theory; we will then critically examine leading accounts of intrinsic value; lastly‚ and for most of the course‚ we will focus on the question of what makes right acts right and wrong acts wrong. Here we will critically examine important works in Utilitarian‚ Kantian‚ Intuitionist‚ Social Contract‚ Contractualist‚ and Virtue Ethics traditions. Course Objectives: Aims of this course include: ➢ Facilitating an understanding of leading normative ethical theories; ➢ Developing students’
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The main argument concealed in this statement is that of utilitarianism demanding too much from us when considering topics such as murdering to lessen murder. It is paradoxical to disagree with something yet use that very objectionable act to minimise the number of the same objectionable act. I will try and dismantle this tug-of-war—between what one ought or ought not to do—by reflecting on the doctrine of deontological constraints and conclude with an un-demanding finale of how one’s ethics (thereby
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monopoly of wealth‚ while the majority are just getting by. Morality questions the unequal distribution of wealth by judging behaviour and people in terms of whether they meet the moral standard. In this essay‚ I will look at the egalitarian and utilitarian perspectives on distributive justice (focusing mainly on income distribution) to show that inequality in contemporary South Africa is immoral. Inequality in South Africa Firstly‚ a distinction needs to be made. People should be equal but this
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that can help find out what pleases or causes pain to those in a rather large group. If a questionnaire comes back with responses that state levels of the pleasure or pain felt‚ one can use those to factor into the Principle of Utility and the Utilitarian
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should not be. As an example I would take the case of an individual or corporation exporting capital for the purpose of increasing return on investment by seeking lower labor cost abroad or other beneficial skills. Based on utilitarian theory‚ there would be no ethical objection to capital export. Based on what we have studied on the book utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined by the total outcome it produces in the society or in the business environment it is applied
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Conventional Morality and Ethical Relativism I - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory The theory holds that moral reasoning‚ the basis for ethical behavior‚ has six identifiable developmental stages‚ each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than its predecessor. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development | | | | | Level One: Pre-conventional Morality | Stage 1: Punishment-Obedience Orientation | | Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation | Level Two: Conventional
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individual can decide if their actions are worth doing to another person by weighing if the person would want the action done to them. The Kantian point of view is completely different from the Utilitarian point of view because the Kantian point of view deals with the individual‚ whereas the Utilitarian point of view deals with the group and the needs of the group. When you hear the words “basic human rights” or the word “right‚” normally that responds to the individual‚ and rights in many cases
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ethics‚ justice is defined as fairness‚ where all situations should be treated alike. For one to exhibit justice‚ one must portray the quality of being fair and reasonable in all situations. While egalitarians evaluate justice based on equality‚ utilitarians are only interested in justice as a means to an end. Smart advocates the principle of utility‚ which defines the morally action as whatever produces the greatest net happiness for everyone affected by that act. To identify an act as just‚’ Rawls
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In this paper I will argue that we‚ citizens in rich countries‚ have a moral obligation to donate most of our wealth to poor countries. In “Famine‚ Affluence and Morality”‚ Singer‚ a utilitarian‚ argues‚ “The way people in relatively rich countries react to a situation like that in Bengal cannot be justified; indeed‚ the whole way we look at moral issues-our moral conceptual scheme needs to be altered‚ and with it‚ the way of life that has come to be taken for granted in our society”. (230).“Suffering
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promotes the greatest utility. Looking at an example will help to understand this view. Suppose a student‚ Alex‚ cheats on an exam and is caught doing so. Most would agree that what Alex did was wrong and that he should be punished. From an Act-Utilitarian point of view‚ expelling Alex would do multiple things. It would prevent him from cheating further as well as deterring other students from cheating in the future. The harm that will come to Alex from his expulsion does not outweigh the benefit
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