Question

A society has three types of individuals, type I (one person in this type), type II (90 persons in this type) and type III (9 persons in this type), and is considering two policies, x and y. The utility information of the three policies is given below:

Each of type I Each of type II Each of type III
Policy x 0 25 10
Policy y 180 28 10
a). How would a utilitarian evaluate these two policies?

Answer 1

A utilitarian would evaluate these two policies by comparing the total utility or happiness each policy generates for the society. Policy x provides a utility of 0 for type I, 25 for each of the 90 individuals in type II, and 10 for each of the 9 individuals in type III. Policy y provides a higher utility of 180 for type I, 28 for each of the 90 individuals in type II, and 10 for each of the 9 individuals in type III.

Step-by-step explanation:

A utilitarian would evaluate these two policies by comparing the total utility or happiness each policy generates for the society. Utilitarianism aims to maximize the overall welfare of society by considering the greatest number of people.

In this case, policy x provides a utility of 0 for type I, 25 for each of the 90 individuals in type II, and 10 for each of the 9 individuals in type III. Policy y, on the other hand, provides a higher utility of 180 for type I, 28 for each of the 90 individuals in type II, and 10 for each of the 9 individuals in type III.

Based on these utility numbers, policy y generates more overall utility for the society as it provides a higher utility for type I individuals. Therefore, a utilitarian would evaluate policy y as the better option.