Utilitarian Principles Research Articles

The autonomous vehicle dilemma: passenger(s) versus pedestrian(s)

ABSTRACT The deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the roads opens moral and ethical issues related to their ‘behaviour’ in daily traffic situations. A debated question is how individuals perceive the choices taken by AVs in life-threatening scenarios, and whether the same or different moral standards are applied to humans’ and AVs’ decisions. In an online experiment, a questionnaire was submitted to an international sample (N = 353). The aim was to test whether the actions made by an AV or a human driver in realistic road-accident scenarios were judged according to a different perspective. We manipulated the decision maker, the decision, the number of pedestrians crossing the road and the number of occupants inside the vehicle, to assess the importance of utilitarian principles and the role of self-sacrifice in moral evaluations. The results highlight a preference for humans’ decisions over AVs’ ones and suggest a difference in the importance of utilitarian principles in the assessment of humans and AVs. The human self-sacrifice attitude is appreciated to a different degree, according to the type of individuals saved (pedestrians or occupants). Further investigations are needed to disentangle a human-bias from the effect of self-sacrifice on the moral evaluations of humans’ and AVs’ actions.

A Personalist Approach to the Just Allocation of Resources in the Midst of a Pandemic

This paper examines the ethical implications of healthcare resource allocation during the first wave of COVID-19 in Italy, from 21 February to 31 May 2020, with a focus on the utilitarian principles that prioritized age-based resource allocation. By comparing this approach to an ontological personalist bioethics framework, the study aims to offer a more equitable strategy for healthcare allocation applicable to any pandemic. Data from governmental reports, healthcare policies, and ethical guidelines were analyzed, revealing that Italy’s utilitarian method led to significant ethical concerns, particularly regarding age discrimination. In contrast, the ontological personalist approach emphasizes the dignity and intrinsic worth of each individual, irrespective of age or health condition. The findings demonstrate that this personalist framework fosters a more balanced and fair allocation of resources, respecting human dignity and offering a universally applicable alternative to age-based prioritization. Ultimately, the study suggests that integrating ontological personalist principles into healthcare policies could enhance ethical decision-making in future pandemics, ensuring that resource allocation practices align more closely with human rights and individual dignity.

The effects of fair allocation principles on energy system model designs

Abstract What constitutes socially just or unjust energy systems or transitions can be derived from the philosophy and theories of justice. Assessments of distributive justice and utilising them in modelling lead to great differences based on which justice principles are applied. From the limited research so far published in the intersection between energy systems modelling and justice, we find that comparisons between the two principles of utilitarianism and egalitarianism dominate in assessments of distributive justice, with the latter most often considered representing a 'just energy system'. The lack of recognition of alternative and equally valid principles of justice, resting on e.g. capabilities, responsibilities and/or opportunities, leads to a narrow understanding of justice that fails to align with the views of different individuals, stakeholders and societies. More importantly, it can lead to the unjust design of future energy systems and energy systems analysis. 
 
In this work, we contribute to the growing amount of research on distributive justice in energy systems modelling by assessing the implications of different philosophical views on justice on modelling results. Through a modelling exercise with a power system model for Europe (highRES), we explore different designs of a future (2050) net-zero European electricity system, and its distributional implications based on the application of different justice principles. In addition to the utilitarian and egalitarian approach, we include, among others, principles of 'polluters pay' and 'ability-to-pay', which take historical contributions of greenhouse gas emissions and the socio-economic conditions of a region into account. 
 
We find that fair distributions of electricity generating infrastructure look significantly different depending on the justice principles applied. The results may stimulate a greater discussion among researchers and policymakers on the implications of different constructions of justice in modelling, expansion of approaches, and demonstrate the importance of transparency and assumptions when communicating such results.

