...Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative appears to be a solid ethical foundation; however, there are major issues that cannot be resolved by moral absolutes. I will demonstrate how Kant’s arguments are invalidated by the fact that they cannot be generalized. Kant contemplated ethics and morality in context of duty; his logical argument progressed to a universal maxim, the “categorical imperative.” Duty-based ethics ascribe greater moral value to actions performed without regard to inclination, as opposed to a sense of personal gain. Kant insisted only good will was good without qualification, because good intention could breed bad results, and bad intention could result in goodness; therefore subjectively comparing good and bad were problematic when it came to universality. A related factor is the value on human dignity and autonomy; Kant emphasized that lying was always morally wrong, because it removed the intrinsic human value of free, rational choice. Respecting that value in oneself and others was the ethical option (Mazur, 1993). Kant’s categorical imperative stated: “I should never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a...
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...Max Carey Ethics Paper 2 December 2, 2011 The Argument for Consequentialism Consequentialism and Imannuel Kant’s Theory of Moral Value provide a good framework for deciding what right actions are and specifically what actions are deemed intrinsically valuable. Consequentialism is going to emphasis that actions maximizing intrinsic value of all people affected by a situation are morally right while Kant is going to stress that only the motive behind an action determines whether an action is right, regardless of the consequences. Although consequentialism attributes the rightness of an action only on a consequence, consequentialist theories are broader theories of right action because they consider both motives and consequences in making moral decision, whereas Kant’s theory does not. Consequentialist theories of right action have two components. The first component states that a consequentialist theory will always answer what is intrinsically valuable. An object or thing that has intrinsic value is something that has value for its own sake. For example, pleasure and the feeling of happiness are intrinsically valuable because they are good in and of itself. The specific thing that is deemed intrinsically valuable can change according to what consequentialist theory one accepts. For example, utilitarians find the welfare of sentient beings intrinsically valuable while a hedonist finds only pleasure intrinsically valuable. The second component of consequentialist...
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...Max Carey Ethics Paper 2 December 2, 2011 The Argument for Consequentialism Consequentialism and Imannuel Kant’s Theory of Moral Value provide a good framework for deciding what right actions are and specifically what actions are deemed intrinsically valuable. Consequentialism is going to emphasize that actions maximizing intrinsic value for all people affected by a situation are morally right while Kant is going to stress that only the motive behind an action determines whether an action is right, regardless of the consequences. Although consequentialism attributes the rightness of an action only on a consequence, consequentialist theories are more comprehensive theories of right action because they consider both motives and consequences in making moral decision, whereas Kant’s theory does not. Consequentialist theories of right action have two components. The first component states that a consequentialist theory will always answer what is intrinsically valuable. An object or thing that has intrinsic value is something that has value for its own sake. For example, pleasure and the feeling of happiness are intrinsically valuable because they are good in and of itself. The specific thing that is deemed intrinsically valuable can change according to what consequentialist theory one accepts. For example, utilitarians find the welfare of sentient beings intrinsically valuable while a hedonistic utilitarian finds only pleasure intrinsically valuable. The second...
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...contrast the two theories, bringing out any problems or limitations you see in each. Bioethics Essay • Intro: Define ethics and define and introduce the two theories. (philosophical theories…) • Utilitarianism- example • Deontology- example- compare • comparing- evaluating and critically analyzing*- similarities and differences. • Limitations and positives* • Conclusion- summary of essay and own opinion, remember to justify your own views with reasons – don’t just state your opinions without arguing for them in terms of moral values. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/#DeoTheKan http://www.slideshare.net/kljonz/individual-ethics-essay-1 There are two major ethics theories that attempt to specify and justify moral rules and principles; these are utilitarianism and deontological ethics. Utilitarianism (also known as consequentialism) is a moral theory developed and refined in the modern world in the writings of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).(1) Deontology is a ??? theory developed from the eighteenth century philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). The theory utilitarianism is the morality of an act that is judged by it’s utility. The greatest utility that is has for the most people; the greatest usefulness an act has for the most people. Utilitarianism states morality is not based in the act itself but in the...
