job to be able to financially support your family. Most people would agree that lying or torturing someone is wrong. However‚ some may argue that if you are helping more people than you are hurting‚ then it is okay to lie to or torture someone. Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that the action you choose to perform should result in “the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people” (MacKinnon and Fiala). It is a form of consequentialism that focuses on the consequences of actions
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Morality
the positions based on John Stuart Mill ’s ’Utilitarianism ’ ethical theory‚ and Immanuel Kant ’s ’Categorical Imperative ’ ethical theory. According to Utilitarianism‚ euthanasia can be morally justified‚ whereas according to Kantianism‚ euthanasia is not morally justifiable; but I will argue that neither position provides an adequate resolution to the issue‚ due to the significant flaws that are
Premium Morality Immanuel Kant Ethics
types of ethical analysis utilized when making a decision‚ but utilitarianism is unique in its particular way. Utilitarianism‚ a theoretical approach to ethics‚ calculates any decision as accurate if the result benefit the majority of the people. The utilization of this system in businesses is common‚ but everyday people may also make use of this system in their daily lives to achieve the best outcome to the majority. Utilitarianism system is very distinctive and beneficial theorem for some who
Premium Ethics Business ethics Morality
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s the ‘Scarlet Letter’‚ Hester Prynne‚ a puritan woman; in the town of Boston‚ Massachusetts. Was found guilty of Adultery. Her punishment was being sentenced to prison‚ and being forced to wear the letter ‘A’ for adultery. When Hester Prynne got pregnant with her daughter‚ Pearl. The townspeople began to talk and eventually figured out she committed adultery. Although‚ some people‚ such as the townspeople and the governor‚ believe Pearl is some sort of devil child. (Hawthorne 87) The
Premium The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester Prynne
As stated in the PowerPoint this week‚ “Utilitarianism says that the result or the consequence of an act is the real measure of whether it is good or bad. The great good that we should seek is happiness.” Given this‚ what the anthropologist should do depends on if what will cause the most happiness not for herself‚ but for everyone involved? As an egoist‚ you would want to look out for yourself only. In this case‚ the anthropologist would want to tell the appropriate state agency so she doesn’t get
Premium Pregnancy Morality Ethics
Machiavelli’s The Prince is a comprehensive guide on how a prince should govern. Written in 1513‚ it addresses a multitude of topics‚ including whether one should be feared or loved‚ how to avoid hatred‚ and how a prince should spend his money. While the advice was more applicable in the Renaissance‚ when most rulers governed with absolute power‚ either in their city state or their country‚ it does not apply well to today‚ when institutions such as parliaments and congresses exist to check the power
Premium William Shakespeare Othello Iago
Utilitarianism & Stockholder Theory There are many theories when it comes to business ethics and what approaches to take. Two of these leading theories today are Stakeholder Theory and Stockholder Theory. But how does a business executive decide which theory to use when approaching business ethics? This could be determined by the choice of ethical decision-making model by the individual executive. In this essay‚ I will attempt to provide a basis for which a utilitarian thinking business executive
Premium Ethics Business ethics Utilitarianism
The Lifeboat Case and Utilitarianism Imagine that four men are placed in a life or death situation. They are stranded in a boat in the middle of the ocean with nothing to eat for nourishment. In a severely weakened state‚ the men decide that for the benefit of the majority they will draw lots and eat whoever draws the shortest; one of the men refuses to draw. The next day‚ in spite of the lottery‚ the youngest boy is killed and fed on by the other men. The argument proposed to justify their actions
Premium Utilitarianism
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
Premium Ethics Utilitarianism Morality
Act and Rule Utilitarianism There are a lot of differences and similarities between act and rule utilitarianism. Act utilitarian supports the principle of utility must be applied to each individual situation. The rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness. This was Bentham’s idea when he established that pleasure and pain was important qualities for determining what was morally right or wrong. With Act Utilitarianism‚ you must decide what action will bring the greatest
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Morality