Self-Interest over Ethics: Firm Withdrawal from Russia After the Ukraine Invasion

AbstractDrawing on contrasting theoretical perspectives of self-interest and utilitarian/ethical motivations, we examine the degree to which a company's pace of departure from Russia after the Ukraine invasion is driven by its exposure to the Russian market. Moreover, we investigate whether firm-level political and non-political risks influence the propensity to delay or expedite the exit/withdrawal process. Contrary to utilitarian expectations advocating for ethical exit decisions irrespective of exposure and risks, firms with higher Russian exposure were less likely to exit sooner, indicating a prioritization of business interests over ethical imperatives. This self-interest effect was further amplified by heightened political risks but attenuated by non-political risks. These findings remained consistent across various model specifications, with limited discernible variations based on firm characteristics such as ranking, COVID-19 exposure and risk, past idiosyncratic volatility, or family ownership and control. In addition, an examination of post-exit effects on profitability, risk, cost of capital, and liquidity revealed no statistically significant relationships. Our study highlights the prevalence of self-interest motivations over utilitarian principles, as firms with substantial Russian exposure prioritized safeguarding their business interests in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion, even at the potential cost of ethical and social responsibility imperatives.

Language is a “quite useless” tool: A rejoinder to Fedorenko, Piantadosi, and Gibson’s “Language is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought”

Contrary to the prevailing assumption that language is “primarily a tool for communication rather than thought”, I argue that language is, to invoke Oscar Wilde, “quite useless”. Arguing from aesthetic philosophy and the minimalist program for linguistic theory, I conject that language, like art, is not “for” anything—it simply is, conforming to aesthetic rather than utilitarian principles. Of course, like art, language can be a powerful instrument of communication, but its function is not that of expressing thought; it creates thoughts, “primarily” for communicating with oneself, engaging in Popperian critical rationalism, making thoughts (e.g., sentences, constructive proofs) to match Platonic objects (e.g., propositions, classical proofs).

Matchmaking in Sunan Giri Salatiga Islamic Boarding School: A Review of J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism

This article analyses the concept of utilitarianism proposed by J.S. Mill and its application in the context of arranged marriages at Sunan Giri Islamic Boarding School in Salatiga. Furthermore, the purpose of this research is to analyse an arranged marriage that occurs in an Islamic boarding school using the theory of utilitarianism presented by J.S. Mill. The research applied is field research with a qualitative method that is descriptive analytical, and uses a phenomenological approach using J.S Mill's theory. Data was collected through interviews conducted with the parties involved both online and offline, which in this case is the Kiai of the pesantren or Abah Rikul and senior students and students who have been successfully matched. It was found that in terms of the causes and effects of matchmaking that occurred in line with the ultimate goal to be achieved by utilitarianism. The results showed that the arranged marriage that occurred at Pondok Sunan Giri was actually to maintain the principles of utilitarianism, namely as follows: a) In the aspect of usefulness that arranged marriages are actually to maintain the dignity of the santri themselves. b) Then in the aspect of justice, that arranged marriages that occur at the cottage are democratic in which the final decision holder is fully in the approval of the prospective bride and groom, c) Then then there are individual interests. As a basic capital, to serve in the community, d) Then the last is the public interest. In this case it is contained in the purpose of matchmaking where according to Abah Rikul the matchmaking must be able to have a positive effect on the benefit of as many people as possible.

Greatest Good for the Greatest Number – the Role of Managers’ Ethical Meaning-Making and Subjective Wellbeing Complexity

AbstractDespite the appeal of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ as an ethical ideal for businesses to pursue, applying this utilitarian principle in practice proves challenging. This is not least due to fundamental disagreements as to what constitutes the ‘greatest good.’ For example, the concept of ‘wellbeing’ now commonly proposed as a way of apprehending the greatest good is itself subject to widely varying interpretations. Drawing on an in-depth qualitative study of 64 managers in different sectors and country contexts, we explore this variation through the lens of constructivist ethics, asking how and why managers systematically differ in their ethical meaning-making around wellbeing. Our theorizing advances constructivist ethics by relating these differences to developmental stages identified in constructivist psychology, finding that systematic variations in ethical meaning-making are shaped by differences in actors’ capacities to process complexity. Our analysis reveals that managers’ ethical meaning-making about wellbeing is subjective, socially constructed, dynamic, and evolutionary, progressing in stages that we differentiate with a novel concept of ‘subjective wellbeing complexity.’ We contribute to practice by discussing how managers’ ability to work with more complex conceptions of wellbeing can be purposefully enhanced through stage-by-stage capacity-building in the form of ‘vertical development.’

