... BY: MUZZAMIL HUSSAIN I. Introduction: Pornography has been defined as any material that is sexually explicit but does not appear to be obscene and, which can be displayed through the Internet, adult movies, magazines and adult stores. Obscenity laws in Canada use the community standards models to determine which pornographic material are in accordance with societal morals, and which should be categorized as obscene. John Stuart Mill and the Harms of Pornography is an article written by David Dyzenhaus in 1992, professor of Law and Philosophy at the University of Toronto. In his article, he raises an interesting idea that liberalists and feminists would support the censorship of pornography (Dyzenhaus, 1992). The feminist viewpoint argues that pornography shows men forcing women into sex; therefore it should be censored because of the harm it causes against women. Dyzenhaus then hypothesizes that because pornography is portrayed as violent material, the classical liberalists such as John Stuart Mill would defend the feminists in censoring such behavior based on his harm principle. The article also raises gender inequality issues of contemporary society, one being the subordination of men to women. Three political philosophies are concerned with the law of obscenity: liberalism, conservatism and feminism. Conservative morality takes into consideration the elements of virtue or wickedness behind pornography and asks if the material in question poses...
Words: 3432 - Pages: 14
...In the eighteen-hundreds, Thomas Carlyle wrote some letters about Ralph Waldo Emerson. Two of these letters describe him in vastly different ways. One letter was written to John Stuart Mill, and the other to a Mrs. Baring. Carlyle’s point of view and respect for Emerson remains in both, however due to the different audience, his tone and use of language is incredibly different. The difference in audience was the main reason the letters were so different. In the first letter, Carlyle wrote to another Victorian writer, thus making his language much more formal. An example of this would be the way he says “was thro’ the whole Encyclopedia with us,” when describing Emerson to Mill. Carlyle wrote in a sense of recommending Emerson for a job, making Emerson seem extraordinary. In contrast, when Carlyle wrote to Mrs. Baring, he said that Emerson seemed to have a rule that “talk should go on incessantly except when sleep interrupted it.” When he wrote this letter, he seemed to be talking to a friend informally....
Words: 490 - Pages: 2
...As a science, psychology is not that old. What some people may not realize is that psychology evolved from philosophy. Eventually, the study of psychology separated from philosophy to become an experimental science and a formal discipline. Some of the most influential people to the development of psychology as a formal discipline are René Descartes (1596 - 1650), John Locke (1632 - 1704), George Berkeley (1685 - 1753), David Hume(1711 - 1776), and John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) just to name a few. René Descartes was one of history's best known dualist. He argued for a clear separation between the mind and body. He believed that the mind and body were, in essence, two different things that worked together. Then mind and body have influence over each other. He attempted to explain what is now called a reflex based on his mind-body theory. Even though his theories were flawed, he opened the door for further study on the concept of reflex action and how the mind and body work separately and together. John Locke attempted to explain how knowledge is acquired through a person's experiences throughout their lifetime. According to Locke, a person learns through sensation and reflection. Sensation refers to the information gathered through a person's senses and reflection refers to the mental activities involved in the processing of information from a person's senses and memory. Locke's theories brought about the studying of behavior and how the environment can have an...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...Three questions were raised. (CITATION page 5) What is happiness? What is the morally right way to live or to act? What is the relation between happiness and morality? All three questions centered on Mill and his beliefs. Mill answers with “happiness is pleasure,” “the right way to act is to produce the greatest amount of happiness,” and finally “the individual’s happiness will be found in doing what is morally right.” Personally those all sound like great answers, but I argue with his answers. Happiness may be pleasure for some but that can be falsified because of not everyone thinking the same as Mill. For example a murderer could find pleasure in killing which, does not back up his way of thinking. A murderer may find it pleasurable and his/her way of happiness, but in reality that would be unacceptable and morally wrong. Besides that example you have those who believe that love is the key to happiness, while others find money the key to happiness, it all depends on who that person is, and why they think a certain item, or emotion will bring them...
