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To: budlt2369
There are really only two ways to refute a system of ethics. The first is to show that it is internally inconsistent. The second is to appeal to its overall beauty or goodness. Utilitarianism fails both counts.

Utilitarian lacks beauty and goodness because it can theoretically justify genocide and slavery. They may maximize overall happiness or preferences - particularly if it is the slavery of genocide of a minority ethnic group.

And utilitarianism is inconsistent because if you are one of the people being consigned to slavery or genocide, you would not continue to hold your utilitarian beliefs. A belief cannot be held rationally if it cannot be held consistently. Ethical beliefs can only be held consistently if they adhere to the Golden Rule.

But that only scratches the surface. There are many, many reasons to not be a utilitarian.

4 posted on 07/29/2006 10:16:57 PM PDT by Jibaholic (Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets)
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To: Jibaholic

Speaking of genocide, have you read Descent of Man??


"The great break in the organic chain between man and his nearest
allies, which cannot be bridged over by any extinct or living species,
has often been advanced as a grave objection to the belief that man is
descended from some lower form; but this objection will not appear
of much weight to those who, from general reasons, believe in the
general principle of evolution. Breaks often occur in all parts of the
series, some being wide, sharp and defined, others less so in
various degrees; as between the orang and its nearest allies-
between the Tarsius and the other Lemuridae- between the elephant, and
in a more striking manner between the Ornithorhynchus or Echidna,
and all other mammals. But these breaks depend merely on the number of
related forms which have become extinct. At some future period, not
very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will
almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout
the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, as Professor
Schaaffhausen has remarked,* will no doubt be exterminated. The
break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it
will intervene between man in a more civilised state, as we may
hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon,
instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla."


Darwin ch 6
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/charles_darwin/descent_of_man/chapter_06.html


6 posted on 07/29/2006 10:21:14 PM PDT by budlt2369 (I tried to warn them about Peter Singer, but they wouldn't listen.)
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