Etika Utilitarianisme Jeremy Bentham Sebagai Basis Posisi Etis Ekonomi Pancasila Di Indonesia

The ethics in the implementation of economic policies emphasize the direction of justice, goodness, as well as knowing what should and should not be done in an economic activity involving all humans within it (Akhsan, 2020). This research aims to explore the issues of ideas and the implementation of Pancasila Economics adopted in the economic life of the Republic of Indonesia. The analysis of Pancasila Economics is based on the principles of utilitarian ethics derived from the thoughts of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). The research problem is formulated as how the ethical position of Pancasila Economics in Indonesia is in the analysis of Jeremy Bentham's utilitarian ethics. This study aims to explore the ethical position of Pancasila Economics based on utilitarian ethics principles within the framework of ideas and implementation. The method to achieve these goals and answer the issues is cross-sectional with a qualitative approach. The results of this research indicate a disparity in the ethical position of Pancasila Economics as an idea/concept compared to its implementation in economic policies in Indonesia.

ISLAMIZATION CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR CONCEPT (ISLAMIC OFFER IN CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR IN THE ALFA GENERATION)

The current needs system is no longer determined by real needs but has been regulated with the existence of commodity goods. Society's system of consumption changes rapidly to follow the system of needs so that the consumption of goods and services is no longer a necessity but a desire of every individual who is swept up in the consumptive world. Consumerism culture is considered a culture that must be attached to society in order to obtain an identity. Even though the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, preferred to give infaq fi sabilillah, even well waqf by Utsman Bin Affan, rather than simply consuming a commodity that was not useful and did not spend their wealth on something without benefit, especially for an impossible lifestyle, including using their wealth in moderation. This study uses the literary method to search for various literature sourced from journals and books that have to do with consumerism, consumption, and consumption behavior. The results of the study explain that consumerism which is based on the principles of utilitarianism and rationality alone, encourages consumers to maximize use value without regard to human values and even Islamic values, as a result, creates individualism and self-interest. There are at least 5 points that need to be implemented in Islamic offers in consumption behavior, including 1) Paying attention to priority scales in consuming a commodity, 2) Following Islamic norms in consumption behavior, 3) Maintaining Maqoshid Syariah with the aim of benefiting individuals and society, 4) Comply with the principles of halal and haram, 5) Consumption behavior is part of increasing worship.

Exploring the intersection of utilitarianism and sustainability in business: A conceptual analysis

Purpose: This research aims to elucidate the benefits commercial entities strive to accrue by implementing sustainability practices, using a conceptual analysis framework to probe into the anticipated benefits underpinning sustainability adoption. Methodology: The study employs a comprehensive literature review to define and establish a framework for utilitarianism and sustainability, focusing on their relationship and implications within the business context. Results: The research findings indicate that sustainability practices can considerably augment the utilitarian objectives of businesses. Energy efficiency initiatives, for instance, can enhance profitability by curtailing energy costs and simultaneously alleviating environmental impacts. Social responsibility endeavours can amplify brand value, solidifying customer loyalty. Elevated employee satisfaction and engagement can foster heightened productivity and competitiveness. Theoretical contribution: This study contributes to the existing body of literature by critically examining the definitions of critical terms and interrogating the ontological validity of the assumed linkage between sustainability initiatives and the anticipated benefits. It also offers a framework illustrating how businesses might integrate the principles of sustainability and utilitarianism, setting a foundation for further exploration of this theme. Practical implications: The research provides valuable insights for businesses seeking to harmonize their activities with environmental, social, and economic impacts in the pursuit of sustainability, while simultaneously aiming to maximize benefits. It underscores the importance of maintaining a delicate equilibrium between sustainability and utilitarianism, as the incorporation of sustainability principles can assist businesses in achieving their profit and benefit creation objectives, thereby fortifying their prospects for enduring success.