Words: 1488 - Pages: 6
...dilemma or situation is best fitted. In order to use one of these methods you have to understand these theories and their purposes. Immanuel Kant was a dominant philosopher of his time (1724-1804), the theory of Kant is the most difficult to understand but when understood is a simple approach. Kant argues that “the moral worth of an action is to be judged not by its consequences but by the nature of the maxim or principal that motivated the action”(Cahn pg. 98). The only actions that are correct are the ones that can serve as universal laws. People should act only on principles or maxims that can be universalized without contradiction. Another theory that is the theory of a leading English philosopher known as John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), his theory differentiates between Kant’s in that his concentrates on the consequences of an action rather than the motive for an action. Mill’s theory is known as utilitarianism, this view is grounded off that principle that morality is to act as so to produce as much happiness as possible, each person counting equally. Mill’s view of happiness is defined as pleasure with the absence of pain. The theory of Aristotle, student of Plato...
Words: 1861 - Pages: 8
...can be attributed to the West’s and East’s own unique philosophical backgrounds. While Western philosophers such as Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Socrates put large emphasis on the ideals of questioning authority in the search for truth, Eastern dogma—as reflected by Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism—assert very different, conflicting values focused on acceptance and obedience of superiors. Because of this disparity of thought process, East and West subscribe to very different schools of thought with regards to individualism, rationalism, and democracy. Jon Stuart Mill, in his book On Liberty, promotes the importance of constant debate of ideas. He argues that all opinions must be heard, whether they are from the majority or a minority of beliefs. He states that, “Judgment is given to men that they may use it… To prohibit what they think pernicious is not claiming from error, but fulfilling the duty incumbent on them, although fallible, of acting on their conscientious conviction. If we were never to act on our opinions, because those opinions may be wrong, we should leave all our interests uncared for, and all our duties underperformed.” (p. 18). In this passage, Mill argues that “judgment,” in this case the ability to question and criticize, is so necessary and vital to the point that it holds a place of importance above human “interests” and “duties.” Mill believes that constant reflection and assessment is so necessary that even if the majority opinion is true, it should nonetheless...
Words: 2678 - Pages: 11
...as we do, but it is not the case. As we get older we find corruption and dishonesty by many of those we thought we could trust. We even see corruption in our Federal Government at times. Corporations rely on ethical people to help them run their organizations properly. People that take responsibility for their own actions, those that care about the work they do to insure profits for the company, and setting high standards that customers respect. They are looking for key people to do the right thing. Doing the right thing is having a good moral value and ethics. The term ethics can have many meanings or theories. The three major theories of ethics are; virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. My hope is to define the similarities and differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality. The first theory is virtue theory. The root word is virtue and is defined by Merriam-Webster as; “Morally good behavior or character, a good and moral quality”. (Merriam-Webster.com 9 July 2014). Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than doing ones duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences. A virtuous person is someone who is kind across many situations over a lifetime because their character and not she wants to maximize utility or gain favor or simply do their duty. Not like deontological theories, which aim primarily to identify universal...
Words: 1221 - Pages: 5
...marks) The two branches of modern liberalism and classical liberalism naturally clash within the ideology of liberalism itself. There are fundamental ideas that form criteria for debate across the two coexisting views, although they do possess various similarities with one another. Classical liberals often highlight the supreme importance of the individual, reflected in their desire to minimise the role of the state, whereas modern liberals take a more collective approach, and the see the expansion of the state as necessary based on the socio-economic circumstances of society. In this sense, modern liberalism can be viewed as a development on classical liberal thinking; it is only in the new ideas that modern liberalism brought about upon which they are fundamentally different. Modern liberalism can be viewed as taking a strong departure from classical liberalism based on their ideas of freedom. Firstly, classical liberals have believed in the idea of negative freedom, meaning non-interference or freedom from external interference of any sort; individuals should be left alone to make their own decisions. The government or state, external to the individual, should act as a ‘night watchman’, as summarized by the classical liberal John Locke, meaning its primary role should merely be to oversee society to keep law and order in place and the state in check. An extension of this classical view is the idea of a minimal state, in that its governing role of policy implementation should...
