MultiHub Forum

I'm an undergraduate philosophy student grappling with a paper on the limits of utilitarian ethics in public policy. My professor posed a scenario where a utilitarian framework might justify a severe but temporary restriction on civil liberties to prevent a foreseeable catastrophe, arguing the net happiness is increased. This feels intuitively wrong to me, but I'm struggling to articulate a coherent deontological or virtue ethics counter-argument that doesn't just appeal to emotion. For those well-versed in moral philosophy, how would you critique this application of utilitarianism? Are there specific thinkers or texts that address the problem of sacrificing individual rights for a perceived greater good, and how do they defend the intrinsic value of those rights?