A marriage is full of moral ethics that should be followed. Kant would have agreed with me that we have moral duties to ones self and others. A marriage is committing moral thoughts, words, and actions to yourself and your spouse. Kant believed in treating other people the way you wish they would treat you. Never treat other people as if they were merely things. The formula of humanity states that we should treat people as an end and never as a means to an end. In committing adultery, the marriage and the spouse are being used as a means. Marriage should be treated with dignity and not as a thing that can be played with. I hope no one would apply the universal law of categorical imperative to committing adultery. I could not imagine applying the act of committing adultery to how all others should act. If we did apply the universal law to committing adultery then marriage would be worthless. Basically, do not choose a rule for yourself that you wouldn’t want everyone else to obey. Kant believes that the only good thing is a good will. Good will equals good intentions. Committing adultery is not a morally good act and Kant would agree with me.
Utilitarianism is an action that is right if it maximizes the overall happiness of all people. In other words, an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. This is consequentialism. Utilitarianism has rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism. In rule utilitarianism, a behavioral code or rule is morally right if the consequences of the rule are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. I believe it is more favorable to your spouse not to cheat than to cheat. I would be also more favorable to you not to cheat so the spouse doesn’t get upset. Act utilitarianism weighs the consequences of each particular action. There is a list of consequences of the act of committing adultery and none of them are good. There are