Act Utilitarianism Equal Right To Happiness
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Principle of utility of an action can be defined as morally correct action that provides greatest amount of satisfaction, happiness and pleasure to a large section of people. Based on this principle is the theory of Utilitarianism.
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There are two different forms of Utilitarianism which include Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism. Rule Utilitarianism is based only on one single rule, which is utility. According to this theory, it is immaterial whether the utility provides any happiness or not. On the contrary, theory of Act Utilitarianism determines the utility of a single act based on the happiness and pleasure one can derive from that.
Act Utilitarianism is sometimes considered to be the actual or original form of Utilitarianism. According to this theory, it is the value of the consequences of a particular act that counts while determining whether an act is morally correct or not. The value of consequences of an act is determined by the number of positive outcomes that can result for the greatest number of people.
Some people consider the theory of Act Utilitarianism as the right way to determine the morality of an act. According to them, this theory has a democratic approach and believes in providing equal right to happiness. Act Utilitarianism is a selfless and compassionate way of taking decisions.
However, there are also certain sections of people who are apprehensive about this theory. According to these people, Act Utilitarianism looks good on the theory but is difficult to be followed practically. It is impossible to determine the consequences of an action depending on the outcome. There is no way in which the consequences can be monitored and recorded. This theory also has the danger of justifying any crime if the value of the particular act in terms of consequences is something really great.
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