Final answer:
Glen's decision can be classified as either utilitarianism or ethical egoism based on whether it seeks the greatest good for the most people or primarily serves his interests. Prosocial behavior and altruism are related concepts that involve acting to benefit others.
Step-by-step explanation:
To understand Glen's decision, we need to examine various ethical concepts. Prosocial behavior refers to actions intended to benefit others, a type of behavior that can include altruism, which is acting to help others without seeking personal gain. In contrast, ethical egoism suggests that moral decisions should ultimately serve one's self-interest. Utilitarianism, championed by philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, posits that an action is morally correct if it produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
Utilitarianism is sometimes described as hedonistic because it seeks to maximize pleasure and minimize pain across society, considering the action's intensity, duration, certainty, extent, and the number of people affected. It is essential to balance the rational pursuit of happiness without sacrificing the well-being of any individual for the majority's sake. This approach to ethics moves beyond individual pleasure to encompass a broad consideration of societal interests.
Utilitarianism and ethical egoism are distinct frameworks. Utilitarianism seeks the overall greatest good, while ethical egoism focuses on the individual's best interest. Thus in decision-making, Glen's choice would reflect utilitarianism if it aimed to maximize happiness for the most significant number of people and ethical egoism if it prioritized his interest above others'. Without additional details about Glen's specific situation, we cannot conclusively determine which category his decision falls into.