Towards a dialogue between utilitarianism and medicine

Area of Science:

• Ethics
• Philosophy of Medicine
• Moral Psychology

Background:

• Utilitarianism prioritizes personal well-being, potentially devaluing care professions unless externally incentivized.
• This creates a paradox where care motivated by external rewards is seen as inferior to intrinsic motivation.
• Existing ethical frameworks struggle to reconcile number-counting in resource allocation with individual care values.

Purpose of the Study:

• To resolve the paradox of utilitarian care.
• To explain the Taurek-Parfit paradox concerning ethical decision-making.
• To integrate the value of a real, just, good, and beautiful world into ethical considerations beyond personal well-being.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis drawing on Nozick's Pleasure Machine concept.
• Examination of the motivations behind helping professions.
• Re-evaluation of utilitarianism in light of intrinsic values and world-quality.

Main Results:

• People value living in a real, just, good, and beautiful world, not just maximizing personal well-being.
• Strict utilitarianism is incompatible with the desired world quality, even if it enhances personal fulfillment.
• The value of professions that improve the world, irrespective of direct personal gain, is highlighted.

Conclusions:

• The paradox of utilitarian care is resolved by recognizing the intrinsic value of contributing to a better world.
• Ethical dilemmas, like the Taurek-Parfit paradox, are better understood by considering the quality of the world and intrinsic motivations.
• Helping professions contribute to collective well-being and a better world, which is a value beyond individualistic utilitarian calculations.