This assignment is based on the Voting Paradox problem for act utilitarianism asThis assignment is based on the Voting Paradox problem for act utilitarianism as presented either in class (for hybrid classes) or in a video (for internet only classes).
The Voting Paradox causes a problem for Act Utilitarianism because the probability that one vote will decide an election, especially on the national or state level, is virtually zero. For the Act Utilitarian, it appears that doing an activity other than voting will produce more positive consequences than casting a vote which will have practically no chance of deciding an election. To overcome the problem of the Voting Paradox problem for Act Utilitarianism, there must be other ways (other than deciding an election) that casting a vote will yield positive consequences. What is one way (besides deciding the election) that voting can yield positive consequences?
Explain a way that voting could be considered to have positive consequences other than deciding an election. The reason cannot be that the candidate you support will do great things, because that assum
es that you are deciding the election and putting your candidate into office Β rather, your candidate would have won without your vote or would have lost even with your vote. Your vote makes no difference as far as deciding this one election, so there must be some other way it yields positive consequences in order for an Act Utilitarian to decide that voting is the right action.
For the sake of simplicity, assume that the election is a total mismatch, such as seen in this example. Can a pee-wee team beat an NHL team? Sure, if all the NHL players fall down and break both legs, but that is hopelessly unrealistic. The current election is completely out of reach, but future elections might not be.
The reason to vote can be positive consequences for many people or only one person, and the positive consequences donΒt have to be earth-shattering. DonΒt worry about showing that the positive consequences your reason generates will be enough to justify voting under act utilitarianism Β it is enough that the positive consequences your reason generates might be enough to justify voting under act utilitarianism.