The Case: In a small farming community, a businessman and entrepreneur buys the biggest local pond in the region and sells rights to it to local farmers for irrigation and to the local town for residential water. He increases his profits this way and proceeds, over the years, to buy-up all the other ponds in the region. Since the area is very remote and completely dependent on the local water supply, the businessman then decides to increase the price of water-rights by fifteen times, which effectively makes water-rights too expensive for farmers and most residents of the region. Some

QUESTION

Your task for this paper is to choose one moral theory from this list: utilitarianism, Kantianism, and virtue ethics, justify it, and apply it to the case study below to tell us what course of action the theory would recommend. After your analysis, reflect on your theory’s results – do you personally agree with the verdict? Why? Are there any important considerations ignored by your theory? If so, what are they?

The Case: In a small farming community, a businessman and entrepreneur buys the biggest local pond in the region and sells rights to it to local farmers for irrigation and to the local town for residential water. He increases his profits this way and proceeds, over the years, to buy-up all the other ponds in the region. Since the area is very remote and completely dependent on the local water supply, the businessman then decides to increase the price of water-rights by fifteen times, which effectively makes water-rights too expensive for farmers and most residents of the region. Some of them have other places to go to find work, but most will wind-up in complete poverty or starvation with nowhere to turn. The Businessman is perfectly OK with this, as he wants to buy the bankrupt farmer’s land and use it for other business ventures. Nor does he care that this will be depopulating most of the community, as he plans on buying-up their lands as well and using those too. The businessman has done nothing illegal and feels that it is his right to do what he pleases with his own property.

Is the businessman doing anything immoral in this case? Apply one moral theory to this case and determine if the businessman’s actions are morally acceptable.

Your paper should be set up as follows:

1) Introduction – briefly and generally set up the discussion you intend to have within your essay

• Include a thesis statement telling your reader what you hope to show, or attempt to prove with your essay – “This essay will show that X moral theory says Y about the farmers actions, because they are Z and A.“

2) Explain to us, in your own words, how the theory works

• Be sure to define key terms
• Make sure you present the theory in its strongest form

3) Apply the theory to the case of the Businessman

• Show the steps used to make the application (do not just say “the theory says X” – show how this conclusion is reached) – for the utilitarian, you must explain how utility is calculated (use Bentham, or Mill, or both) and apply this to the case, for Kantianism, you must apply the categorical imperatives, for virtue ethics, you must apply the doctrine of the mean.
• What answer does it give us? Why?

4) Discuss the implications of accepting this moral theory

• Do you agree with the theory’s results?
• Is this how we should make our moral decisions?
• What problems might arise in enacting this theory?

5) Close out your essay with a strong conclusion, reaffirming your thesis statement without merely restating content.

• Offer a strong reiteration of your key points and discuss the impact of your project
• Do not introduce any new ideas or information into the conclusion
• Do not end your essay in a question (i.e. “What do you think?”)

This essay is asking for you to make an argument about what a moral theory would say about a specific case – do not confuse crafting your own argument with offering a mere opinion. Arguments support the claims that they make with evidence and good reasons, mere opinions do not. You must give an argument here.

The essay should be typed, have 1-inch margins, be double spaced using 12-point font (with a normal theme – Times New Roman, Calibri, etc.), and should adhere to formal guidelines (have a title, check your grammar and sentence structure, if you are using any sources, cite them properly using parenthetical, in-text citations, and list the full bibliographic entry on a works cited page. Please only submit files in word or pdf format. It is your responsibility to submit the correct file to Blackboard. If you submit a blank or incorrect file, you will be marked off points according to the late work policy outlined in the syllabus.

This essay has a minimum word count of 500 content words (excludes name and class information, title, and work cited information). Submissions under 500 words will be marked off 20 points for failing to meet the minimum word count

ANSWER

Utilitarianism: An Analysis of the Businessman’s Actions

Introduction

In this essay, we will analyze the actions of a businessman in a small farming community and determine whether his actions are morally acceptable. To do so, we will apply the ethical theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing overall happiness or utility and considers the consequences of actions. This essay aims to show that utilitarianism would deem the businessman’s actions immoral because they result in significant harm to the community and reduce overall happiness.

Thesis Statement

This essay will show that utilitarianism condemns the businessman’s actions as morally unacceptable since they cause harm and diminish overall happiness.

Explanation of Utilitarianism

Bentham’s utilitarianism emphasizes the calculation of pleasure and pain based on the intensity, duration, certainty, proximity, and extent of the consequences. Mill’s utilitarianism introduces higher and lower pleasures, giving more weight to intellectual and moral pleasures over physical ones (Utilitarianism, Act and Rule | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d.).

Application of Utilitarianism to the Case

Utilitarianism requires us to consider the overall consequences of the businessman’s actions. In this case, the businessman’s decision to increase the price of water rights significantly harms the farmers and most residents of the region. The consequences of his actions include poverty, starvation, and depopulation of the community.

Calculating utility, we can assess the happiness and suffering caused by the businessman’s actions. The suffering experienced by the farmers and residents, who face poverty and starvation, outweighs any potential gains in utility for the businessman (Ugale, 2014). The overall happiness of the affected community is greatly diminished, resulting in a negative outcome.

Implications of Utilitarianism

Personally, I agree with utilitarianism’s verdict on this case. The theory’s focus on maximizing overall happiness aligns with my moral intuition. By prioritizing the well-being of the majority, utilitarianism helps promote a fair and just society.

However, utilitarianism does have some limitations. It can be challenging to accurately calculate and predict all the consequences of an action (Santa Clara University, n.d.). Additionally, utilitarianism may overlook certain individual rights and freedoms in pursuit of the greater good. The case study highlights the potential exploitation of power and the negative consequences it can have on vulnerable communities, which utilitarianism might overlook.

Conclusion

Utilitarianism, as applied to the case of the businessman’s actions, deems his behavior morally unacceptable. The theory’s focus on maximizing overall happiness highlights the harm inflicted on the community through poverty, starvation, and depopulation. While I personally agree with utilitarianism’s assessment, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of the theory, such as the potential neglect of individual rights and freedoms. This case serves as a reminder of the complex moral considerations involved in evaluating actions and their consequences.

References

Santa Clara University. (n.d.). Calculating Consequences:The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/calculating-consequences-the-utilitarian-approach/ 

Ugale, R. (2014, September 29). Utility – The Greatest Happiness Principle  | PH115: Introduction to Ethics. https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/millsonph115/2014/09/29/utility-the-greatest-happiness-principle/ 

Utilitarianism, Act and Rule | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). https://iep.utm.edu/util-a-r/#:~:text=Utilitarianism%20is%20a%20form%20of,produce%20the%20best%20overall%20results.