Application Act utilitarianism
Chap24: Case 1 Keeping Tab
Polly has a personal secretariat for the First lady for the past three years. As part of her official duties during that time, she has spent an overage of 60 hours per week with the First Lady. Polly has accompanied the First Lady on trips throughout the country and across the globe. During this time, Polly has observed what she considers to be insecurity on the part of the First Lady with regard to her interest in social causes. It seems to Polly that the First Lady is more interested in shopping and spending the federal government’s money than actually helping people. Polly believes that the reason the First Lady lends her name and image to social causes, is for “photo ops” for the media. Polly feels that the public should of this hypocrisy and has contacted a publisher to find out how much she might be paid for her story.
After Reading This case
- Apply the steps of Act Utilitarianism to resolve the main moral issue. You must use a chart to complete this assignment. Since you are using a chart there is no set word count but be detailed.
- you need to create a new chart for this assignment since you will need to apply the appropriate numbers, scale and net utility. (The two charts have two different purposes and thus you have to make a new chart and explain the chart based upon the principles of Act Utilitarianism.)
- DO NOT copy and paste your chart from Module 4. You can use the same stakeholders and options if they worked well for the last module. But, you are making an entirely different chart using numbers for this Module. If, in your feedback from Module 4, I have suggested changes to your options or stakeholders, or even the issue itself, please make those corrections for this Module.
- The inside of your chart for this week will only have numbers in it. Other than showing the stakeholders and options on the edge of the chart, this chart is just meant to have numbers to show net utility.
- You need to have a minimum of 3 options and a minimum of 4 stakeholders. As mentioned in the last module, one of your stakeholders needs to be a group. That group stakeholder will be important when you make your chart for this module. You will need to multiply your happiness points by the number of people in that group. (You will just estimate that number. You don’t have to be exact.)
- In addition to your chart, you also need to explain the steps fully and explain what the chart means in context to the situation and how Act Utilitarianism is being applied. I need to see your thinking. Write the explanation as if you are explaining the theory and how it applies to this situation to someone who knows nothing about it at all. This needs to include explaining the values of net utility that you used in the chart. The explanation of how you came up the net utility values is the most important thing.
- Remember to leave your opinions out of the analysis. You should not state, “I think Jack should do…..” You may even come up with an outcome you personally don’t agree with. That is fine. This is not about what you think. This is completely about what Act Utilitarianism tells us we should do in this situation.
- Be sure you have three outside research items. One could be the policy where Polly works about confidentiality.
- You need to have 4 stakeholders. One needs to be a group. These are people affected by Polly’s decision. So, Polly and the First Lady would be two. Now, just come up with 2 more for the next assignment.
- Just be sure and read the directions really closely for the next assignment.
Thanks,