Reply:After reading your classmates’ threads, choose one to which you will respond, then write a reply that interacts with your classmate’s thread and presents a well-reasoned alternative to his or he

Shea Wallin

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Utilitarianism and Divine Command

For this discussion, I will be covering and comparing Utilitarianism and Divine Command. Utilitarianism is a group of consequentialist theories that supports actions that maximize happiness and well being for affected individuals. Even Though they have different qualities, the basic idea behind all of them is to, in some sense maximize utility. Jeremy Bentham who was the founder, described utility as “the quality in any object that produces benefit, happiness, advantage, pleasure, and good to prevent mischief, pain, evil, and unhappiness.” His successor John Stuart Mill glamorized the word ‘utilitarianism.’ The idea of happiness as an end to humans has been recognized for a long time. Utilitarianism states that the consequences of any action are the only standard of right and wrong, unlike egoism because it considers all the interests of humans equally. Hedonists Epicurus and Aristippus viewed happiness as the only form of good.  Jeremy Bentham created a method on how to calculate the values of pains and pleasures which has come to be known as hedonic calculus. Bentham found that it is necessary to consider the severity and number of people affected by that action. John Stuart Mill proved the principle of utilitarianism by stating that “it is possible to produce anything that is desirable if he believes it is attainable and because everyone desires their own form of happiness.” Philosophers have developed new theories on utilitarianism thinking such as ideal utilitarianism, act and rule utilitarianism, two-level utilitarianism, and preference utilitarianism. There have been some criticisms about utilitarianism such as the inability to quantify, compare, or measure happiness and well-being. Since utilitarianism does not concern setting rules, critics would believe that the theory ignores justice and an “unjust” criminal justice system wouldn’t work (Driver, 2014). Divine command theory is a meta-ethical theory proposing that in order to be moral you have to follow God’s commands. Followers of both monotheistic and polytheistic in ancient and modern times have supported the divine command theory. Numerous versions of the theory have been presented by historical and modern figures. Robert Adams says God’s moral commands are linked to people’s conceptions of right and wrong and Linda Zagzebski says moral conduct comes from God’s motivations rather than commands. Some critics have argued that being "commanded by God" and being "obligatory" are two different things and that it isn’t right to prompt people to be moral with impure motivations (Michael, Austin). Both of these theories combined can help shape our views and attitudes which increases the quality of our conduct in the workplace (Lloyd, 2015). Divine command theory gives us the basis to determine if our actions are morally correct and utilitarianism allows us to weigh our options to determine our best outcome. Both are similar because listening to God’s commands brings eternal pleasure and happiness. A lot of God’s divine moral commands are based on human happiness which is the basis and end result of utilitarianism (Flannagan, 2018).  I believe that the divine command theory is stronger because it focuses on the act more than the outcome. In order to have positive results from a moral act or God’s command, you need to focus on the act first. You have to work hard to be successful and to be able to do the things that you want in life to bring you that happiness, which is also what God wants for you.  It’s good to set a goal but your focus needs to be in the present tense first. Philippians 2:13 says “For it is God who works in you, both to will and work for his good pleasure (Smith, 2020).” God’s commands also prevent you from getting into any bad situations like getting in trouble with the law or making bad decisions that take you down a wrong path in your life. If you are currently facing issues in life that are preventing you from reaching your goals, one of the best things you can do is to turn to God for help or read the Bible and seek advice from that. Divine command theory also has stricter rule guidelines compared to utilitarianism which I believe is essential because you can't cheat in life to gain happiness and there should be punishments for immoral behavior. Divine command theory can also help with any distinct personal needs that you require, unlike utilitarianism that doesn't look at the distinctions between different people. 

References

Smith, Stephen (2020, May 13) “100 Bible Verses About The Principles of God” www.openbible.info

Lloyd, Jennifer (2015, Nov. 25) “Divine Command vs. Utilitarianism” prezi.com

Flannagan, Matt (2018, Jan. 16) “Divine Command Theory and Utilitarianism Forgotten Bedfellows?” www.mandm.org

Michael, Austin “Divine Command Theory” www.iep.utm.edu/divine-c/

Driver, Julia (2014, Sept. 22) “The History of Utilitarianism” plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history

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