Deontology Vs Utilitarianism
There are numerous philosophies regarding morality. Two of these ethical systems debated today are utilitarianism and deontology. These two traditions parallel the sayings “the ends justify the means” or “the means justify the ends”.
Inspired by Jeremy Bentham’s philosophies, John Stuart Mill applied his ideals to his many pamphlets and short works regarding Utilitarianism. This philosophy considers that the best thing to do ethically for a society is to maximize its happiness, interests, preference, or well-being. In effect, utilitarianism focuses on outcomes or the aftermath of an action (the ends justify the means). The idea is “that we ought to consider the totality of consequences” (55) and how many people are affected by said action. …show more content…
“Deontological ethics focuses on duties and obligations.” (68) This philosophy holds that there are ethical norms and truths that are essentially universal and applicable to everyone. Some actions, regardless of outcome, should still be considered immoral. Immanuel Kant uses a basic principle called “tThe categorical imperative” to determine how people should act morally. The book describes in detail two of the four aspects of this imperative. These ideas demand that people behave, through their actions, as if there was a universal generalized rule for everyone. The first form of the imperative discussed regards that “we do only what we can accept or will that everyone does” (72). In other words, if we perform an action would we accept or tolerate others to perform the same action. The second form of categorical imperative discussed was “what constitutes proper treatment of persons as persons.” (74) Kant regarded persons as being capable of autonomy or self-rule. Being autonomous gives us the power to choose, regardless of our circumstances or influences, we still can make our own choices. Kant stated that we “should treat humanity… never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.” (74) Namely, Kant expressed that we should treat people with value and rational thought should help us conclude what is right and was is
Inspired by Jeremy Bentham’s philosophies, John Stuart Mill applied his ideals to his many pamphlets and short works regarding Utilitarianism. This philosophy considers that the best thing to do ethically for a society is to maximize its happiness, interests, preference, or well-being. In effect, utilitarianism focuses on outcomes or the aftermath of an action (the ends justify the means). The idea is “that we ought to consider the totality of consequences” (55) and how many people are affected by said action. …show more content…
“Deontological ethics focuses on duties and obligations.” (68) This philosophy holds that there are ethical norms and truths that are essentially universal and applicable to everyone. Some actions, regardless of outcome, should still be considered immoral. Immanuel Kant uses a basic principle called “tThe categorical imperative” to determine how people should act morally. The book describes in detail two of the four aspects of this imperative. These ideas demand that people behave, through their actions, as if there was a universal generalized rule for everyone. The first form of the imperative discussed regards that “we do only what we can accept or will that everyone does” (72). In other words, if we perform an action would we accept or tolerate others to perform the same action. The second form of categorical imperative discussed was “what constitutes proper treatment of persons as persons.” (74) Kant regarded persons as being capable of autonomy or self-rule. Being autonomous gives us the power to choose, regardless of our circumstances or influences, we still can make our own choices. Kant stated that we “should treat humanity… never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.” (74) Namely, Kant expressed that we should treat people with value and rational thought should help us conclude what is right and was is