Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

Collectively, these fundamental philosopher’s argue for America’s basis of government. It is

important to understand these philosophical concepts, as they make up the national mindset

of the US. Further it will be discussed that because of this mindset, gun control is difficult to

implement to a nation with gun culture.

Utilitarian Argument

The utilitarian belief is that the most ethical action is one that produces the most happiness

for the majority of people. Actions have predictable results and ethical decisions have out-

comes that lead to this kind of happiness. Because utilitarians believe that outcomes can be

predicted and that the judgements are based on the outcomes, utilitarianism is seen as a ‘con-

sequentialist’ philosophical theorem. (Jensen, 2010). This can be concluded that ‘the ends

justify the means’. The most famous utilitarians are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill,

who were significant theorists and social reformers (Nathanson, 2017). Bentham and Mill

were hedonists, meaning they concluded that ‘happiness’ is the balance of pleasure over pain.

Bentham also described in chapter 4 of his ‘Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Leg-

islation’ (1789), that the pleasure and pain coming from the action itself and the consequence

could be calculated through ‘hedonic calculus’. Another important factor of utilitarianism is

the ‘harm principle’ formed by Mill in his work ‘On Liberty’. The harm principle states that a

utilitarian, are free to do as they please unless their action harms others. In regards to gun

control, it is important to note that Mill argued “The only purpose for which power can be

rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent

harm to others” (Mill, 2017).

Since less fatalities and injuries are a result of Gun control, it can be concluded that and utili-

tarian would justify gun control as the most moral thing to do. However, an opposing argu-

ment suggests that gun control in America will not work. In an online debate poll, it was