Utilitarian Lens

Words: 405
Pages: 2

Strengths: The topic of comparing and contrasting the eras of Cold War to Post Cold War, or as Sadovnik (2014) writes, the “War on Terror” (p.50) and the issue of information leaked to the media is fascinating. That it is examined through a utilitarian lens is also interesting. The author does a good job of defending her thesis. I believe she proves her thesis. She argues that there is merit in journalists publishing leaked politically sensitive information, because it helps the public advocate for change within a society. The tie-in of the ethical standards of journalism and linking this to utilitarianism is strong. The literature review appears thorough and the author is adept at describing the Pentagon Papers, the Snowden leaked documents and detailing their respective importance. I read this in one sitting, which is a testament to how engaging a read it was. …show more content…
When I think of Benthum I think of the Panopticon, which he designed. I have difficulty reconciling this cruel form of incarceration as “for the greater good.” Also, in utilitarianism the issue of “treating everyone the same” is fraught with difficulty. I argue that those in historically marginalized groups are not treated the same as everyone else. To use an example from Orwell’s allegoric novel Animal Farm, first published in 1945, the phrase, “All animals are equal” (Orwell, 1990, p. 21) eventually became, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell, 1990, p. 118). Perhaps the author thought that she could have presented additional information about utilitarianism, because when she discusses limitations, she does admit that her own belief about this ethical perspective may have influenced the research. This affirmed my view that utilitarianism has