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Mill’s Principle of Utility

A patient comes in complaining of a bad cold. You give them some treatments, and get ready to send them on their way, since they are otherwise quite healthy. However, you remember that you have five patients in the other room who desperately need new organs – heart, kidney, lung, pancreas, and intestines. From the patient’s record, you see that the cold patient is a match for all five patients, but the cold patient cannot live without these organs.
a. At first glance, what would Kant’s Formula of Ends require you to do, based on the Module 2 reading? Why?
b. At first glance, what would Mill’s Principle of Utility require you to do, based on the Module 2 reading? Why?
c. This is a classic thought experiment that raises some problems for the Principle of Utility. What are the problems, and how could Mill get around them?

Full Answer Section

b. At first glance, what would Mill’s Principle of Utility require you to do, based on the Module 2 reading? Why?

Mill's Principle of Utility states that the right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This means that we should always choose the action that will benefit the most people, even if it means harming some people.

In the case of the patient with the cold, Mill's Principle of Utility would require us to sacrifice the patient's life in order to save the lives of the other five patients. This is because saving five lives is better than saving one life.

c. This is a classic thought experiment that raises some problems for the Principle of Utility. What are the problems, and how could Mill get around them?

One of the main problems with Mill's Principle of Utility is that it can lead to unjust outcomes. For example, in the case of the patient with the cold, it would be unjust to sacrifice the patient's life in order to save the lives of the other five patients. This is because the patient with the cold has a right to life, and this right should not be outweighed by the benefits of saving five other lives.

Another problem with Mill's Principle of Utility is that it can be difficult to calculate the utility of different actions. For example, in the case of the patient with the cold, it is difficult to say for sure whether it is better to save five lives or to save one life. This is because there are many factors to consider, such as the quality of life of the patients and the impact of their deaths on their families and friends.

Mill could try to get around these problems by arguing that the Principle of Utility is not absolute. He could argue that there are some fundamental rights, such as the right to life, which should always be respected, even if it means sacrificing the utility of an action. He could also argue that we should weigh the utility of different actions carefully, taking into account all of the relevant factors.

However, even if Mill could get around these problems, his Principle of Utility would still be a controversial one. Many people believe that it is wrong to sacrifice the rights of some people in order to benefit the majority. They believe that all people have an equal right to life, and that this right should never be violated.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to save the patient with the cold or to sacrifice him in order to save the other five patients is a difficult one. There is no easy answer, and both Kant's Formula of Ends and Mill's Principle of Utility have their own limitations.

Sample Answer

Kant's Formula of Ends states that we should always treat others as ends in themselves, never as mere means. This means that we should always respect the dignity of others and never use them simply to achieve our own goals.

In the case of the patient with the cold, Kant's Formula of Ends would require us to save the patient's life, even if it means sacrificing the lives of the other five patients. This is because the patient with the cold is a person, and all persons have a right to life. We cannot simply use the patient with the cold as a means to save the lives of the other patients.