In class we were talking about the happy connections between the hedonistic calculus and politics. This will be looking at political articles and seeing if this is true or not.
1. Go to RealClearPolitics.com.
2. Check out any of the stories written on there.
3. Come back here and write up a summation of your findings, if there seems to be a link between utilitarian ideas or not. You might need to give a quick summary of the article for context.
4. Reply to at least one other student, and to keep everything under control use the @ sign and their name (like this: @Heather, for example).
…and go!
The article I read was about the remarkable resemblance between Sarah Palin and George Bush. This article was not so much utilitarian as it was teleological in that it was more for the good of the writer than the readers. The author attacked Palin personally more than she attacked her views, she even criticizes the way in which she pronounces nuclear. This article was a “good” move for the author because its a lot more exciting to watch people attack each other than it is to watch someone present the facts. While this article was good for the author, it did very little to inform the reader about the politics it criticized.
I read Why Feminists Hate Sarah Palin. The artical is utilitarian near the end when the writer says that even though Sarah Palin doesn’t believe the same things she does it is ok because she is an ultimate example of feminism
I was reading an artical about Sarah Palin and how feminists hate her. Lots of feminists said that she was too good at having fun. So in the feminists eyes Sarah Palin is Teleological.
I read a few of the articles but none of them struck me as utilitarian or teleological. As I studied them I realized that all politics is utlilitarian. Politics is all about which canidate is the one that will provide the most good for the most people. That is the whole point of the vote. If most of the people in America think that this one canidate can lead them the best then that canidate will be consider the best choice of the group.
I read several articles, but the one that stuck out to me the most was the one about “can McCain really win over Pennsylvania” as a republican. It was kind of hard to find the utilitarian point of view in this article. I guess Obama would be the utilitarian in the article because he is the most popular to most Americans from what I can tell. I think McCain should be president though.
@ Steven: Polarization in politics can be really frustrating…
I agree with you that politics are overall utilitarian, but I believe that there is also a teleological side to any election. The people vote for the person who they believe will do the most good for the most people, but their is also the part where people vote for the person who will do the most good for them. There is alos the side of the candidate themselves, they are just trying to make themselves sound as good as possible to the voters, and not even so much to the voters as to the majorities. So, I think politics in general are a hybrid of utilitarian and teleological principles, and I have no idea if thats a good thing or a bad thing.
I read the article from a couple days ago that talked about the question that Presidents often ask during an election, “Are we better off than we were four years ago?” This question has been asked during speeches from presidents (then nominee’s) such as Reagan, Clinton, and now McCain. I think that the question in itself shows a very Utilitarian viewpoint that is held by many in the US. It asks the question whether America as a group is better off, the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. It also questions only the end result of the four years of the previous president, now the means which brought our nation there. It pretty much covers the two main points of Utilitarianism.
@ Reece: While it’s true that the general vote questions the views of the general public, people don’t always vote based on what’s good for the most people. Often they vote based on whichever candidate would help their individual lives the most. Good point though, I mostly agree with you =).
@Stephen and Reece:
Good thoughts here- a mix between utilitarian and teleological principles. Sometimes that can be good, sometimes not so much. It all depends on the person.
I read an article called “Democratic Activists Should Stop Digging.” Aside from the point of the article, it showcased how every hardcore, pro-Obama journalist and lawyer is scouting Alaska for the perfect story to smear Palin with. I believe this is a perfect example of the Utilitarian belief that the end justifies the means. Although looking for a story may not be technically, morally “wrong,” it isn’t exactly giving your opponent a fair shot, nor does it look very good on your part. The author of the article, while speaking about the even larger rift in the American population, identifies that the end should not justify all means when he said, “It could be a winning strategy. But good politics is not the same thing as responsible leadership. I intend it as a compliment to Mr McCain when I say that if his means to victory in this election is to divide the country, it is a victory he should not want.”
@ Steven: I think you have figured out something that most adults don’t know yet. Most people can’t be trusted to argue, because they do it wrong. Haha.
I read an article entitled “McCain’s outraged and outrageous campain.” The ariticle mainly talks about some of the “outrageous” tactics McCain has taken in his race to Presidency. I thought this was very Utilitarian because if he does win then the end will justify the mean.
@Mr. Kuhn
I mostly agreed with your analysis of this question. Overall it was a very utilitarian question.
@Heather
I totlay agree with oyu and I think it is absolutly rediculus how these reporters are looking for new ways to bash Palin all the time.
I read the article “How will Black Americans react if Obama loses” which discusses how black Americans are going to react to the outcome of this election. The author compared it to the Kennedy compaign and how he was going to become the first catholic president and how protestants would react to this. I thought this article had utilitarian ideas becausey the author implies that the election of a black presdient, regardless of his issues, would be a benifit to African Americans in this country. He is the greatest good for these people because he is showing that can attain the highest office in the land.
@ Heather
I agree begins the people i.e. the media is trying to find things about Palin from various aspects of her life so that people will not vote for her. The ends justify the means here because they do not care how it affects her or her family at this point, they want Obama to ultimately win in the end.
I read an article about what Obama needs to do to win the election. The author made good points but the entire article was aimed towards winning the election and nothing else. Thus i think it was very Utilitarian as the authors goal was to just get Obama in office no matter what.
@Brock
I agree with most of your thoughts on that article but i dont think its entirely utilitarianism because the author is talking about the benefit of one people group and not the entire country as a whole.
@ Debbie and Heather
You also have to put into account that these reporters never look for the good with these people because thats not what most of the people in America is looking for! Plus there’s no story in say, “boy gives money to hungry.” Or “lady saves cat from tree.” People walking by in the line in the grocery store aren’t going to see that, they’re going to see “PALIN IN DRUG BUST!” in big bold letters! I’m not saying that I like what the press and such are doing, I also agree that it sucks! But they’re just trying to sell papers! Not show the “best” in others! :/
I read the article about McCains “attacks” against Obama.I think that both candidates are guilty of this just as most of the candidates from the previous elections were.The article shows that both McCain and Obama want to bring each other down and try to relate to more people than the other which is very Utilitarian.
@Reece
I agree that most politics are all about trying to get the majority vote and working your way towards the top.
I read an article about Obama’s attacks against McCain and I agree with Cameron that both candidates are equally guilty in the subject. They both trying to make themselves look better than the other to the American people and so they have to put the other one down. This is Utilitarian.
I read the article named “The American Debate : No lie : Obama needs senior citizens’ vote”, and I think the utilitarian idea is that Obama needs senior citizens vote so he is going to do whatever he can to have this vote, like saying another thing than what he has already said, he is going back on what he had said, or use the fear to get the vote that he doesn’t have.