Analisa Penerapan Proyek Rempang Eco City Yang Mengabaikan Hak Ulayat Dan Melukai Keadilan Masyarakat Adat

The analysis of land ownership conflicts on Pulau Rempang within the framework of UUPA, the constitution, and Utilitarianism's theory of justice, as well as understanding the reasons for selecting Pulau Rempang as the location for the Rempang Eco City project, is of a normative or doctrinal nature. It examines legal regulations, the constitution, and theories of justice in the context of land conflicts on Pulau Rempang. The importance of protecting the customary rights of indigenous communities in the context of national strategic development is crucial. The Basic Agrarian Law (UUPA) should be applied while considering the rights of indigenous communities, as recognized in the constitution. The conflict on Pulau Rempang reflects disagreement between indigenous communities and the government regarding relocation for Rempang Eco City. Resolving land ownership conflicts on Pulau Rempang requires an approach that considers customary rights, consistency with the constitution, and Utilitarian principles of justice. The government must acknowledge the presence of indigenous communities in the context of national strategic development. The choice of Pulau Rempang as the location for the Rempang Eco City project should consider social and environmental impacts, as well as the involvement of local communities in the development process.

Exploring How the Professional Ethics of Engineers Can Be More Effectively and Deeply Integrated with Today's Social Reality

Under the impact of the epidemic in the past two years, the economic situation in various industries has been not optimistic. More and more members of the engineering community have begun to adhere to the principle of economic supremacy and utilitarianism, ignoring the most basic professional ethics. This has led to an increasing number of substandard products on the market, and the quality of some engineering products is worrying. Many large engineering projects have also suffered accidents as a result. Perhaps this is the last resort to "supporting the family" during the epidemic. With the end of the epidemic and the recovery of the economy, how to effectively integrate the professional ethics of engineers with the current social reality has become a problem that needs to be considered. In this situation, it is urgent to cultivate the professional ethics and ethical concepts of engineers guided by the spirit of craftsmanship.

Social class and moral judgment: a process dissociation perspective.

Do social classes differ in moral judgment? Previous research showed that upper-class actors have a greater inclination toward utilitarian judgments than lower-class actors and that this relationship is mediated by empathic concern. In this paper, we take a closer look at class-based differences in moral judgment and use the psychometric technique of process dissociation to measure utilitarian and deontological decision inclinations as independent and orthogonal concepts. We find that upper-class actors do indeed have a greater inclination toward decisions consistent with utilitarian principles, albeit only to a quite small extent. Class-related differences are more pronounced with respect to deontological judgments, in so far as upper-class actors are less inclined to judgments consistent with deontological principles than lower-class actors. In addition, it is shown that class-based differences in utilitarian judgments are mediated by cognitive styles and not so much by empathic concern or moral identity. None of these potential mediators explains class-based differences in the inclination toward deontological judgments.

The efficacy of utilitarianism philosophy in addressing the problem of corruption in developing economies

Corruption is a pervasive issue in developing economies, undermining economic growth, social development and governance. Utilitarianism, a moral theory that emphasizes the greatest good for the greatest number, offers a framework for addressing corruption by focusing on the consequences of actions and rule based issues. This article explores the efficacy of utilitarianism in combating corruption in developing economies. By analysing the ethical implications of utilitarian principles in the context of corruption, policymakers and stakeholders can develop more effective strategies to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in governance. There are rule-based utilitarianism and act-based utilitarianism which can be used in dealing with corruption.

