Ethics is the study of human values, actions and life decisions, also known as morality. By using moral principles, claims which guide individuals by telling them what they ought and ought not to do, ethics attempts to determine if something is good or bad. However at times different moral principles conflict with another, making it difficult to see what the best course of action is. A good moral theory solves that dilemma by attempts to explain why a person or action is right or wrong, or why a person’s character is good or bad by stating which moral principles are more important than others. Two infamous moral theories are Utilitarianism and Kantianism. The Utilitarian moral theory claims that an action is right if it brings about the best …show more content…
Say for example a criminal has six hostage at gunpoint and states that unless he receives a million dollars in the next 30 minutes he will kill all the hostages. To remedy the situation police tell the criminal the money is on its way, when in reality a sniper is getting into place to kill the criminal and free the hostages. Utilitarians would state that the situation as a whole was morally acceptable because the good of freeing six hostages outways the bad of lying to and killing the criminal. Kantian moral theory though would deem these actions highly immoral. By lying to and murdering the criminal the police are using him merely as a tool to end the situation. Though I do believe both Utilitarianism and Kantianism have solid bases, I personally find the Utilitarian moral theory more plausible in real life situations. I agree that you should have a greater balance of good over bad in most situation, however in real life it is often difficult to decide which is which, making it difficult to determine if there is a good balance or …show more content…
Though most view hearing the truth from another person an individual’s right and overall kind act, doctors don’t alway look at truth telling as having a positive outcome. The same debate is often had over doctor-patient confidentiality. In general it is more beneficial for doctors to keep that promise, allowing patients to trust their physicians, making them more forthcoming with vital information. However when cases cause physicians to question what is more important, keeping the patient 's secret or breaking trust to create more benefit to all? In search for the right answer, many doctors turn to moral theories like Utilitarianism and Kantianism to help them
Ethics are the principles that shape individual lives in modern society. It is a subjective idea that seems to have a standard in society. Ethics and morals are the major factors that guide individuals to make right and wrong choices. Something that is morally right to one person might be the very opposite of what another person would view as right. There are many factors that can trigger a change in an individual’s view of morality.
Moral decision-making constitutes an important part of the everyday human life. In this paper, I will examine and contrast Utilitarianism and Kant’s theory of the Categorical Imperative, both, which provide people with a moral structure, and how the issue of etiquettes relates to Kantian Theory. It is important to note that both the theories have their advantages and drawbacks, thus to enable one to make a methodical decision, it is important to understand the basic principles of each. However, in this paper there will be a main focus on Kantian Categorical argument and then discussing the issue of etiquettes.
Also, since higher grain prices lead to starvation on a global scale, Utilitarians would support Kantians in that using much of the grain produced to feed animals is unethical. Moreover, Kantians do not believe that animals are self-conscious and are there only as a means to an end (humans). However, cruelty to animals leads to cruelty to humans so it is in our best interest to treat animals humanely. As a result, Kantians argue that humanity must stray away from the current method used to farm animals because taste alone is not a good enough reason to justify the way we treat them. On the other hand, Utilitarians argue that the way animals are treated lead to the greatest good for the greatest number of people because it generates the most resources to feed the world. However, because of its negative impact on the environment, and the indirect harm it causes to humanity (unethical), Utilitarians might argue that the method used to deal with animal waste is unethical (focusing on consequence and not the action). Kantians on the other hand, might argue the action of placing waste in a space specifically created for that purpose is ethical and does not have to be
“Utilitarianism is the creed which accepts as the foundations of morals utility of the greatest happiness principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” (Mil, 90). Utilitarianism ethics is based on the greatest good for the greatest number meaning that the moral agent does what he/she thinks will be
The Utilitarian Theory is a doctrine that believes that an action is right if it
In “Should Doctors Tell the Truth?” Joseph Collins argues for paternalistic deception, declaring that it is permissible for physicians to deceive their patients when it is in their best interests. Collins considers his argument from a “pragmatic” standpoint, rather than a moral one, and uses his experience with the sick to justify paternalistic deception. Collins argues that in his years of practicing, he has encountered four types of patients who want to know the truth: those that want to know so they know how much time they have left, those who do not want to know and may suffer if told the truth, those who are incapable of hearing the truth, and those who do not have a serious diagnosis (605). Collins follows with the assertion that the more serious the condition is, the less likely the patient is to seek information about their health (606).
