Does "the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people" mean some will get royally screwed?

Question

Should you just accept these losses and move on?

Answer 1

Well "the greatest amount of good" is totally subjective. But yes, many will get royally screwed.



“Truth always rests with the minority, and the minority is always stronger than the majority, because the minority is generally formed by those who really have an opinion, while the strength of a majority is illusory, formed by the gangs who have no opinion -- and who, therefore, in the next instant (when it is evident that the minority is the stronger) assume its opinion... while truth again reverts to a new minority.” ~ Kierkegaard

Answer 2

In essence yes, and this illustrates the failure of Utilitarianism.



Utilitarianism is a good model of thought to help maximizing happiness, but it has problems like these. In pure Utilitarianism, it's acceptable to murder one person if it makes millions happy.



What I'd like to see is Utilitarianism with some standards as to how high it allows individual people's 'screwedness' to go. In theory, I think a humane way of thinking would be to allow no single person's 'screwedness-level' to go above a certain treshold, something which Utilitarianism fails to posit.



Also, some people will always get screwed, but that doesn't make it any more justifiable or acceptable. But can we do anything to prevent it? Probably not.

Answer 3

Yup. I'm surrounded by McCain supporters but since the election says a majority,definitely not all, of the people nationwide declared Obama good for the nation, McCain supporters feel as if we're ALL royally screwed...that we're about to turn into a crazy nation of socialists.

Answer 4

>Does "the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people" mean some will get royally screwed?



Hopefully not, but sometimes the world just isn't very kind to us.

Answer 5

Yes, generally. Its most of the reason why utilitarianism is mostly discussed as a philosophical point, rather than actually implemented in real life. It's flaw - that some get done, while most get nothing they couldn't live without, is what makes it difficult to apply. Hence we have laws against discrimination etc.

Answer 6

Someone will always get screwed. And everyone will get screwed, at one time or another. Statistically speaking. Accept it, move on.

Answer 7

Yes, most of the time, that is precisely what that statement means.

Answer 8

Yeah, Democracy is for losers.

Answer 9

Yes, that is the bottom line of what that "really" means.

Answer 10

LOL!!!! finally.... I love you..............



Seriously depends on who is deciding what is *GOOD*.......it makes me think of Hitler....okay I am not laughing anymore....darn...

Answer 11

I don't think that is a rule.