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Comparing Kantianism And Utilitarianism

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Comparing Kantianism And Utilitarianism
Morality is a set of individual beliefs of what is reflected as correct. Kantianism and Utilitarianism seek to provide answers on how to approach a moral problem which would affect the morality of a person. This paper will attempt to clarify how Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism differ, as well as discuss why I believe Utilitarianism is the most plausible when it comes to deliberating abortion.

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that the best action is one that maximizes utility. It is essentially concerned with outcomes, more specifically into which outcome brings out the “greatest good” for the involved parties. Utilitarianism sets up a chart of utils and disutils in order to consider the outcomes of an action and evaluate …show more content…
A categorical imperative is an absolute moral standard that does not vary based on individual circumstances. Kantianism holds the principle that an action is either “just” or “unjust” without any concern to the consequences of that same action. The only good thing in the universe in Kantianism is good will, and “will” is defined as being able to do the right thing, no matter how strong or prevalent temptation is. According to Kantianism, all behaviors and actions are done by people simply because they are the right things to do. People do things based on whether it is moral rather than the tenacity. Kant epitomizes this with using maxims as a ground rule. A maxim states to “Do action, A, with intention to find motive, m”. Maxims are functional with the Formula of Universal Law (FUL). The Formula of Universal Law is based on the principle of taking a maxim and making it apply to the entire Universe. Kant’s theory is that if you wouldn’t want to live in a world where the maxim is a universal law, then it is morally wrong to act on that maxim yourself. On the topic of abortion, Kantianism would apply the Formula of Universal Law and make abortion a maxim. This would then make abortion a universal law, where everyone is permitted to have an abortion. If the FUL was applied, it is extremely likely that we all would not exist, because every woman would be free to have an abortion whenever. In other words, the
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