IntroductionIn 1975, the board of directors of a company that manufactured transistors found itself faced with an ethical dilemma. It was the latest transistor company to sell to a pacemaker manufacturer, following other companies going out of business due to the failure of some pacemakers, leading to the deaths of some of those who used them. At the time, pacemaker technology was extremely new and had not yet evolved into the revolutionary product it is today. The ethical dilemma presented to the board of directors was whether or not to continue selling its transistor to the company and risk the negative connotation and ultimately loss of company shareholders associated with the deaths that occurred (Shanks, 1996). This analysis will explore the use of Jeremy Bentham's utilitarian ethics in this company's decision-making process at this crucial time. The utility test and the common good test will then be applied to this situation and through this decision-making process and then compared. All of this will be used to try to resolve the current issue that was of concern to all board members. Utilitarian Ethical Issues Utilitarian ethics focuses on maximizing pleasure and minimizing the extent of pain. The most important factor to note here is that utilitarian ethics is not action-oriented, but rather focuses entirely on the consequences of an action. If lying in a situation would create more good than telling the truth, then according to this ethic, lying is not only acceptable but also the right thing to do (Philosophy-Ethics). Keeping utilitarian ethics in mind with the pacemaker case, there are in fact, two main issues to analyze in making the decision. The first decision concerns the outcome... middle of paper...... the measures to establish and maintain it. (Hamilton III). This in no way means that the utility criterion is wrong, but it does not convey the broader implications of the decision as the common good criterion does. As a result, the answer obtained in the utility test is ethical, but it also does not explain the effects. Conclusion Through the use and analysis of Bentham's theories as well as the common good and utility tests, it appears that the best decision for the company is to maintain the contract with the pacemaker company. Through these stables, it has been established that in accordance with utilitarian ethics, that is, maximizing the good and minimizing the evil of potential consequences, the only choice is to respect the contract (Philosophy-Ethics). All parties involved derive the greatest pleasure from the decision, the aforementioned basis of this ethic.