Reference no: EM132221642

Question: Kimberly

1. This is a hard one to determine, "because the action or policy is justified by appealing to the overall balance of good or bad consequences," (Thames, 2018). I feel like in one way, providing the millions with low cost hydro-electric power would be the greatest, overall benefit long term, and would obviously effect many more people in positive way. On the other hand, looking that the other side of the situation, not building the dam would save the land of 10,000 people and would also save many animals at the same time. It would also preserve the land and the 10,000 people would not have to relocate. If we are looking at only numbers with the utilitarian view, going ahead and building the dam would provide the most of the a positive benefit. However, from a moral standpoint, saving the land, animals and homes of 10,000 people definitely gives the most positive lasting effects.

Stephanie

2. Utilitarianism is a balancing act of what would bring a greater pleasure verses consequences" In its most general sense, utilitarianism is the theory that morally right actions, laws, or policies are those whose consequences have the greatest positive value and least negative value compared to available alternatives."(Thamas,2017) In the ethical question for building the dam in Malaysia by the definition above one would have to consider the pain of moving 10,000 people from there home's and animals that would have to be relocated to build the dam. First it would depend on how the people who would be being moved would be repaid for the pain of moving from there sacred land. Loosing that much land and other resources to build a dam be worth cheaper electricity for millions. One would also have to consider pollution that this would cause. The consequence of moving that many people, animals, and destruction to that much land may bare a higher then finding another solution for electricity for millions. Moving these people to another part of the country might also have a positive effect on improving there life style that they might not have foreseen either, so this could very well add to the positive value of lives improving.