M: Response to S's second response.

M: "Push button A and the hippie is killed. Push button B and the rapist is more gruesomely killed. The additional pain inflicted on the convict out ways any pleasure one would get from inflicting the pain on him. No one will ever know who is killed either way. Both the convict and the hippie lives are filled with an equal amount of pleasure."

This amended example seems to have missed the point of my previous objection. The utilitarian makes a decision based on the overall happiness achieved by their actions (It is a consequentialist philosophy) so their actions are based on how they think society (ie. other people) will be affected. Probably most utiliarians would still kill the rapist- even considering the torture- because they assume he we go on to rape, a tortuous act in itself.

J: Utilitarians must consider overall happiness, not just the happiness of the hippie and the rapist. the fact they enjoy their life styles equally is not the issue here, dude.