Happiness Principle,' Developed by Utilitarian Research Proposal

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The morality of the act can be defended by the Utilitarian principle that the number of deaths (250,000+) caused by dropping the weapons of mass destruction over Hiroshima and Nagasaki was less than the deaths that would have been caused by a land invasion of Japan ("John Stuart Mill").

However, despite the considerable improvement and sophistication provided by Mill to the philosophy of Utilitarianism and the practical usefulness of the 'greatest happiness principle' the theory still suffers from serious flaws.

Dr. Ruut Veenhoven, a professor of Erasmus University, Rotterdam, for instance points out in an article that the 'greatest happiness principle' is particularly problematic when applied at the level of individual choice. This is because we cannot usually foresee the consequences of our actions or whether they would produce happiness or pain but paradoxically the Utilitarian theory deems well-intended behavior to be a-moral if it happens to pan out adversely.

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He gives the example of a loving mother who saves the life of her sick child who grows up to be a criminal and wonders how could she be condemned for such an act, which according to the 'greatest happiness principle' was wrong (Veenhoven, 1).

Other moral objections to the greatest happiness principle are that the pursuit of personal happiness fosters irresponsible consumerism, makes us less sensitive to the suffering of others, and may even justify morally unacceptable means such as genetic manipulation, mind-control, and dictatorship (Ibid.)

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