Sterling Harwoods Objections to Utilitarianism Essay

Sterling Harwoods Objections to Utilitarianism - Essay Example According to this objection, utilitarianism demands too much from human beings when argued from a real life situation. Harwood’s objects the utilitarianism opinion, which demands individuals to save the life of five strangers rather than that of their loved ones. This implies that people should give up nearly everything to assist those in need. For instance, one person should sacrifice his or her life for the sake of three or more people to survive. The person will make more people happy at the expense of his or her happiness; this may be applicable to cases of healthiness or wealth. Utilitarianism maintains that a person ought to act in a manner that increases universal happiness even though the action does not make him happy. This action reveals how unrealistic the demands of utilitarianism are towards human nature. For utilitarianism, sacrificing a single person to save many is justifiable because it is ambitious of figures. Utilitarianism seems to coincide with religion, l ike utilitarianism, religion asks people to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their friends benefit. However, Harwood objects these demands by saying that it is impossible to detach an individual’s life for the sake of others, this discredits utilitarianism viewpoint (McElwee 457). According to Harwood, utilitarianism is unfair and it is the truth. Justice cannot be compared with cheerfulness or contentment in the world. Actually, actions of justice may probably result in resentment, disputes, as well as hostility amongst communities. For instance, if the marginal people in a community are greatly singled out, and they happen to be satisfied with it due to the many benefits it brings them, then that is good according to utilitarianism. Therefore, no protests should be made because they will lead to chaos among the majority and the marginal. Likewise, utilitarianism is concerned with numbers; therefore, the utmost contentment is when the highest numeral of people is satisf ied. This indicates that the decisions to be made are usually unfair and do not do justice to those who are justifiable; for example, a scientist who kills his son prior to finding the cure out the cure for cancer. Utilitarianism will permit the scientist to carry on with the discovery of the cure before he is jailed. This is because if he finds the cure for the illness, the life of several patients will be achieved (McElwee 461). On