Utilitarianism - application to the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent

Question 1

Example of President Truman applying Act Utilitarianism to his ethical dilemma

Answer 1

Dropping nuclear bomb on Japan in 1945:

• cost of Japanese lives but ending the war
• invade Japan with soldiers with estimated loss of lives from 500,000 to 1,000,000

Question 2

how does rule utilitarianism find that having nuclear weapons outweighs the pain they cause.

Answer 2

• risk existence of humanity if a nuclear war occurred

- outweighed by the ongoing peace that they have caused.