Essay: Utilitarianism Examples in Everyday Life
Essay: Utilitarianism Examples in Everyday Life
Academic level: Master’s
Essay type: Memoir
Size: 2 pages ~ (935 words)
Most people have heard the idea, “Do the greatest good for the greatest number.” This is a concise yet effective summary of the ethical theory of utilitarianism. Tied to the name of the 18th-century philosopher Jeremy Bentham, utilitarianism remains one of the most accessible and widely used ethical frameworks, especially in scenarios where the interests of the majority are concerned. Let’s explore a few everyday, healthcare-related, and utilitarianism business ethics examples to investigate both the strengths and limitations of this ethical theory.
Utilitarianism might date back to the 18th century, but it is still an influential moral theory to this day. The central principle of utilitarian ethics is straightforward: maximizing well-being and minimizing suffering for as many people as possible. Basically, according to utilitarianism, whichever action will result in the greatest good is the right one. While this idea makes perfect sense at first glance, as a form of consequentialism – an ethical framework that judges the morality of any action by the outcomes – utilitarianism is controversial. From a utilitarian perspective, the suffering of the minority is fine as long as the majority is happier in the end.
Most people are using utilitarian ethics nearly daily to make decisions – even if they do not recognize that it is utilitarianism that guides their decision-making. For example, imagine a group of five friends who are trying to decide what to have for dinner. Three of them want sushi, one craves pizza, and the one does not have a strong opinion. A utilitarian approach would suggest that going for sushi is the better choice. Why? Because more people will be happy with that option, and one person’s mild disappointment is outweighed by the stronger satisfaction of the majority. In this case, utilitarianism does indeed make perfect sense and is hardly controversial.
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However, this is not always the case. Let’s look at more hypothetical examples of utilitarianism to explore its limitations. Think of a doctor who has a patient – let’s call him patient A – who is a perfect donor match for three other patients. Those patients will die unless the doctor transplants patient A’s organs to them. However, doing so would kill patient A, who is expected to fully recover otherwise. The utilitarian solution to this dilemma would be to sacrifice patient A to transplant his organs to the other three patients and save their lives. However, doing so would not be medically ethical (or legal), not to mention fair.
Still, there are multiple areas of life where utilitarianism is an appropriate and widely used framework, including public health. One of the best utilitarianism examples in healthcare is vaccination. Most myths surrounding the supposedly scary consequences of vaccination – like the belief that it causes autism – are just that, myths. Still, some people do experience unpleasant side effects after being vaccinated, including fever, muscle and joint pain, nausea, and more. Trying to avoid these side effects can push one to avoid getting vaccinated. And yet, from the perspective of utilitarianism, the only right choice is to get vaccinated. The more people are vaccinated, the stronger the so-called “herd immunity,” which benefits society as a whole and is, therefore, in line with the utilitarian principle of maximizing well-being.
Similarly, there are multiple examples of utilitarianism in nursing, especially when the resources are limited. For example, during a hospital emergency when multiple patients arrive at once, a nurse may have to triage and deliver immediate care to the patients with the highest chances of survival rather than those who are most severely injured. While this may seem harsh (or even unethical), it reflects utilitarian reasoning – the goal is to maximize positive outcomes and save the greatest number of lives. In high-pressure scenarios, utilitarianism is often the most appropriate framework.
However, life-or-death situations are not the only environments where utilitarian ethics are helpful; there are even utilitarianism examples in school. Think of a teacher who has to decide how to spend limited class time – which is a daily dilemma, especially in overcrowded classrooms of public schools. Suppose a teacher notices that most students are struggling with a particular math concept. They might choose to review that topic again with the entire class, even if a few students already understand it. While it might seem repetitive for the few who have already mastered it, the decision helps the majority improve and reduces overall confusion. This approach reflects utilitarian thinking – choosing the option that benefits the greatest number of students, even if it comes at the expense of the needs or wishes of the few.
Finally, there are multiple utilitarianism examples in business. Businesses typically have multiple stakeholders (customers, employees, the broader community, etc.), and the interests of different stakeholder groups do not always align. If a business decides to follow the framework of utilitarianism, it will have to consider the interests of the majority – even if it decreases the profit margin. For example, a company might decide to switch to more sustainable packaging, even if it slightly increases production costs. While short-term profits will reduce, the decision will benefit the environment and align with customer values. So, in the long run, it might actually benefit the revenues by improving the company’s reputation and strengthening customer loyalty.
To conclude, utilitarianism is more than an abstract idea from ethics and philosophy textbooks; it is an ethical framework that still guides decision-making across different contexts. Despite its limitations (such as its disregard for the idea of fairness or individual rights), utilitarianism is still a helpful approach in certain healthcare and business scenarios, as well as in small day-to-day decisions where the conflicting interests of multiple people are involved.
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