The Quest of a Curious Muslim

The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 57

57 rapist such that utilitarianism would call this action immoral, the situation is very different when there is more than one rapist. The greater the number of people committing this heinous crime, the greater their pleasure. Since the utilitarian model of morality sees everything as a utility and not from the lens of justice, it would see gang rape as less evil compared to rape by a single individual. This puts us in a moral conundrum that is impossible to get out of. Another example that illustrates this is that of a mother preventing her child from holding a glowing piece of charcoal. The child sees it as a bright toy that she desires earnestly to hold, while the mother knows that if she gives it to the child, it will cause injury. However, the utilitarian model would have much difficulty resolving this moral dilemma, because the longer the child waits, the greater her suffering and the lesser her happiness. The mother obviously knows what is best for the child and makes her suffer—albeit temporarily—to save her from greater harm in the future. In this case, at least the present suffering cannot be seen as a utility that must be avoided.