Final answer:
From a utilitarian standpoint, keeping promises is justified due to the greater happiness or utility it produces within society. Moral rules help maintain trust and social cohesion, which are vital to collective well-being. Utilitarianism emphasizes the consequences of actions, aiming for the greatest good for the greatest number, while recognizing the sometimes competing nature of different moral obligations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Utilitarian Justification for Keeping Promises
From a utilitarian perspective, keeping promises can be justified by the overall happiness or utility that results from such an action. Moral rules such as the ones governing the keeping of promises, telling the truth, and respect for private property, are essential to stable and predictable social interactions. In utilitarianism, an act's morality is determined by its consequences, particularly in terms of maximizing happiness or utility.
Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are two key figures in utilitarianism who emphasize that moral actions are those that produce the greatest happiness for the most people. When promises are kept, trust is upheld within the community, which in turn fosters a cooperative and harmonious environment. This foundation of trust is crucial; without it, societal operations deteriorate, leading to decreased happiness and utility among individuals.
The concept of perfect and imperfect duties also comes into play. Perfect duties, such as the duty to keep promises, are actions we are always obliged to perform. These duties are essential for maintaining social cohesion and predictability, which contribute to the overall happiness. Meanwhile, imperfect duties, like helping others, are morally significant but do not always take precedence over perfect duties.
Utilitarianism seeks to balance various factors to achieve the greatest overall utility. Therefore, in situations where there may be a conflict between duties, the action that results in the greatest amount of good for the greatest number is often the preferred choice.
Last but not least, Sir William David Ross critiques classic utilitarianism for oversimplifying moral duties and offers a pluralist perspective that recognizes multiple prima facie duties, including the duty of fidelity (to keep promises). In complex situations, these duties may compete against each other, and it's necessary to weigh their relative importance.