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...determining what is good or bad and what is right from wrong. In everyday life ethics is used to decide what moral direction to take. This essay will be comparing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarian, and deontological ethics. The concept of Virtue theory is that a person chooses his or her own personal character than to rely on what is custom or the law by society to determine behavior. If a person builds good character traits such as kindness, patience and generosity these traits will allow the person to make the right decisions in life. Utilitarianism is a principle and a form of consequentialism which basically advocates that the action taken is the right one when the outcome benefits the majority overall. This ethical theory focuses more on the consequences of the action taken versus the motive behind the action so lying, cheating or stealing doesn’t matter as long as the outcome is beneficial to most. Deontological ethics is duty based morality. The theory basically means that the actions are not justified by the consequences of the action and that the means is what is important. Immanuel Kant the German philosopher developed the “Categorical Imperative” which is similar to the “Golden Rule” in Christianity. In the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals Karl’s Categorical Imperative states: “Act as if the maxim of thy action were to become by thy will a universal law of nature”. A personal experience that I had many times over was with...
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...Understanding Morality Topic: Death Penalty 1. General theory overview Utilitarianism will check the outcome that results from punishing the criminals and whether it is the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. The theory of social contract is supported by Hobbes. He argues that the state of nature is “the life of man would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” His solution is to come together and agree to a social contract, whose aim is to protect people from harm by others as well as to guarantee all the parties can keep the agreement. Kant says we need to act out of duty of moral rule. When we treat criminals, the only reason to be regarded as praiseworthy must be nothing else than the crime itself. Then we should consider the 1st form of categorical imperatives, which says “act only on the maxim that you can will as a universal law”. Next, we must take the 2nd categorical imperatives into account. It says “always treat humanity whether in your own person or in that of another, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end”. On the retributivist view, legal punishment is justified as a means of making those who are responsible for a crime or harm pay for it. According to the retributivist view, payment must to be made in some way that is equivalent to the crime or harm done. There are two arguments, proportional equivalency and egalitarian equivalency. For proportional equivalency, one is required to pay back something proportional...
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...together for the new roof. With this piece of inside information of his impending demise she says they can sell the painting for a huge profit. Then they could afford a new roof and have extra money to spare! Amid the excitement, Dorothy expresses feeling conflicted, comparing their behavior to that of vultures or beasts of prey. She asks if they really want to profit from a dying man's misfortune. Rose says they'd hate themselves and even Blanche, the plan's architect, calls their would-be actions immoral. Without missing a beat, in her most somber voice, Sophia asks what time the auction is and just like that, the plan is back on. So confident in their plan, they schedule the new roof. Despite the resurfaced pangs of guilt the ladies expressed the night before the auction, they go through with the plan and purchase an original De Kimmel. CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE Categorical Imperatives are commands that must be obeyed, regardless of a person's feelings, under all circumstances. There are two ways to determine what is moral. First Formulation: The Universality of Our Actions " Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." - Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. By applying the first formulation to the actions in question in The Auction, we get: "Everyone should always use inside information in order to profit off of someone's impending death." The ladies could not universalize the...
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...Integrating Values - The Legality, Morality, and Social Responsibility of the George Brothers & the Largest Pill Mills in South Florida Abstract This paper examines the legality and ethics of the George brother’s pain medication clinics in South Florida. It explains the legality of the pain medication supply that is available for consumers that medically need it and how its source can also be an easy access to addicts. Although it is considered legal, is it ethical? In this paper we study different theories in ethics, including Kantian and Utilitarian ethical models. These models provide clear analyses that guide us in deciding if pain medication distribution from pain clinics is ethical. Finally, we review and conclude if the George brother’s pain medication clinics were acting socially responsible within their communities. Given the rise of pain medication abuse and illegal reselling, pain clinics in South Florida should adhere to strict rules to provide services to those that need it and not turn their businesses into pill mills. Introduction Purposes of Paper The intent of this paper is to provide a detailed and analytical examination of the George brother’s pain medication clinics. Throughout this paper all approaches will be examined such as the legality and ethics of the case, and how social responsibility plays a role. In the past few years in South Florida, there has been a rise of pain medication addiction and the reselling of these narcotics. Pain...
