Suppose that we have to choose between building a new sports stadium and building a new hospital. How would you make this decision? Give your rationale in as much detail as you feel comfortable
Sports are the downfall of our society! Why cater to people who do society absolutely no good whatsoever. Hospitals help everyone in our society not just a chosen few.
To me it would be much more important to build the hospital (which I assume is needed in the community). It may not match the Unitarian philosophy, but the saving a person’s life is more important, even if it would increase the cost of health care. Hopefully it would be there for my friends and family – or even me.
I think of a sports stadium of just being for entertainment. That might include music, plays, etc. not just sporting events. Still charge a fee and if it is needed, they will be paid…
Building a hospital would be more focused on the improvement of man and a higher goal. Yes, building a stadium would serve the highest pleasure of many people, but it would not be the highest pleasure for the good of mankind. There is more value in saving lives than in seeing and enjoying one team beat another team.
Since Utilitarianism requires the greatest GOOD for the greatest number of people the hospital wins hands down. Remember that Mill argues that lower pleasures (the enjoyment of watching something at a stadium) are less pleasant then higher ones (like a hospital) because the pleasure they create is transitory rather then lasting. This is a common mistake of people and was the catalysis for Bentham to create Utilitarianism in the first place.
Building a hospital with all the bells and whistles so out weighs the stadium. The hospital would provide the greatest good: year-round jobs, health care, health education etc.
Sure a stadium would be fun, but it would be seasonal. My aunt lives and Dallas and she talks about the beautiful new football stadium, but nobody can afford tickets to go to the games.
Sport done right is a virtue, but mercy is higher still. Imagine a society with lots of sport but no health care. The pursuit of Life must precede the pursuit of happiness.
Why not consider using the stadium to generate jobs and income for the city to be able to afford the hospital? It would bring in tax revenue from the ticket sales, hotel stays, restaurant and merchant sales. Look what the one cent tax has done for the school district. You could provide jobs (think of the IWireless)and revenue for the city while planning for the future with a hospital. The city could grow in more than one way. Do we automatically pick the hospital without giving any thought to the stadium because we feel it is of a higher level of pleasure -- we think we should pick it. Do we enjoy Bart Simpson over Shakespeare, but when asked which one is the better of the two pick Shakespeare?
There are more far-reaching results from someone spending a few nights in the hospital to heal, break an addiction, deliver a baby, or undergo surgery, than from someone spending a few nights at a sports stadium. Combine these potential results with the time, money, effort, higher education, and challenges that lead to staffing a hospital 24 hours a day, and the hospital wins. If this is not an either/or situation, and the hospital can wait a few years (by improving ambulance and helicopter transport), then I think Pam's idea actually extends the good to a much wider, multigenerational group of humans. Can we do something about the salaries of those who play games for a living?
A person with from a utilitarian point-of-view would consider which venue would serve the greatest purpose. On one hand, a sports stadium would provide a great deal of entertainment and also some jobs, but on the other hand, a hospital would probably help more people and probably create more jobs. Additionally, if a sports person were to become injured, they would need a hospital to go to in order to become healed. However, unfortunately in our present society sports seems to usually win out.
Sports are the downfall of our society! Why cater to people who do society absolutely no good whatsoever. Hospitals help everyone in our society not just a chosen few.
ReplyDeleteTo me it would be much more important to build the hospital (which I assume is needed in the community). It may not match the Unitarian philosophy, but the saving a person’s life is more important, even if it would increase the cost of health care. Hopefully it would be there for my friends and family – or even me.
ReplyDeleteI think of a sports stadium of just being for entertainment. That might include music, plays, etc. not just sporting events. Still charge a fee and if it is needed, they will be paid…
Building a hospital would be more focused on the improvement of man and a higher goal. Yes, building a stadium would serve the highest pleasure of many people, but it would not be the highest pleasure for the good of mankind. There is more value in saving lives than in seeing and enjoying one team beat another team.
ReplyDeleteSince Utilitarianism requires the greatest GOOD for the greatest number of people the hospital wins hands down. Remember that Mill argues that lower pleasures (the enjoyment of watching something at a stadium) are less pleasant then higher ones (like a hospital) because the pleasure they create is transitory rather then lasting. This is a common mistake of people and was the catalysis for Bentham to create Utilitarianism in the first place.
ReplyDeleteBuilding a hospital with all the bells and whistles so out weighs the stadium. The hospital would provide the greatest good: year-round jobs, health care, health education etc.
ReplyDeleteSure a stadium would be fun, but it would be seasonal. My aunt lives and Dallas and she talks about the beautiful new football stadium, but nobody can afford tickets to go to the games.
Sport done right is a virtue, but mercy is higher still. Imagine a society with lots of sport but no health care. The pursuit of Life must precede the pursuit of happiness.
ReplyDeleteWhy not consider using the stadium to generate jobs and income for the city to be able to afford the hospital? It would bring in tax revenue from the ticket sales, hotel stays, restaurant and merchant sales. Look what the one cent tax has done for the school district. You could provide jobs (think of the IWireless)and revenue for the city while planning for the future with a hospital. The city could grow in more than one way. Do we automatically pick the hospital without giving any thought to the stadium because we feel it is of a higher level of pleasure -- we think we should pick it. Do we enjoy Bart Simpson over Shakespeare, but when asked which one is the better of the two pick Shakespeare?
ReplyDeleteThere are more far-reaching results from someone spending a few nights in the hospital to heal, break an addiction, deliver a baby, or undergo surgery, than from someone spending a few nights at a sports stadium. Combine these potential results with the time, money, effort, higher education, and challenges that lead to staffing a hospital 24 hours a day, and the hospital wins. If this is not an either/or situation, and the hospital can wait a few years (by improving ambulance and helicopter transport), then I think Pam's idea actually extends the good to a much wider, multigenerational group of humans. Can we do something about the salaries of those who play games for a living?
ReplyDeleteA person with from a utilitarian point-of-view would consider which venue would serve the greatest purpose. On one hand, a sports stadium would provide a great deal of entertainment and also some jobs, but on the other hand, a hospital would probably help more people and probably create more jobs. Additionally, if a sports person were to become injured, they would need a hospital to go to in order to become healed. However, unfortunately in our present society sports seems to usually win out.
ReplyDelete