About the Service:
From a utilitarian perspective, decision makers are encouraged to make decisions that create the greatest good for the greatest number.  As long as this standard is satisfied, decisions are deemed morally acceptable. However, this does not mean that everyone benefits from such decisions.  Nothing in utilitarianism requires any special consideration to be given to those hurt by a morally acceptable decision.  This is the dark side of utilitarianism.   It can be argued that making decisions that we know could harm someone is inconsistent with important UU values.  John Rawls’ social justice theory offers an alternative approach that encourages decisions to be based on fairness for those affected by our decisions.  It will be argued that by requiring those harmed by a utilitarian decision to be treated fairly, we can make decisions more consistent with our UU values.

About Our Speaker:
Bob Allen is an emeritus professor of management at the University of Wyoming, where he served as the university’s first conciliator, working to resolve disputes between faculty members and university administrators. His experience in conflict resolution extends to labor arbitration, a field in which he has been active since 1977. With decades of dedication to fostering understanding and collaboration, Bob continues to inspire others through his expertise and commitment to fair and effective solutions.

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Topics: Social Justice, Utilitarianism, Values