Words: 1607 - Pages: 7
...INTRODUCTION The link between Utilitarianism Theory and the James Hardie Industries – ‘asbestos’ case has helped me to develop a deeper understanding of the difficult ethical questions asked in business and how corporations respond to those questions using moral philosophies. From the time when the short summary written in regards to the meaning and importance of the term ’responsible business’ in week 2, till today, I have explored various historical, moral, governance and economic aspects of business both domestically and internationally, proliferating my knowledge in regards to responsible commerce. I have come to understand the moral landscape or commercial enterprises which have helped me to appreciate the social and ethical dimensions of the business culture. The analysis of the James Hardie case and the Utilitarianism Theory depicts my knowledge growth. In doing so, I am able to now make more informed business decisions for the benefit of both myself and the wider society. JAMES HARDIE The history of asbestos in Australia and around the world is a history of cover up with companies choosing to ignore the dangers for as long as possible. Asbestos causes significant health problems, most notably lung cancer and mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the lining of the heart and lungs. Exposure to the fibres over a prolonged period – such as in the workplace – increases health risks significantly. The mining process was just the first stage of damaging contact...
Words: 1576 - Pages: 7
...Kingwell sites and quotes information from scientists throughout his story. If Mark wants to include this type of information throughout his story he needs to include more detail, support, and what it means to the reader. Mr. Kingwell refers to a question asked by John Stuart Mill “ask yourself if you are happy” (Kingwell 414), but immediately after he included this quote he refers to Hawthorne. I believe the question proposed by Mill is worth talking about. You might feel good at the moment but are you truly happy? What might have made you get this good sensible feeling? Kingwell referred to Hawthorne also mentioning that genetics might play a role in happiness, “Hawthorne’s brand of common sense and these new genetic-predisposition theories…” (Kingwell 415). To me this cannot be proven in any way, shape, or form. If happiness was genetically passed down, then other traits would also get passed down such as moods and opinions. If moods, opinions, and happiness were all genetically passed down that we would be clones of our parents. No two people in the world are exactly alike. You can find many similarities between two people but no identical...
Words: 493 - Pages: 2
...Ethical Theories- Pros and Cons Katherine Bryson ETH/316 October 15, 2012 Mark Cobia Ethical Theories- Pros and Cons The similarities between the virtue theory, the utilitarianism theory and deontological theory are that they all support good and responsibility. Virtue theory not only concentrates on how an individual acts but also what a person should strive to be, for example a religious figure may personify perfection when in the public when they really should strive for that perfection at all times. The deontological theory states that people “have a moral obligation to follow certain principles.” I liken this to the Ten Commandments, rules or principles that we all are expected to follow. “The utilitarian theories, as supported by John Stuart Mill, call for generating the greatest aggregate good for the greatest number of people. One major benefit of such theories is that they take consequences into account. They seek specifically to promote the human good as a whole. They also provide guidance for behavior, enabling people to know what qualifies as the moral choice.” I will again use the religious area as an example because to me this is what the religious leaders do. They preach to the multitudes to be good and do good and they also offer guidance. The differences between virtue theory, utilitarian and decontological are that “virtue ethics cannot generate specific rules to guide behavior.” Under...
Words: 382 - Pages: 2
...from the consent of the governed. In today’s society, people have choices. They have the choice to believe in whomsoever they wish and live their lives according to their own morals and values. People, as stated in the above excerpt of the Declaration of Independence, have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There are three main philosophical views on justice that drive our lives; they are Utilitarianism, Social Contract Theory and Entitlement Theory. These theories have some similar aspects as well as differences which set them apart. Each person must choose the view that best fits them and live their lives accordingly. The theory of Utilitarianism was brought forth from the minds of Jeremy Bentham, James Mill, John Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick and G.E. Moore. Although it is one of the older theories, its attributes are still seen today in market economies and “cost-benefit analysis”. It is a simple theory which relies on few principles; the great happiness principle states that actions are just as long as they promote happiness, not only in ourselves but in others as well. This presents two principles for consideration: first, that the purpose in life is to be happy; and secondly, that the “rightness” of an act depends on the amount of happiness it creates. There are two groups within the believers of Utilitarianism: the Act-Utilitarianism believers and the Rule-Utilitarianism believers. The Act-Utilitarianism believers follow in Bentham’s idea that every...
