Rule Utilitarianism, Equality, and Justice

Abstract

This work does not contain an abstract. Here is my generated abstract:

Rule utilitarianism provides a superior moral framework compared to act utilitarianism by better protecting individual rights and obligations while still maximizing social utility. While act utilitarianism focuses on local optimization through individual actions, rule utilitarianism achieves global optimization through a moral code that defines clear rights and duties. The moral rules in rule utilitarianism must balance competing interests to maximize utility, as illustrated through examples like promise-keeping. Unlike deontological and social contract theories, rule utilitarianism offers a rational justification for moral rules based on their social utility. However, morality should not be seen as the highest value in human life, but rather as serving other human values. Regarding equality, only equal consideration of interests is intrinsically valuable from a utilitarian perspective, while economic and social equality are instrumentally valuable due to diminishing marginal utility. Justice and fairness, though important, must sometimes yield to other social values that maximize utility. The theory advocates moderate wealth redistribution while preserving incentives for productivity and excellence. - AI-generated abstract