To what extent do lay people and healthcare providers differ in the allocation of scarce medical resources in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Studying the most ethical way to allocate scarce medical resources has been of interest within the last year, due to shortages associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to establish differences between what healthcare providers (HCP) and laypeople consider to be the most ethical way to prioritise the distribution of scarce resources. Healthcare providers ( n = 100) and laypeople ( n = 102) were asked to rank ethical principles from most to least ethical for the allocation of ICU beds in a COVID-19 outbreak, COVID-19 vaccinations and organ transplantation, and the rankings from each scenario across the two groups were compared. Results indicated that HCPs preferred utilitarian principles informed by medical knowledge, such as ‘prognosis’, whereas laypeople preferred less situation-specific and prioritarian principles, such as ‘sickest first’, replicating pre-pandemic findings. Laypeople showed increased in-group agreement when ranking principles, potentially due to the collective experience of the pandemic. Demographic variables such as older age, identifying as Black, Asian or minority ethnic and greater experience with COVID-19, were also associated with a preference for ‘prognosis’.

Rules and Ethical Conduct Guiding the Performance of the Public Service Sector

there are rules and regulations, code of conducts as well as modus operandi that guide people in every organization, the Nigerian public service is not exempted from it. The public service of Nigeria has been characterized with a high level corruption, gross misconduct, financial misappropriation, embezzlement of public funds, nepotism, low value, and all manner of unethical behaviours. All these persist despite the plethora of studies carried out to sanitize the system. It is against this backdrop, this paper was written, so as to look into the ethical rules and values in the public service of Nigeria. The various concepts were analyzed. An empirical study, exploring the secondary source of collection was carried out. The utilitarian principle propounded by scholars Jeremy Bethnam and John Stuart Mill, formed our thought process. This theory is premised on the principle of the greatest level of happiness in a society. The following findings were discovered; that despite the works done by various scholars on ethics and values in the public service of Nigeria, all manner of unethical behaviours remain pervasive. Also, the campaign on instilling right ethical standards and value system in the service of Nigeria, is a continuous process. In submission, the following but not limited, were recommended; an overhauling of the public service to ensure everyone (workers and applicants) would imbibe the ethics and values of the public service, those who manage government’s affairs must lead by example, and the empowerment of the office of the citizens so as to serve as watchdog to these public servants.

I. A. Puni as an Art Critic (Based on the Texts from 1914–1919)

This study examines the artistic and critical activity of I. A. Puni, a Russian avant-garde master and organiser of futurist exhibitions in the framework of his first creative period, preceding emigration. The opportunity to look from a historical distance at the time of the emergence of Russian avant-garde from the inside makes the study relevant. The researchers focus on valuable information about the time, the worldview of a curator/artist/critic (I. A. Puni being all of them) and the “pain” points of art. The conclusions are based on the multidimensional textual material (critical articles, letters, lecture materials), which helps immerse in the context of artistic life in Petrograd and Vitebsk at the beginning of the century. Using structural and semiotic analysis, the authors draw parallels with I. A. Puni’s painting and curatorial experience. Puni’s focus is on the theoretical aspects of the new art that concerned him as an artist. His texts raise polemical questions about the importance of “material culture”, the role of the artist, futurism, and curatorship. In an era dominated by production art and the principles of utilitarianism, Puni emphasises the value of the artist’s individuality, their understanding of aesthetic tasks, and the intellectual content of the visual narrative. For Puni, the beauty of art lies in its uselessness for life: it is utilitarian production that influences art, not the other way around. Through coloured materiality, peculiarities of composition and form, the artist emphasises the essence and the inner construction of the depicted object. The study notes the special stylistics of Puni’s texts, based on the neutrality of tone, reasoned judgments, which was not typical of theorists in the era of “poster language”. The artist’s curatorial activity, manifested by the landmark exhibitions “Tram B” and “0.10”, gives an example of a “critic in action”. The materials analysed show the complexity of the choice of objects capable of driving the narrative and the importance of one’s own position in the aspect of the rivalry between K. S. Malevich and V. E. Tatlin.

