Utilitarianism And Kantian Ethics Essay -- essays research papers fc

Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics Ethics is one part of philosophy that will always be studied, and like most subjects in philosophy, will never be viewed the same by everyone. There are so many cultures that have so many different beliefs about the way a person's life should be lived out. Things like religion, poverty, and mental health all contribute to our beliefs in ethics. Some people believe that the mental state of a person or the motive for that person committing a crime should be factors when sentencing time comes. Others think that no matter the situation, a crime is a crime, and no compassion should be felt for the guilty. In the studies of philosophy these beliefs are put into two categories: utilitarian, witch would give leeway to the guilty depending on the circumstances, and Kantian, were a crime is a crime, no matter the motives involved. John Stuart Mill (1808-73) believed in an ethical theory known as utilitarianism. There are many formulations of this theory. One which is, "Everyone should act in such a way to bring the largest possibly balance of good over evil for everyone involved." However, good is a relative term. Utilitarians disagreed on what good really is. Mill made a distinction between happiness and sheer sensual pleasure. He defines happiness in terms of higher order pleasure (i.e. social enjoyments). In his Utilitarianism (1861), Mill described this principle as follows: According to the Greatest Happiness Principle †¦ The ultimate end, end, in reference to and for the sake of all other things that are desirable, (whether we are considering our own good or that of other people), is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and is rich in enjoyments. Therefore, based on this statement, three ideas may be identified: (1) The goodness of an act may be determined by the consequ ences of that act. (2) Consequences are determined by the amount of happiness or unhappiness caused. (3) A "good" man is one who considers the other man's pleasure (or pain) as equally as his own. Each person's happiness is equally important. Mill believed that a free act is not an undetermined act. It is determined by the unconstrained choice of the person performing the act. Either external or internal forces compel an unfree act. Mill also determined that every ... ...rue to their soul. To have a "healthy personality" one must believe in his decisions. Everyday people make decisions that affect other people. Weather the decisions are made by weighing the consequences that affect other people or if the decisions are made without debate on who it will hurt is up to each individual. No matter the choice, the basic concept is to choose good over evil to ones best ability. The moral way to make decisions will never be written in stone, even modern law is mixed up in the Utilitarian and Kantian beliefs. The law says that a crime is a crime, but in our courts lawyers debate over motives, consequences, and push for sympathy for the accused. The debate over whose way is the right way will never be resolved, but man will always ask who is right. Word count: 1,138 Works Cited Lavine, T.Z. From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest New York: Bantam Books. 1984 Wolff, Robert Paul Ten Great Works of Philosophy New York: New American Library, 1996 Wolff, Robert Paul About Philosophy New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 7th Edition, 1998 Microsoft Corporation Encarta Encyclopedia 1999