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...Tianna Dockett PHIL 101 Final Exam 1. Retributive justice is a legal principal that dictates that punishment for a crime is acceptable as long as it is a proportionate response to the crime committed. In this type of justice system, a crime is typically seen as being done against the state or government, rather than against an individual or community. The standard of fairness is likewise found in the thought of reasonable play. On the off chance that individuals accept that a reasonable procedure was utilized as a part of choosing what it to be dispersed, then they may well acknowledge an irregularity in what they get in correlation to others. 2.3. As a record of political association on the bigger scale, Plato's protection of a aristocratic government was unrealistic to win wide endorsement in fair Athens. He utilized the characters Glaucon and Adeimantus to voice pragmatic complaints against the arrangement. They are particularly concerned (as Plato's Athenian counterparts may well have been) with some of its procurements for the gatekeeper class, including the support of both men and ladies, the disposal of families, and the instruction of youngsters. Likewise, Plato accepted that the hobbies of the state are best saved if kids are raised and taught by the general public overall, instead of by their natural folks. So he proposed a basic (if startlingly new) plot for the reproducing, sustaining, and preparing of youngsters in the gatekeeper class.4. Using a...
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...Economics & Ethics Ryan P. Quinn Business Society & Ethics Professor Peter J. Classetti March 24, 2014 Keynesian economics, also referred to as “mainstream” economics differs drastically from its counterpart, the Austrian school of economic thought. In a very basic sense, the two varying economic philosophies connect with and represent the two main political philosophies, (or what are known in the political realm as parties). Keynesianism is the liberal way of perceiving and practicing economics, whereas Austrian economists are much more conservative in their views on policies and procedures. Not unlike the liberals and conservatives in the world of politics, the main bone to pick with one another among the liberals and conservatives in the world of economics is the topic of government intervention. Conservative Austrian economists believe in an entirely free market, with very little to no government intervention whatsoever, (even in times of severe economic downturn and in the midst of financial crises), whereas more liberal Keynesian economists believe that government intervention is key to maintaining a healthy, growing economy with little to no possibility of collapse. These two vastly different economic philosophies not only have monetary implications, but also very significant social as well as ethical ones. Keynesian economics was developed by the British economist John Maynard Keynes who was born in 1883 and died in 1946 (Keynesian Economics, 2)....
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...the group and chosen to not just stay a hostage. Did Hearst act out of free will or was she forced? Disregarding the unknown details of the case, one can look at Hearst’s situation through different philosophical theories on free will, including Determinism, Compatibilism, and Autonomy, and these lenses can illuminate the central issue of this case, and of our lives, which is if we have free will or not. These frameworks of Determinism, Compatibilism, and Autonomy try to conclude if we are responsible for our actions and, in a larger sense, if we have free will. To know if we have free will, we have to know what it is. The Oxford English Dictionary defines free will as “unconstrained will, or unforced choice.” Thinkers like Blackburn and Kant also associate free will with the presence of choice. Blackburn opens his discussion on free will with the sentiment, “We usually regard ourselves as free agents. We live our lives within an open space of possibilities” (82). Blackburn suggests most people would agree they have choices in life and we decide how to proceed in the face of these choices on our own. This definition foregrounds the idea of free will as the ability to choose one’s own path. It relates to Kant’s definition of Autonomy. He defines this term as self-governance. In its most basic form, it is one choosing for oneself (Schneewald 309). From these philosophers, we gather free will is dependent on having access to choices. The next question is whether we actually have...
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...negative implications to their socioeconomic welfare as oppose to having a male child which can result to positive implications. Theoretical Framework: Max Weber was born on April 21, 1864, the eldest of seven children of Max Weber and his wife Helene. Both parents descended from a line of Protestants, who had been refugees from Catholic persecution in the past but had later become successful entrepreneurs. Max Weber was precocious, yet sickly, shy, and withdrawn. His teachers complained about his lack of respect for their authority and his lack of discipline. But he was an avid reader. At the age of fourteen, he wrote letters studded with references to Homer, Virgil, Cicero, and Livy, and he had an extended knowledge of Goethe, Spinoza, Kant, and Schopenhauer before he entered university studies. (Bancroft & Rogers, 2010) Sociology is a complete and comprehensive science of social action as regarded by Max Weber. His analytical focus differed from those of Herbert Spencer, whose center was on the evolution of the body social as analogous to an organism, and Emile Durkheim, whose concern was with institutional arrangements that maintain the cohesion of social structures, as well as that of Karl Marx, who envisioned a society based on the conflicts between social classes in the changing social structure and productive relations. On the other hand, Weber’s focus was on the subjective meanings that human actors attach to their actions in their mutual orientations within specific...
