Pros And Cons Of Rule Utilitarianism
Lost in his own despair, James Liang, an engineer at Volkswagen, stared at his own reflection seeing his life slip right in front of him. After a long day of trial debating whether to accept the consequences or fulfill his duty, James knew this decision will not only change his life but affect many others. Volkswagen, or the “people’s car”, is a well-known automaker and is the largest in Europe. Their reputation is built on making people happy. At first, Volkswagen was not a contender in the automotive industry but when the Beetle was introduced, it became an economic and symbolic element in Germany. Fast forward to June 1, 2016, James Liang stands to face his fate. James Liang pleaded guilty for his role in a 10-year conspiracy to defraud
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John Stewart Mill described utilitarianism as a form of consequentialism. This theory describes human actions as being morally right or wrong solely on their effects. There are two types of utilitarianism: rule and act. Rule utilitarianism describes a person’s act is right as it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good and an act utilitarianism describes a person’s act as morally right if and only if it produces at least as much happiness as any other act. These two theories are on opposite spectrums, Kantian being a theory based on universal moral laws and utilitarianism being a theory based on the effects of human …show more content…
The consequences of his actions were overshadowed by his self-interest. Utilitarianism clearly states that the actions are morally right if and only if it produces the greater good. In Liang’s eyes, this may have been the case. Volkswagen is the “people’s car” and the company had to live to its word no matter the consequences. This was their greater good, but not their duty. As Kant once said, “Good without qualifications, except a good will.” The sense of moral goodness cannot be corrupted. Having this sense of goodness is pure and is viewed within achieving one’s moral goodness. Moral qualities in a person can change through this corruption. Volkswagen’s and Liang’s self-interest corrupted their moral goodness by justifying their
John Stewart Mill described utilitarianism as a form of consequentialism. This theory describes human actions as being morally right or wrong solely on their effects. There are two types of utilitarianism: rule and act. Rule utilitarianism describes a person’s act is right as it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good and an act utilitarianism describes a person’s act as morally right if and only if it produces at least as much happiness as any other act. These two theories are on opposite spectrums, Kantian being a theory based on universal moral laws and utilitarianism being a theory based on the effects of human …show more content…
The consequences of his actions were overshadowed by his self-interest. Utilitarianism clearly states that the actions are morally right if and only if it produces the greater good. In Liang’s eyes, this may have been the case. Volkswagen is the “people’s car” and the company had to live to its word no matter the consequences. This was their greater good, but not their duty. As Kant once said, “Good without qualifications, except a good will.” The sense of moral goodness cannot be corrupted. Having this sense of goodness is pure and is viewed within achieving one’s moral goodness. Moral qualities in a person can change through this corruption. Volkswagen’s and Liang’s self-interest corrupted their moral goodness by justifying their