Single Idea 4338

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 1. Utilitarianism]

Full Idea

Deontologists characteristically maintain that utilitarians have made out a particular hard case to be too simple.

Gist of Idea

Deontologists usually accuse utilitarians of oversimplifying hard cases

Source

Rosalind Hursthouse (On Virtue Ethics [1999], Ch.3)

Book Reference

Hursthouse,Rosalind: 'On Virtue Ethics' [OUP 2001], p.64


A Reaction

Utilitarianism certainly seems to ignore the anguish of hard dilemmas, but that is supposed to be its appeal. If you think for too long, every dilemma begins to seem hopeless.