Words: 1235 - Pages: 5
...Affirmative Action The intention of this paper is to make a real argument against the performance of affirmative action using logical arguments ethical theories, and perspectives. This paper will examine in what way a Utilitarian, Deontologist, Virtue Ethicist, Relativist and an Ethical Egoist would debate against the use of affirmative action. The case will be made by demonstrating why this practice is unquestionably unethical and discriminatory. Affirmative action is frequently used to give subgroups a benefit when applying for jobs, colleges or other organizations. In some cases, companies are financially incentivized to be racially diverse and in other instances extra points are given for test results. The result of these practices enables candidates, which could be less experienced to satisfy a position, to be chosen in order to achieve minority quotas. Affirmative action was passed to push back opposed to racism after segregation was viewed unlawful in order to get the government and employers to employ minorities; however, it is twisted by issues. In order to comprehend how an ethical perspective or theory would deal with affirmative action, it is necessary to first comprehend the view or approach. Utilitarianism is acknowledged as an important ethical theory, which only means that it centers on the expected result of an act, instead of the principles of the act itself or the agent involved in the action. The Utilitarian may endorse using the motto, “the ends justify...
Words: 2250 - Pages: 9
...To what extent are there tensions between multiculturalism and liberalism? It initially appears that multiculturalism and liberalism are highly similar ideologies, championing the rights of minorities. Multiculturalism itself was inspired by liberalism due to such ideas. In addition to this, similarities exist in the multiculturalist and liberal support of principles such as equality, justice and pluralism. However, tensions between the ideologies exist, including the tension between the classical liberal promotion of the rights of the individual and the multiculturalist rights of a culture or ethnic group and the argument over essentialism and the nature of multiculturalism. Despite both multiculturalism and liberalism promoting the rights of minority groups and pluralist societies, tensions lie over the focus of this promotion. Classical liberals such as John Stuart Mill stress the importance of the individual, promoting the rights of the rights and sovereignty of all individuals, and therefore of ethnic minorities; “over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign”. On the other hand, multiculturalists promote the rights of cultures and ethnic groups, assuming that minorities adopt the will of their cultural community over individual self-centredness. Liberals argue that this threatens genuine liberty as cultures can continue to oppress individuals, evidenced in the issues such as forced marriages and the wearing of the burka. As Tariq Modood argues...
Words: 706 - Pages: 3
...There are moral system used by school of thoughts that governs our behaviour or actions, and they are all different toward another. There are number of this moral system but it is beyond the scope of this essay to compare and contrast all but to compare and contrast between deontology the centers on the principles of 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant, And utilitarianism which is the brainchild of philosophers John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. As a result, the essay has been organised as follow. Firstly, I will show the merger differences between utilitarianism and deontology. Secondly, I will show the similarities between these ethical systems. Thirdly, I will show the strengths and weaknesses of deontology. Lastly, I will show the strengths and weaknesses of utilitarianism and conclude. There are differences that are considered from these moral systems because of different values that moral scholars have about actions and behaviour of individuals. Deontological reasoning refers to duty, which is usually determined without regard to circumstances or consequences. Utilitarian reasoning always considers circumstances and consequences. Utilitarianism it believes that outcomes as a result of an action have a greater value compared to the latter.” It also states that ast so as to produce the greatest possible happiness for the greatest number of people”. As a result, utilitarianism depends on consequentiality. Meanwhile, deontology is another moral theory that is dependent...
Words: 1068 - Pages: 5