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...AS Religious Studies [pic] PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS Revision Summary Notes Revision Notes Foundation for the Study of Religion Part One: Philosophy of Religion Plato and the Forms Influence of Socrates • Socrates said that virtue is knowledge – to know what is right is to do what is right. • All wrongdoing is the result of ignorance – nobody chooses to do wrong deliberately. • Therefore, to be moral you must have true knowledge. The problem of the One and the Many Plato was trying to find a solution to the problem that although there is underlying stability in the world (sun comes up every morning), it is constantly changing (you never step into the same river twice). 1. An old theory about this problem is that we gain all knowledge from our senses – empirically. 2. Plato disagreed with this. He said that because the world is constantly changing, our senses cannot be trusted. Plato illustrated his idea in the dialogue, ‘Meno’: Socrates sets a slave boy a mathematical problem. The slave boy knows the answer, yet he has not been taught maths. Plato suggests that the slave boy remembers the answer to the problem, which has been in his mind all along. So, according to Plato, we don't learn new things, we remember them. In other words, knowledge is innate. Plato’s Theory of the Forms Plato believed that the world was divided into: 1. Reality and; 2. Appearance |REALITY ...
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...Nova Southeastern University Wayne Huizenga Graduate School of Business & Entrepreneurship Integrating Values - The Legality, Morality, and Social Responsibility of Caffeine-Alcohol Drinks Introduction The subject of this paper being presented is a specific review of how Phusion Projects, maker of the Four Loko alcoholic drink, acted between 2005 and 2010 in regards to their operation within the caffeinated alcoholic drink market. The paper will review the FTC and FDA legal issues specific to 2010 that were filed against Phusion Projects. There will be 3 different ethical theories used to determine how the company morally acted in their choices. The ethical theories that will be used are Utilitarian, Kantian, and Machiavellian views. Finally, we will review how Phusion Projects handled their social responsibilities. We will be limiting the focus of the paper to the decision to operate within the caffeinated alcohol energy drinks and the marketing decisions made by Phusion Projects. Their actions were important because they forced the government to ban the niche market they had worked so hard to operate within. To better understand the case we have included this brief overview of the market and specifics to Phusion Projects and the Four Loko product. Phusion Projects was formed in 2005 by a group of 4 friends. They chose to enter the alcohol energy drink market based on current drinking trends at that time. Red Bull and vodka was...
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...LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY ADEBOLA ADEGUNWA SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION MASTER IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES MSC 1 TAKE HOME EXAMINATION TITLED (ETHICAL THEORY CRITICISM) COURSE MAC 851 APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF MASS COMMUNICATION LECTURER MR. JIMMY KAYODE WRITTEN BY AKIYODE ESTHER OLADUNNI MATRIC NO 01/09/AV/4018 TABLE OF CONTENT INTRODUCTION DEFINITION ETHICAL PRINCIPLES • BENEFICENCE • LEAST HARM • RESPECT FOR AUTONOMY • JUSTICE ETHICAL THEORIES • DEONTOLOGY • UTILITARIASM • RIGHTS • CASUIST • VIRTUE VIEW OR NOTABLE SCHOLARS • PLATO ABSOLUTION • ARISOTLE: EUDEMONISM • ST. THOMAS AQUINESS – NATURAL LAW • IMMANUEL KANT: DEONTOLOGY • JOHN STUART MILL – UTILITARISM • JOHN RAWLS – CONGRATURIANISM • TOM REGAN: RIGHTS THEORY (BONUS THEORY ) • TENTATIVE COMPARISON (TABLE & GRAPH) • CRITICISM AGAINST DEONTOLOGY: “ “ UTILITARIANISM “ “ RIGHTS “ “ CASUIST “ “ VIRTUE • CONCLUSION • REFERENCES CRITICISMS OF ETHICAL THEORIES INTRODUCTION The art of critiquing is basically to appraise a work i.e articles, write-ups, novels etc. Critiquing does not aim to condemn or castigate a paper but to seek the flaws, identify the various meanings, put up better explanations on the subject, seek the weaknesses and strengths and give opinions to enhance the quality of...
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