that whenever we decide what to do, we should take the steps that create the greatest net benefit. In their view, the principle of utility — doing what leads to the best overall results — should be applied on a case-by-case basis. The right action in any situation is the one that brings the most benefits (i.e. creates more well-being) than the other actions available. In act utilitarianism, morality is based on the effect of a good deed that benefits most people, while in rule utilitarianism, morality is to follow a particular rule or code of conduct (when performing an action) that is beneficial to most people. To understand this criticism, it is worth focusing on a distinction between rule utilitarianism and other non-utilitarian theories. Consider Kant`s claim that lying is always morally wrong, even if lying would save a person`s life.
Many people find this view too rigid and claim that it does not take into account the circumstances in which a lie is told. A more plausible rule would be: “Do not lie, except in special circumstances that justify lying. But what are these special circumstances? It is natural for a utilitarian to say that the correct rule is: “Don`t lie unless lying does more good than telling the truth.” How can utilitarianism in power do this? How can this be an unbiased moral theory and, at the same time, allow partisanship in people`s relationships with their friends, family and others with whom they have a special connection? People who are convinced of the critique of actutilitarianism may choose to reject utilitarianism altogether and adopt a different type of moral theory. However, this judgment would only be valid if actutilitarianism were the only type of utilitarian theory. If there are other versions of utilitarianism that have no defects of actutilitarianism, then one can accept the critique of actutilitarianism without abandoning utilitarianism completely. This is what the defenders of utilitarianism claim. They argue that rule utilitarianism retains the virtues of a utilitarian moral theory, but without the flaws of the utilitarian version of the act. Utilitarians generalize these types of cases, claiming that our knowledge of human behavior shows that there are many instances where general rules or practices favor good effects rather than simply telling people to do what they think is best in each individual case.
