Question

final milestone
jimmy is a nurse who cares for the aging mr. buckner in new york city. mr. buckner is a very wealthy man who has saved a lot of money over the years. one day, mr. buckner takes jimmy aside and tells him that he has decided what to do with his money after he dies. mr. buckner tells jimmy that he wants jimmy to give all of the money to the new york knicks basketball team. he makes jimmy promise three times that he will do this. jimmy thinks mr. buckner has gone crazy, but mr. buckner dies before they can discuss it further.
which action is supported by utilitarianism but intuitively seems unethical?
jimmy breaks his promise to mr. buckner and instead donates the money to a basketball league that helps inner city youth.
jimmy breaks his promise to mr. buckner and uses the money to pay for an operation his mother needs.
jimmy decides to keep mr. buckner’s fortune for himself, as payment for all his work.
jimmy does what he promised and gives mr. buckner’s fortune to

Explanation:

To determine the answer, we analyze utilitarianism, which focuses on maximizing overall happiness/utility.

• The option "Jimmy breaks his promise to Mr. Buckner and instead donates the money to a basketball league that helps inner city youth" is supported by utilitarianism because helping inner - city youth likely brings more overall benefit (utility) than giving money to a professional basketball team. Intuitively, breaking a promise seems unethical, but this action aligns with utilitarianism's goal of maximizing good.
• The other options: using money for his mother's operation or keeping it for himself benefit fewer people or just Jimmy, so they don't maximize utility as much. Keeping the promise gives money to the Knicks, which may not have as broad a positive impact as helping inner - city youth.

Answer:

Jimmy breaks his promise to Mr. Buckner and instead donates the money to a basketball league that helps inner city youth.