Joe Darby’s Ethical Choice Through Utilitarianism, Identify what theory or ethical system is consistent with the choice made by Joe Darby, a military reservist to give the photos to Criminal Intelligence.

Joe Darby’s Ethical Choice Through Utilitarianism

Joe Darby, a military reservist, made a difficult ethical decision when he chose to give the photos showing detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib to Criminal Intelligence. His decision, though it placed him in a difficult personal and professional situation, was consistent with the ethical system of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is an ethical system that evaluates the morality of an action based on the amount of good it produces; the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Mill, 2016). In this case, Joe Darby decided to report the abuse as he believed it was the right thing to do, despite the consequences it may bring to him personally. As John Stuart Mill, one of the most prominent utilitarians has stated, “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (Mill, 2016). Since Joe Darby believed that reporting the abuse would lead to the greater good, his decision was in line with utilitarianism. In addition, Joe Darby also based his decision on an appeal to justice. He believed that the detainees deserved justice and that reporting the abuse would lead to a just outcome. Cont…