The United States of America’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been a great influence on American history. The mass destruction of both the lives of civilians and the cities in Japan have influenced many different opinions. Some believe the dropping of the atomic bombs were essential, whereas others say it was uncalled for. The following will define and explain the opposing viewpoints of a utilitarian and a Kantian. It will delve into their responses to the additional Allied invasion, and will analyze and provide objections to their responses, while also providing my personal viewpoints on both perspectives.
What is ethics? Ethics are the philosophical principles of good verses bad moral behavior. It is a guideline to help people make decisions or make a judgment calls. There are two main types of ethical principles that will be discussed in this paper, and how they are applied to the decision making process. They are Deontological and Utilitarian. Deontological ethics are based on the righteousness or wrongness of the action-taking place. It does not base itself on the bad or good consequences that come from the action. Immanuel Kant introduced deontological ethics in the 18th century. Kant believed that every decision or action made by a person had to be evaluated by his or her moral duty. He stated that humanity shouldn’t side on its
In the Scenario I, a Utilitarian would view the inmate as having a higher sense of moral obligation. From a Utilitarian perspective, the inmate should have acted out of a general desire to do what is right for the benefit of all, not simply for his own happiness, even if it meant going against his religion. The Utilitarian would also view the prison official's behavior as moral. This is because one man endured the pain and suffering, but from that, 5,000 other people had much happier lives. Even if the inmate had eventually killed himself, a Utilitarian would still view the acts as moral.
Utilitarianism is a moral theory that approaches moral questions of right and wrong by considering the actual consequences of a variety of possible actions. These consequences are generally those that either positively or negatively affect other living beings. If there are both good and bad actual consequences of a particular action, the moral individual must weigh the good against the bad and go with the action that will produce the most good for the most amount of people. If the individual finds that there are only bad consequences, then she must go with the behavior that causes the least amount of bad consequences to the least amount of people. There are many different methods for calculating the utility of each moral decision and coming up with the best
Ethics refers to what people consider good or bad and right or wrong. It is a theory dealing with values that relate to human behaviour; with respect to their actions and purpose. The two most important philosophers that deal with ethics are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Kant’s ethical theory is Kantianism or deontological ethics. Mill’s ethical theory is utilitarianism. Both philosophers’ theories have many differences; Kant’s theory deals with conduct, seeking reason for good action in duty. Mill’s theory deals with consequences and maximizing human happiness. However both Kant and Mill’s ethics relate to the important biblical principal of the Golden Rule.
...nces. Kantianism focuses on the motivation of actions, has clear and distinct set of universal rules, and is morally logical. On the other hand, Utilitarianism relies on the consequences of an action, has no set universal laws as each action is assessed on an individual basis, and morality is based on the results of the assessment. Because of these reasons, I believe that Kantianism is the more ethically plausible theory of the two.
First we will start with the historical example of the execution of Jesus. Pontius Pilate was put into a situation where a large crowd had attempted to persuade him that Jesus should be killed instead of a convicted murderer, even though Jesus had done nothing wrong. The majority won and he was killed. The Utilitarians can justify this action because the majority gained happiness from this. On the other hand, those who support Kant’s theory will argue that Jesus had done nothing wrong and his right were clearly violated making the action
Ethical theories are a way of finding solutions to ethical dilemmas using moral reasoning or moral character. The overall classification of ethical theories involves finding a resolution to ethical problems that are not necessarily answered by laws or principles already in place but that achieve justice and allow for individual rights. There are many different ethical theories and each takes a different approach as to the process in which they find a resolution. Ethical actions are those that increase prosperity, but ethics in business is not only focused on actions, it can also involve consequences of actions and a person’s own moral character.
Ethics is a system of moral principles and a branch of philosophy which defines what is acceptable for both individuals and society. It is a philosophy that covers a whole range of things that have an importance in everyday situations. Ethics are vital in everyones lives, it includes human values, and how to have a good life, our rights and responsibilities, moral decisions what is right and wrong, good and bad. Moral principles affect how people make decisions and lead their lives (BBC, 2013). There are many different beliefs about were ethics come from. These consist of; God and Religion, human conscience, the example of good human beings and a huge desire for the best for people in each unique situation, and political power (BBC, 2013).