Something is very wrong with me
The following is a homework assignment I turned in last week for my philosophy class. Here was the prompt -
Discussion: Describe a morally important situation you have encountered and determine whether you did the right thing according to the Principle of Utility. Do you agree with the Utilitarian analysis of your action?
As a child, I grew up on a ranch in northern Idaho. A neighbor of ours had a deaf child named Logan, who happened to like an online videogame I played often. We started out playing games together on the internet, freely chatting through the use of a the software's messaging service. Eventually, we began to spend time in person - we'd communicate either through a keyboard or through a pad and paper I kept around me. Our system for communication proved frustrating within a few hours and he began to teach me American Sign Language. I caught on, and within a few months we could fluently "talk" to each other about whatever we wanted. When I turned 16 I tested for my driver's license (the age limit was different then), and we began to go on trips exploring whatever we fancied.
For one of these trips, we decided to go hiking in the woods near our a small city to the North. My girlfriend at the time usually didn't attend these trips - she always felt too tense around Logan to enjoy herself. However, she felt I was ignoring her and demanded she came along on the hike. I should have canceled the hike then and there, but I was oblivious to the stress forming in our relationship so I agreed to have her on board. To let my girlfriend talk to Logan, I had her drive so I could interpret (interpreting requires your vision and body). The conversation was composed of Michelle asking terse and biting questions of Logan. I interpreted faithfully, hoping that her mood would change. It did - for the worse. She shifted her questions from "why don't you get along with your mother?" to "what's your favorite music?" I was appalled by her insensitive questions - I didn't know what to do. As she was asking her next question, I tried to get her to stop, but she just flared up at me. Logan had answered every question passively, not taking her bait - until she asked him about his favorite music. He just made a pleading face - I was too shocked to say anything, so I just kept silent.
"Well? What is it?" she asked.
I still didn't answer.
Michelle kept asking poisonous questions. Finally she asked "Logan, what radio station would like you to listen to?"
I signed to Logan "she asked me when to turn for the ridge."
Michelle turned on the radio, and was silent the rest of trip. When we showed up, it was nearly five. We got out of the car and began to walk. Michelle kept asking him virulent questions - and Logan started becoming visibly distressed. Finally, she asked one that isn't appropriate for this forum, and I decided I had enough. I paused, thought, and instead of signing the disgusting thing she wanted me to tell him, I signed to him "I hear you like Tolkien. Which book is your favorite?" Logan's face brightened up, and he immediately signed back "The Hobbit." I told my girlfriend he signed back a simple and passive answer, and this continued for a full 40 minutes. At one point Logan asked me why Michelle was crying. I told him "nothing's wrong. A bug flew in her eye."
I still look back at that day shocked at how Michelle behaved. Michelle was acting totally psycho, and I didn't want Logan to think of me as a monster from then on. He was my best friend, and I still write to him now that I've moved - I wasn't going to torture my best friend because my girlfriend was angry with me. So I decided to take the path that would minimize the unhappiness - I "made up" a conversation for him to have so that he wouldn't be offended. For Michelle, I "made up" a series of oblivious and passive answers until she quit. In both cases, I morally wronged them - I lied to them, but by doing so, I preserved two friendships. The positive outcome for this path far exceeded the negative, so I took it. I applied utilitarian theory, and it worked. Although I hope to never be in a situation like this again, I would do the same thing.
* * * *
My teacher later emailed me saying it was an interesting example.
Discussion: Describe a morally important situation you have encountered and determine whether you did the right thing according to the Principle of Utility. Do you agree with the Utilitarian analysis of your action?
As a child, I grew up on a ranch in northern Idaho. A neighbor of ours had a deaf child named Logan, who happened to like an online videogame I played often. We started out playing games together on the internet, freely chatting through the use of a the software's messaging service. Eventually, we began to spend time in person - we'd communicate either through a keyboard or through a pad and paper I kept around me. Our system for communication proved frustrating within a few hours and he began to teach me American Sign Language. I caught on, and within a few months we could fluently "talk" to each other about whatever we wanted. When I turned 16 I tested for my driver's license (the age limit was different then), and we began to go on trips exploring whatever we fancied.
For one of these trips, we decided to go hiking in the woods near our a small city to the North. My girlfriend at the time usually didn't attend these trips - she always felt too tense around Logan to enjoy herself. However, she felt I was ignoring her and demanded she came along on the hike. I should have canceled the hike then and there, but I was oblivious to the stress forming in our relationship so I agreed to have her on board. To let my girlfriend talk to Logan, I had her drive so I could interpret (interpreting requires your vision and body). The conversation was composed of Michelle asking terse and biting questions of Logan. I interpreted faithfully, hoping that her mood would change. It did - for the worse. She shifted her questions from "why don't you get along with your mother?" to "what's your favorite music?" I was appalled by her insensitive questions - I didn't know what to do. As she was asking her next question, I tried to get her to stop, but she just flared up at me. Logan had answered every question passively, not taking her bait - until she asked him about his favorite music. He just made a pleading face - I was too shocked to say anything, so I just kept silent.
"Well? What is it?" she asked.
I still didn't answer.
Michelle kept asking poisonous questions. Finally she asked "Logan, what radio station would like you to listen to?"
I signed to Logan "she asked me when to turn for the ridge."
Michelle turned on the radio, and was silent the rest of trip. When we showed up, it was nearly five. We got out of the car and began to walk. Michelle kept asking him virulent questions - and Logan started becoming visibly distressed. Finally, she asked one that isn't appropriate for this forum, and I decided I had enough. I paused, thought, and instead of signing the disgusting thing she wanted me to tell him, I signed to him "I hear you like Tolkien. Which book is your favorite?" Logan's face brightened up, and he immediately signed back "The Hobbit." I told my girlfriend he signed back a simple and passive answer, and this continued for a full 40 minutes. At one point Logan asked me why Michelle was crying. I told him "nothing's wrong. A bug flew in her eye."
I still look back at that day shocked at how Michelle behaved. Michelle was acting totally psycho, and I didn't want Logan to think of me as a monster from then on. He was my best friend, and I still write to him now that I've moved - I wasn't going to torture my best friend because my girlfriend was angry with me. So I decided to take the path that would minimize the unhappiness - I "made up" a conversation for him to have so that he wouldn't be offended. For Michelle, I "made up" a series of oblivious and passive answers until she quit. In both cases, I morally wronged them - I lied to them, but by doing so, I preserved two friendships. The positive outcome for this path far exceeded the negative, so I took it. I applied utilitarian theory, and it worked. Although I hope to never be in a situation like this again, I would do the same thing.
* * * *
My teacher later emailed me saying it was an interesting example.