ETHICS FOR THE GREATER GOOD
As the name implies, ethics for the greater good is
more focused on the outcome of your actions rather
than the apparent virtue of the actions themselves—
that is, a focus on the greatest good for the greatest
number of people. Originally proposed by a Scottish
philosopher named David Hume, this approach to
ethics is also referred to as utilitarianism.
Th e problem with this approach to ethics is the idea
that the ends justify the means. If all you focus on is
doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people,
no one is accountable for the actions that are taken
to achieve that outcome. Th e 20th century witnessed
one of the most extreme examples of this when Adolf
Hitler and his Nazi party launched a national genocide
against Jews and “defective” people on the utilitarian
grounds of restoring the Aryan race.