4.4) Utilitarianism

Modern utilitarianism is the view that “it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong”. The origin of this view is commonly attributed to Jeremy Bentham who advocated it in his Fragment on Government.


“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. They alone point out what we ought to do and determine what we shall do; the standard of right and wrong, and the chain of causes and effects, are both fastened to their throne. They govern us in all we do, all we say, all we think;” An Introduction to the Principles of Moral and Legislation

From this perspective of utilitarianism, Emmet should choose the course of action that provides the greatest happiness to the greatest number of individuals. The happinessess at stake are the jobs of hundreds of Occidental employees, Emmet's guilt for signing off on shoddy software, the potential deaths of the air travelers, the potential increase in regulations that the air lines and many more air travelers will have to bear.

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