On the Role of Scientific Evidence in Normative Ethics (the Case of the Debunking of Deontological Principles)

The paper deals with the questions of whether naturalization of ethical theory is possible and how radical it should be. The answer to these questions depends largely on the scientific explanations of the process of moral evaluation. The author concentrates on a moderate version of naturalization, which involves merely correcting the conclusions of normative ethics by appealing to scientific evidence. A good example of moderate naturalization is the project of debunking deontological moral principles of J. Green. From J. Green’s point of view, the most important of such principles (“it is impermissible to harm other people as a means of achieving a utilitarian goal, but it is permissible to cause such harm as a side-effect of its achievement”) reflects the functioning of the emotional alarm system, which in the early ages of human history protected small groups from internal violence using contact means of harm. The means of harm have since expanded, but the inflexible emotional part of our psyche still dictates the limits of permissibility. This dictate has no reasonable grounds, and the abovementioned principle cannot claim to be objective and universal. The author shows that the data used by J. Green is different from the results of studies by Yu.I. Aleksandrov and K.R. Arutyunova on the impact of alcohol intoxication on making deontological and utilitarian moral evaluations. These results indicate that both the deontological and the utilitarian principles are partly based on the emotional subsystem. Accordingly, a normative ethicist is forced to choose as the scientific basis of his or her research some of the opposing scientific models that explain the process of making moral evaluations. Some of the models are consistent with the moderate naturalization project, others are not. The choice between models depends exclusively on already taken metaethical and normative preferences.

The validation of regulatory test methods - Conceptual, ethical, and philosophical foundations.

Validation establishes the reproducibility and relevance of regulatory test methods, particularly for new approach methods (NAMs) as alternatives to animal testing. While validation concepts provide a framework to assess method suitability, they rarely undergo method-critical assessment. This paper explores the philosophical and ethical foundations of the validation process, drawing from various philosophical traditions and contemporary ethical frameworks. How validation intersects with utilitarian principles, ethics of responsibility, and post-modern critiques is examined, offering a multifaceted perspective on its role in scientific progress and societal values. The paper argues for a paradigm shift in validation, moving beyond traditional animal-based comparisons towards more flexible, fit-for-purpose approaches that embrace emerging technologies and ethical con-siderations. Key ethical principles guiding NAM validation are discussed, including beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and respect for animal welfare. Integrating these principles with scientific rigor can create a more holistic validation framework that balances human safety, animal welfare, and technological innovation. By critically examining the philosophical underpinnings of validation, this paper aims to stimulate dialogue on reforming the process to better align with contemporary scientific knowledge, ethical standards, and societal expectations. It calls for a more adaptive, transparent, and ethically grounded approach to validation that can accelerate the adoption of innovative and human-relevant toxicological methods while maintaining scientific integrity and public trust.

Is it Ever Right to Lie? How Ethical Questions Bring us to Philosophy of Mind

AbstractMoral and ethical agreements require sufficiently shared values, or at least some common ground. We might think of this in terms of a shared ‘form of life’, ‘lebensform’, as Wittgenstein describes it in his Philosophical Investigations. Yet it is not clear what will be sufficient, nor how to bridge gaps when disagreement occurs, for instance on whether it is ever right to lie. Ethical and moral theories offer some guidance, but there is no guide for which theory one ought to follow. Whether you favour eudaimonist (flourishing, well-being), deontological (duty), or utilitarian (consequentialist) principles, the selection of a philosophy says much about who you are (preferences, judgements, beliefs) and your context (social, political, cultural). More than this it can indicate certain psychological and personal dispositions, whether defined as brain states, mental states, or personalities. In this article I outline some arguments for why ethics might need a philosophy of mind, and why this poses problems for ethical and moral theory building.