Ethics Exam
1. What is the value and importance of a course in Ethics?
Answer: The significance of taking ethics course is that it can help or redirect a misguided individual to the right path. Also, ethics can help a person to rationally establish an argument for what is right and what is wrong and as well as forming an argument on why he/she should do what is right.
2. What are the advantages of and disadvantages of Utilitarian system of ethics?
Answer: The advantages of utilitarian system is that everyone is equal and the consequences of people’s actions really matter. Likewise, utilitarian advocates happiness. On the contrary, utilitarian system has its flaws. For instance, it will allow punishing innocent person if it will benefit the larger group. Similarly, it is highly unlikely to determine the consequences and nothing in principle is right or wrong given the circumstances.
3. A friend tells you the he is going to steal a flat screen tv from WalMart. His ethical justification is that it will give him a great deal of pleasure and the owners of WalMart will suffer very little so by Utilitarian Ethics it’s ok. Is his justification correct?
Answer: If a friend of mine were to steal a unit of flat screen tv at WalMart and use utilitarian ethics to justify his action I will advise him not to do so. Because stealing in general is against the law, and there is a great possibility that the store has security cameras all over the place that will lead to his incarceration. Since he is applying utilitarian ethics I will counter his argument using the same reasoning since it is a consequentialist theory. I will constructively tell him the possible consequences of his action and how it will affect him. First of all, if his family noticed him being taken to custody by law enforcers they will definitely be devastated and I will share the same sentiments with his family. His parents in particular will be heartbroken and wonder where they went wrong in raising him. I can only imagine the amount of distress he will inflict his family over a flat screen tv. Consequently, being punished by law will serve a great deal of pain over his family and friends. Furthermore, if he has a family of his own, the stigma of being convicted of larceny will be attached to his children and wife all his life. On the contrary, if he didn’t notify a single soul regarding his intention of stealing the flat screen tv and got away with his actions, it is possibly okay. Because, according to utilitarian ethics nothing in principle is right or wrong it’s just a matter of how much pain or pleasure the recipient and people involved will get. 4. How does J.S. Mill refine Utilitarian system of ethics? Answer: According to John Stewart Mill’s, some types of pleasure experienced by people differ from each other based on qualities, and …show more content…
According to utilitarian death is the ultimate pain therefore assisted death must be illegal in all aspect of society. Mercy killing in general is a compassionate response to a dying person’s request to die with ease. That being the case, the utilitarian will argue that death is the utmost pain and therefore euthanasia cannot be a solution to the suffering of a terminally ill person. Although it will put the person at ease and end his/her suffering the end doesn’t justify the means because death will be the consequence of putting that person to
1. What is the value and importance of a course in Ethics?
Answer: The significance of taking ethics course is that it can help or redirect a misguided individual to the right path. Also, ethics can help a person to rationally establish an argument for what is right and what is wrong and as well as forming an argument on why he/she should do what is right.
2. What are the advantages of and disadvantages of Utilitarian system of ethics?
Answer: The advantages of utilitarian system is that everyone is equal and the consequences of people’s actions really matter. Likewise, utilitarian advocates happiness. On the contrary, utilitarian system has its flaws. For instance, it will allow punishing innocent person if it will benefit the larger group. Similarly, it is highly unlikely to determine the consequences and nothing in principle is right or wrong given the circumstances.
3. A friend tells you the he is going to steal a flat screen tv from WalMart. His ethical justification is that it will give him a great deal of pleasure and the owners of WalMart will suffer very little so by Utilitarian Ethics it’s ok. Is his justification correct?
Answer: If a friend of mine were to steal a unit of flat screen tv at WalMart and use utilitarian ethics to justify his action I will advise him not to do so. Because stealing in general is against the law, and there is a great possibility that the store has security cameras all over the place that will lead to his incarceration. Since he is applying utilitarian ethics I will counter his argument using the same reasoning since it is a consequentialist theory. I will constructively tell him the possible consequences of his action and how it will affect him. First of all, if his family noticed him being taken to custody by law enforcers they will definitely be devastated and I will share the same sentiments with his family. His parents in particular will be heartbroken and wonder where they went wrong in raising him. I can only imagine the amount of distress he will inflict his family over a flat screen tv. Consequently, being punished by law will serve a great deal of pain over his family and friends. Furthermore, if he has a family of his own, the stigma of being convicted of larceny will be attached to his children and wife all his life. On the contrary, if he didn’t notify a single soul regarding his intention of stealing the flat screen tv and got away with his actions, it is possibly okay. Because, according to utilitarian ethics nothing in principle is right or wrong it’s just a matter of how much pain or pleasure the recipient and people involved will get. 4. How does J.S. Mill refine Utilitarian system of ethics? Answer: According to John Stewart Mill’s, some types of pleasure experienced by people differ from each other based on qualities, and …show more content…
According to utilitarian death is the ultimate pain therefore assisted death must be illegal in all aspect of society. Mercy killing in general is a compassionate response to a dying person’s request to die with ease. That being the case, the utilitarian will argue that death is the utmost pain and therefore euthanasia cannot be a solution to the suffering of a terminally ill person. Although it will put the person at ease and end his/her suffering the end doesn’t justify the means because death will be the consequence of putting that person to