Introduction
In the modern world, technology defines the successfulness of any organization, irrespective of the size and the scope of work. Currently, human beings live in the highly connected society whereby information circulation is costless due to the internet, which has made communication easy.
In other words, technology has led to developments in politics, economics, and cultures given the fact individuals are able to share information globally. The ongoing uprisings in the Arab world are attributable to technology since people are in a position to receive and share information easily (Petronio 112).
This has led to ethical issues regarding the viability of technology because governments are misusing it to infringe on the rights of people. This article evaluates the application of utilitarian theory in government since it is noted that many officials are concerned with realizing the best results.
The government is a large organization charged with the role of ensuring citizens achieves their interests in the best way possible. In this case, it has to provide an enabling environment, such as facilitating security, developing the infrastructure, and focusing on equality.
Utilitarianism in Government
Political formations have been applying utilitarianism long before Bentham invented it. Aristippus of Cyrene applied a hedonistic theory of value of life in the 5th century. In the ancient Greece, the ethic of retirement was applied, which was based on utilitarianism whereby government officials were expected to cease work to pave way for the younger generation to realize their economic, social, and political ambitions.
In the modern society, the government applies utilitarianism with the sole purpose of offering an answer to the practical question asking what should be done in society to improve the conditions of living (Baura 14).
While applying the ethical theory, the officials in government seek to act in the best way possible to produce the most satisfying results. In this case, the government has never cares about whether the consequences are positive or negative provided they satisfy the greatest number of people.
In case the government engages in an act to please a few individuals, the consequence would be considered unethical even though it might be viewed as the best. Mill suggested that the act should be in a position to compel an individual to do something instead of simply persuading or exhorting him or her to an act in a particular way.
When considering the consequences of an act, the government is always committed to the theory of intrinsic value meaning an act is believed to be good in itself, as well as its consequences. In this case, other values are thought to derive their importance from the intrinsic good implying an action should never be viewed as an end to itself instead it should be considered one of the means to achieving the greatest good.
Mill and Bentham are believed to be hedonists because they perceived pleasure as a balance of satisfaction whereby suffering is avoided under all means. In case government representatives are to achieve the greatest good for the members of society, they are expected to engage in thorough research by exploring the available options and determining the best with an aim of establishing which one would have the better results.
Many governments across the world tend to apply the views of Bentham who was optimistic of applying a hedonic calculus in resolving the issues affecting the citizens. In this case, all components of satisfaction are often summarized, as well as the elements of pain, with an effort to determine the individuals likely to be affected at present and in the future.
The government would then strike a balance between the evil and the good by ensuring the greatest number of people benefits, irrespective of the social status. In other words, the ethical theory only aims at maximizing the good, as it insists on weighing up the personal action.
Many governments consider utilitarianism the code for public actions and individuals are expected to align their actions to the mainstream principle based on the ethical theory. The policies selected should always be responsive in the sense that they fulfill the interests of the greatest number.
For instance, the government does not consider a policy that would construct a warehouse for the detainees who go through their rehabilitation program successfully but instead it would formulate a policy that retrains, supervises, and incorporates the individuals into the community (Harris 76).
The theory is being applied globally to ensure human conditions are improved as was suggested in the Plato’s Republic. This means it does not only focus on the individual events and the communal guidelines, but also on the nature of the whole society.
Plato had given a clear procedure of building an ideal society and many governments are applying the utilitarian theory to do so. In the labor market, distribution of goods and services, and management, the theory is of great importance because it aims at maximizing the good and reducing suffering. In case a policy is formulated and its implementation is ineffective, changes could still be introduced.
Society is always viewed as a natural environment with several niches meaning it could accommodate various animals. In the state of nature, animals with several characteristics exist, as there are some feeding on insects, others on seeds, and some on nectar. Some birds are in a position to feed on seeds with hard shells while some cannot meaning each category of animal should be allowed to enjoy its freedom.
The human society is compared to the natural environment with several categories of animals. For instance, people with diverse religious affiliations should be allowed to coexist while those with tendencies to gamble have to be provided with their freedoms as well (Cohen 21). In the United States for instance, Roosevelt came up with a radical program that would transform America as far as economic activities were concerned.
He introduced the principles of capitalism since it was viewed that it would realize the dreams of the greatest number of people. The new economic doctrine was expected to enhance the efforts of the hard working individuals as well as punishing the lazy ones.
Ethical Obligation
In the modern society, people are allowed to post all sorts of information on the internet since they simply represent their views and they ought not to be accurate or true. However, each person has an ethical responsibility of ensuring that whatever he or she posts on the website is sagacious in the sense that it should not interfere with the normal living of others.
This does not mean that the concerned agencies should control what to be posted because this would result in the infringement of the personal liberty as far as free expression is concerned. Individuals should be advised to follow the ethical codes set out in their various professions.
The web user has to read everything that he or she finds online in order to understand the views of others, but he or she has to decide on which material to rely on when making a decision (Westacott 112).
The ethical codes found in various professional manuals should guide people in writing their materials because posting anything, including false information, would be misleading the public and this would cause pain to certain individuals hence the government has the responsibility to prevent this act.
Lawyers have their own ethical standards that each member has to follow when relating with the public, including offering a counsel online.
The government has always ensured that members of various professions, such as the medical fraternity, are guided by a certain code, which instructs them to maintain high standards when relating with patients, as this would realize the best results. Therefore, it is concluded that each person is expected to observe the ethical standards when positing anything material on the website.
Moral Assessment
According to the Utilitarian ethics, the government should aim at implementing policies that will ensure happiness while at the same time reducing suffering (Gupta 67). Any decision undertaken in should aim at maximizing utility whereby suffering has to be reduced at all costs. Governments have been accused of infringing on the rights of people by intercepting their emails.
This does not encourage freedom of speech and expression since people will always be careful with what they post their web pages, such as Facebook and Twitter. According to utilitarian ethics, the government is not doing enough to reduce human suffering.
In this case, the government does not play any role in promoting the interests of the community and its insistence on freedom and human rights is skewed because it selectively (Cohen 22).
In case governments want to boost their images and ensure that they remain relevant in society, they have to consider promoting freedom, as this would ensure happiness as suggested by Mill. Additionally, the living conditions of all members of society should be improved and the cases of discriminations based on gender and race should be eliminated since this will ensure happiness.
Conclusion
Governments have been using Utilitarian ethics in carrying out their activities, but most them have been unproductive in the sense that they lead to human suffering and unhappiness. Utilitarianism suggests that a greatest number of people should feel contented, even though a few might be sacrificed.
The United States dropped the atomic bombs in Japan during the Second World War, which was a great action according to utilitarianism since it ended the war that had affected the lives of many people. The use of technology is always good, but if it only ensures happiness by reducing suffering.
The use of people’s information without informing them is not part of utilitarianism since it only infringes the rights of the majorities and does not guarantee happiness.
The government is justified to undertake any action in case it brings happiness to many people. The idea of hacking into people’s emails and using private information on the internet to track them down is a failure on the side of the government and utilitarian ethics could not be applied in justifying the mistakes.
Works Cited
Baura, Gail. Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press, 2006. Print.
Cohen, Andrew. Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics. Hoboken: Wiley, 2014. Print.
Gupta, Bina. Ethical Questions: East and West. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print.
Harris, Charles. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Boston: Wadsworth Cencage Learning, 2009. Print.
Petronio, Sandra. Boundaries of Privacy: Dialectics of Disclosure. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002. Print.
Westacott, Emrys. The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012. Print.