An abominably servile, and diabolically incongruous man named John has fooled everyone in his life that he is the epitome of perfection. Seen as a role model, man of the year gentleman, the whole town holds respect for him for changing their lives. However, he is in fact the exact opposite. Though his actions appear the most moral of men, he is full of nothing but vice. He works as a salesman, selling the common folk items for far more than they are worth. He lies by exaggerating the benefits of products and ultimately swindling people into purchasing objects they do not need, yet leaving them with goods they are convinced they want. Never once has this hedonistic, egotistical man plan to produce a positive consequence for others from his …show more content…
Under these principles, virtue is defined in terms of qualities that help one “pierce the veil of selfish consciousness and join the world as it really is” and morality can then be determined “by the possession and exercise of such virtues.” (Murdoch, 1971). John ignores the needs and happiness for others, selfishly concerned only for himself. Filled with vice, his acts result in moral wrongness. He does not exercise virtues, because he still does not possess a virtuous character when he performs his corrupt actions, selling overpriced products to innocent people. As a result of his self-driven impulses, John would not be classified as virtuous or moral at …show more content…
This theory believes that “it is not the consequences that determine the rightness or wrongness of an act but the certain features in the act itself...The end never justifies the means.” (Pojman & Fieser, 2012, p. 121). Utilitarianism regards only the outcome of John’s actions and fails to address the acts themselves in which John demonstrated in order to achieve the customers’ happiness. Whether or not one of John’s victims’ purchase betters their life, it is John’s initial intention and act that determines his morality according to deontology. His means for his acts is to profit for his self gain through an increased paycheck and publicity, not the happiness of the consumer. Furthermore, while committing his immoral acts of a deceitful salesman, he lies by selling the item for more than what it is worth and by making fake promises of how much better the consumer’s life will be after buying the product. John has committed a wrong act according to deontologists by lying, performing deceit, and self-gain from his wrong actions. John does not care about the customer’s satisfaction but rather the benefit he himself will yield by making sales. Therefore, the deontological theory deems him as immoral. His means for demonstrating actions that appear to be good does not deem that it is actually