The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 56

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE GOOD WITHOUT GOD? 56 moral, and any action that brings about suffering is immoral. Sounds good? Well, there are weaknesses with this theory. Dr. Austin explains: A standard objection to utilitarianism is that it could require us to violate the standards of justice. For example, imagine that you are a judge in a small town. Someone has committed a crime, and there has been some social unrest resulting in injuries, violent conflict, and some rioting. As the judge, you know that if you sentence an innocent man to death, the town will be calmed and peace restored. If you set him free, even more unrest will erupt, with more harm coming to the town and its people. Utilitarianism seems to require punishing the innocent in certain circumstances, such as these. 32 Since punishing the innocent person would reduce the suffering of many, and also increase their happiness, utilitarianism would require that the innocent person be punished in such a scenario. Another scenario that scholars bring up is that of gang rape. While rape by a single individual brings immense suffering to the victim and pleasure to the