On December 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was assassinated in New York City. The very next day, Associated Press reported, “Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia.” I suppose that for those who subscribe to the branch of philosophy known as “utilitarianism,” it could likely be argued that the killer has already caused a net increase in the total well being of humanity.
By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)
December 8, 2024
On December 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was assassinated in New York City.
The very next day, Associated Press reported, “Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia.”
I suppose that for those who subscribe to the branch of philosophy known as “utilitarianism,” it could likely be argued that the killer has already caused a net increase in the total well being of humanity.
Wikipedia states:
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that lead to the greatest good for the greatest number. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different characterizations, the basic idea behind all of them is, in some sense, to maximize utility, which is often defined in terms of well-being or related concepts. For instance, Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, described utility as the capacity of actions or objects to produce benefits, such as pleasure, happiness, and good, or to prevent harm, such as pain and unhappiness, to those affected.
This killing is something that philosophers, ethicists, religious scholars, and other such people will be discussing and debating for a very, very long time.
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