Utilitarianism and social contract theory are philosophical theories used to explain the ethical standards or beliefs held by different people. These theories explain why different people make different decisions even when faced with the same situation or issues. Utilitarianism theory is normative ethics based on the consequences one gets for making one decision as compared to the other. Social contract theory states that an individual's morals or political obligation are dependent on the agreement they have with the people in the society they stay. This paper focuses on the application of utilitarianism and social contract in the society.
An article authored by Roberts, welch and Fenwick (2006) discusses the ideology of crime based on different professions. The study analyzed the state managers and the intellectuals with regard to crime causation and control. This study uses the social contract theory as the societal expectation of the two experts differs. The state managers such as the criminal justice practitioners see crime causation as a lack of morals or breaking of the stipulated laws in place which can be controlled by punitive measures. On the other hand, the intellectuals perceive the causation of crime as the availability of an unmet need. This can be controlled through offering alternative methods for meeting the need or through psychological treatment to allow for change of mind and attitude. The article brings out a social contract ethics of welfare and protection as it analyzes what causes crime and how it can be controlled from two ideologies. The state managers opt to protect the society they live in by recommending separation of criminals while the intellectuals recommend the reformation perspective for those found responsible for the crimes for the sake of their welfare (Roberts, Welch, & fenwick, 2006) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
By use utilitarianism ethics, the decision is based on the outcomes it can attract. In a business setup, utilitarianism is very prevalent due to the need of minimizing the occurrence of incidents that might lead to negative impacts. When the stakeholders are faced with a dilemma on investment decisions, different aspects are put into consideration. These considerations include self-interest where the stakeholder decides based on the gains that will be brought forth by the investment. Corporate egoist also manifests because it determines the image the organization will have based on the decision made (Jones, Felps, & Bigley, 2007) .
The stakeholders who are contemplating on whether to lay off their manager to pave the way for one of them might consider morality and image. This calls for the cost-effective analysis, such as the cost of mentoring the new manager, the negative impact on the company and the possible impacts on the company viability. With this raised, the decision either to layoff or not will be based on what seems to be most beneficial to all the stakeholders.
The social contract and utilitarianism theory can be applied in the day to day life interchangeably to achieve the most acceptable solution by the majority. Different situations require the decision to which theory of ethics will align. There are societal expectations that determine what is workable in one situation. Being in authority gives one a responsibility to decide for the people in the society they live in, and they are forced to align to the social contract theory even if the utilitarian approach would yield a better solution to the issue.
In conclusion, no one specific theory of ethics can be used to address all the social problems or needs in society. Therefore, one needs to have an understanding of what befits the situation at hand. If the neighborhood has become unsafe due to an increase in crime, the need to promote the welfare of the people should be supported by the utilitarianism theory of having the criminals implicated for their actions.
References
Jones, T. M., Felps, W., & Bigley, G. A. (2007). Ethical Theory and Stakeholder-Related Decisions: The Role of Stakeholder Culture. Academy of Management Review, 32 (1).
Roberts, M., Welch, M., & Fenwick, M. (2006). State managers, intellectuals, and the media: A content analysis of ideology in experts' quotes in feature newspaper articles on crime. Justice Quarterly , 219-241.
