Utilitarianism is the Best Available Ethical Theory

Definitions: Utility: "the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial," [1]. Within the context of 2P1, this means useful for promoting potential value. --- 2P1. Utilitarianism Best Handles Moral Uncertanity Value "denotes something's degree of importance, with the aim of determining what ... is best to do," [2]. Value is that which is ethically significant, which definitionally must be maximized. To attempt to determine what is valuable, living sentient entities attempt to construct ethical systems. However, because living sentient entities have limited knowledge, we cannot know which, if any, of the ethical systems available is/are perfect, and thus we don't know what, if anything, is actually valuable. So how should we act when we do not know what the ultimate goal(s) is/are, if there is/are one/any? In this dearth of knowledge, we must attempt to maximize the chance that we can determine what is valuable. Thus, we must keep the maximum number of sentient entities alive and ensure their maximum ability to make reason, because only living sentient entities are likely to significantly increase the probability that we can determine what is valuable. (Because non-living entities and non-sentient entities don't usually develop or test ethical or scientific theories, and both of those actions are vital for increasing available knowledge and the chance of ascertaining what is valuable.) Further, if what is valuable is determined, then only living sentient entities would be able to act towards it. Thus, we must value: 1. Maximizing the number of living sentient entities, and 2. Maximizing the capability of living sentient entities to objectively reason Utilitarianism best achieves these goals, because it values both keeping the maximum number of living sentient entities alive (because life is a prerequisite for utility and determining what is valuable) and in maximizing potential utility by giving living sentient entities long, interconnected, educated, scientifically engaged, relatively comfortable, and relatively free lives (because a high quality of life, high level of knowledge, and high level of productivity increase utility both for the person and society in general, and thus increase the probability of determining what is valuable). No other ethical system values both of these values as high as Utilitarianism does, and some value neither of the values, and thus fall short of the burdens of moral uncertainty. --- 2P2. Utilitarianism Best Handles Conflict Between Values Under many other systems, such as deontology, it is nearly impossible to make a decision that will not have internal value conflict. For example, should I remove the right to life of one person or remove the right of free speech of ten? This is especially true in public policy, which must benefit some groups at the expense of others. Under action-based systems, there are two paths. The first is if rights and duties are absolute: there is effectively no way to resolve this problem. If rights and duties are pragmatic and situational, then you've already admitted that it's not an action-based system, and then you must weigh the consequences of your action and determine the better of the two worlds (ie, Util) -- leading back to consequentialism, and destroying an action-based system as being action-based. Under virtue ethics systems, if one must choose between harming one virtue at the gain of another, one must weigh which value is worth more in the long run, and ultimately this become a form of Utilitarian weighing. However, under Utilitarianism, one simply counts up the gains and costs of an action as opposed to an alternative, and chooses between the two. There is never unresolveable value conflict under Utilitarianism, because everything is quantifiable or at least rankable, and thus can be weighed against an alternative. --- 2P3. Rule Utilitarianism Best Maximizes Utility Rule Utilitarianism avoids most of the problems that might result from Act Utilitarianism and also allows for a theory of rights to emerge. Rule Utilitarianism is also especially useful for government action, because it acknowledges that government policy is rarely a one-and-done single action but instead an ongoing policy. Rule Utilitarianism takes a long-term look at maximizing utility and sets in place those rules that, if followed, would result in a greater total utility than if everyone always acted in their own favor. For example, in an Act Utilitarian world, it would be beneficial to steal from stores if it would make you better off than it would reduce the utility of the storekeeper. Rule Utilitarianism acknowledges that rules are necessary to maximize utility, as having a world in which shopkeepers can keep wares without having them get stolen gains more utility from this commerce than an Act one would get from stealing. This also allows for easier obedience in everyday life, as we generally run out lives by societal rules. We don't steal, or insult others, or break traffic laws, because society has ingrained them into us and because they maximize utility, effectively preventing us from needing to perform a utility calculus for every action. Moreover, under Rule Utilitarianism it may be recognized that allowing people autonomy in their own affairs generally allows a greater increase of utility than attempting to run everyone's lives from an Act perspective, and allows a larger than mere personal-life-running theory of rights to emerge. For example, even though it might be Act Utilitarian to silence dissenting press during a rough time, a Rule Utilitarian can look both to the general benefits of maintaining a free flow of information to the populace and to the long-term loss of trust of government that would result from such treatment. --- References: [1] http://google.com... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org...(ethics)