Ethics
Utilitarianism rests on the idea that an action can be judged as morally right or wrong depending on its effects. Thus, the only consequences of an action that may be regarded as relevant are the good and bad outcomes it produces. In essence, utilitarians suppose that the core purpose of morality is to enhance life by increasing the number of good things, including pleasure and happiness in the world and reduce the number of negative things, such as pain and unhappiness. Similarly, utilitarianism disallows moral codes that consist of commands or taboos dictated by customs and traditions formulated by leaders or supernatural beings. Instead, it lies in the notion that what makes a morality to be correct or justifiable is its positive contribution to people. On the other hand, Bentham’s Felicific Calculus is an algorithm that provides a method of making moral decisions. Essentially, an action is regarded as good, if it results in a pleasurable outcome after its evaluation. Thus, for the purpose of this paper, utilitarianism and Bentham's Felicific Calculus will be applied to determine whether the use of condoms is moral or not. Based on the theory of utilitarianism, the use of condoms should be rejected, if the quantity of pain it results in outweighs its pleasure. Mackinnon and Fiala contend that the use of contraceptives such as condoms can lead to divorce and promiscuity since it permits individuals to engage in sexual intimacy without the dread of getting pregnant. Thus, the pain of divorce and the impact it has on the children would appear to outweigh the delight of the sexual act without the risk of pregnancy. Similarly, Mackinnon and Fiala indicate that the use of condoms does not always give assurance of unwanted pregnancy and other sexually transmitted diseases. Instead, the only means to attain the greatest pleasure principle would be abstention or family planning within a marriage setting. Conversely, Bentham's Felicific Calculus can also be applied to support the idea of rejecting the use of condoms. According to Mackinnon and Fiala, use of condoms could result in affairs, divorce, and promiscuity. As such, the effect of such outcomes would increase the intensity of the hurt/pain the heartbroken partners and kids involved will be experiencing. Equally, the duration and assurance of condoms usage leading to ex-marital affairs would be long-term and certain, since they encourage casual sex with minimal possibility of unwanted pregnancy. Additionally, the likelihood of the pain being processed by another pain (fecundity) is assured, as the effect of extra-marital affairs and treachery of this nature is prevalent. Additionally, the extent of the pain caused by casual sex, extra-marital affairs, and possible prostitution would be immense, as it would affect a huge number of individuals both directly and indirectly. For instance, at the workplace, staff members usually feel the pain of their co-worker who suffers from divorce, thus, have to offer support to such a person. Similarly, the consequences caused by using condoms, particularly extra-marital affairs, have a direct impact on the children of the affected families. It is caused by the fact that such actions of one of the family members usually lead to a divorce between the involved parties. Contrarily, it could also be contended that utilitarianism would support the use of condoms in that, based on the basic terms, sex is meant to bring pleasure and the use of condoms appear to eliminate the fear of possible pain by reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy. For instance, in a marriage setting, Bentham would champion the use of condoms between a husband and wife. It is caused by the fact that it helps them feel pleasure gained from the sexual act and improve their relations, while at the same time giving them a possibility to limit family size and improve the living standard of the family as a whole. Overall, the principles of Utilitarianism provide a straightforward means for deciding what is morally good or bad for any particular situation. Therefore, to determine what to do in any situation firstly, it is important to identify the different courses of action that can be taken. Secondly, it is necessary to establish the likely advantages and pain that could arise from each course of action. Lastly, it is crucial to settle on the course of action that would offer the greatest pleasure or advantage once it is considered. Based on Utilitarianism theory and Bentham’s Felicific Calculus, the decision whether the usage of condoms is moral or immoral depends on the desired outcomes. If the article was cognitive for you, proceed to order the quality essay from professional writers on our https://qualityessay.com/ web. Most of the articles are written by Natalie Dalton, a professional writer.