You’re on the way to take the College Entrance Test, which will determine how the college application

process goes (and, it feels like, more or less your entire life). Your car breaks down and you get there very late

and the monitor is closing the door and you remember that…you forgot your required number 2 pencils. On a

desk in the hall, you notice a pencil. It’s gnawed and abandoned but not yours. Do you steal it? Someone who

believes it’s an ethical duty to not steal will hesitate. But if you’re a utilitarian you’ll ask: Does taking it serve the

greater good? It definitely helps you a lot, so there’s positive happiness accumulated on that side. What about the

victim? Probably whoever owns it doesn’t care too much. Might not even notice it’s gone. Regardless, if you put

your increased happiness on one side and weigh it against the victim’s hurt on the other, the end result is almost

certainly a net happiness gain. So, with a clean conscience you grab it and dash into the testing room.

1. Do you agree with the reasoning of a utilitarian? Why or why not?

2. Can you think of another way to solve your dilemma (no pencil) aside from the utilitarian’s point of view?

3. Give a similar example where you used a utilitarian’s reasoning to solve your problem.​