1. Writing Warm-up; Utilitarianism
Thomas Hedstrom Social 30-1
Is it possible to take the pursuit of pleasure/happiness too far as an individual or society?:
Yes it is possible to take the pursuit of happiness and pleasure too far. As a society people
work to earn both money and do something at the same time that helps the community running.
But if the individual decides that they don’t have to work because it lowers the pleasure of life.
Soon no one is working and the society shuts down because nothing is being done.
What sorts of laws might they have if the government encourages to pursue pleasure as the highest
good?
One law might be that people have to work or at least contribute to society to insure its
survival. A second law might be that people still have to pay for goods purchased from places.
Think of activities which may encourage discomfort or "pain" that are valuable or worthwhile - find two
hypothetical or real world examples and explain them.
One thing that encourages pain and discomfort is sports. A sport can be tenuous and can
cause pain, stress and injury but keep you healthy, occupied and makes you happy. Another thing
that encourages pain is wars. Yes wars are bad but sometimes they protect what you love and
cherish. A utilitarian might support wars to keep the greater good available.
What is your personal opinion of the utilitarian idea that everything we as individuals must maximize
happiness and minimize suffering?
My personal opinion of the Utilitarian idea is that it would be nice if achievable and for
some it is but for most it’s not. If you were always happy and pleased then when the slightest
thing goes wrong it screws you up. You would also get bored of everything being perfect. You
can’t have a sunny day without some rainy ones. What I’m saying is that I am against the
utilitarian idea.