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Full Idea
Utilitarians have two direct objections to killing (the fear and pain, and the loss of future happiness), and two concerns about side-effects (the loss to friends and community, and the bad precedent and public anxiety caused).
Gist of Idea
Utilitarians object to killing directly (pain, and lost happiness), and to side-effects (loss to others, and precedents)
Source
Jonathan Glover (Causing Death and Saving Lives [1977], §4.4)
Book Ref
Glover,Jonathan: 'Causing Death and Saving Lives' [Penguin 1982], p.71
A Reaction
This invites obvious counterexamples, of somewhat unhappy, lonely people, who can be quietly killed with no qualms. Who will be callous enough to do this deed for us?
| 7907 | Human killing is worse if the victim is virtuous [Buddhaghosa] |
| 6832 | Killing a human, except as just punishment, is like killing all mankind [Mohammed] |
| 6825 | Do not kill except for a just cause [Mohammed] |
| 4649 | If someone's life is 'worth living', that gives one direct reason not to kill him [Glover] |
| 4651 | Utilitarians object to killing directly (pain, and lost happiness), and to side-effects (loss to others, and precedents) [Glover] |
| 4671 | What is wrong with killing someone, if another equally worthwhile life is substituted? [Glover] |
| 4676 | The 'no trade-off' position: killing is only justified if it prevents other deaths [Glover] |
| 4685 | Societies spend a lot to save known persons, but very little to reduce fatal accidents [Glover] |
| 7338 | Man's life is sacred, because it is made in God's image [Johnson,P] |