According to this teleological theory (a theory that maintains that the rightness and wrongness of actions is determined entirely by the consequences of the actions), the right act is the one, of all the actions open to the agent, which is likely to result in the greatest net good consequences, taking all those affected by the action equally into account. (Anderson, 162)

Total net pleasure = Σ (intensity × duration × probability) for each affected individual. This computation would be performed for each alternative action. The action with the highest total net pleasure is the right action. (Anderson, 163)

In a way, the first law checks the human understanding of morality and through the story, we see how Joseph ultimately puts himself over the elderly people and even makes a claim that he is in the right because his request to Ria will assist all the other people caught in traffic behind him. Anderson's article mentions how "most human beings are far from ideal models of ethical agents, despite having been taught ethical principles; and humans do, in particular, tend to favor themselves. Machines, though, might have an advantage over human beings in terms of behaving ethically." (Anderson, 166) Joseph was incapable of thinking objectively and therefore coming to the an ethical conclusion because it did not favor what he needed at the time.