ethics - utilitarianism (ao3)

strength

relatively straightforward as it is easy to apply (particularly bentham)

strength

difficult to object to the basic principle that happiness is a good thing

strength

secular ethical theory; does not rely on god to justify its decisions

strength

is democratic, everyone counts equally regardless of whom they are, each person’s potential pain or pleasure is to be considered

strength

all people are equal in this theory, their is partial/biased decision making

weakness

bernard williams- jim the sherriff: act utilitarianism fails as a theory as it has to violate moral integrity, disregards moral agency

weakness

theory is simple but the application is quite convoluted, application takes time and becomes impractical 

weakness

teleological theory; we cannot accurately predict the future

weakness

it is impossible to measure pleasure/pain and happiness which means we cannot make accurate decisions