The Paradox of the Preference Utilitarian

The paradox of the preference utilitarian arises when satisfying people's explicit preferences leads to outcomes that seem collectively worse or more unfair than ignoring or contradicting some preferences. For example, prioritizing a majority's preference might ignore minority needs, raising questions about fairness. Conversely, satisfying all preferences may result in highly conflicting or impractical outcomes. This paradox highlights the tension between aiming to maximize overall preference satisfaction and ensuring just, equitable treatment of individuals, illustrating how strictly following preferences can sometimes produce morally questionable or undesirable results despite intuitive appeal.