Ethical Choice: The Utilitarian Approach

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WA-2 Final

Introduction

While ethics often refer to moral beliefs or amoral conclusions, ethical behavior by definition relates to an attitude and/or conduct of one person or group toward another individual or genus. A most interesting observation when reviewing these ethical philosophies is that the argument and conclusions of the philosophers often reflects that philosopher 's social benefit. In other words, someone that desires no human relation with someone ranked in a lower caste would, however, marry up to someone in a higher class. Like the allegory of the naked emperor, such a person would fail to realize the pretense.

Ethical Choice: Utilitarianism From the cornucopia of types of ethical philosophies, the utilitarian
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Imagining a situation where utilitarian ethics could be applied might be where I served as a member of leadership when our municipality decides to expand its footprint to accommodate a pending manufacturing plant outside of town that 's within city limits. Applying the utilitarian method, city management would consider whether we would allow the plant to operate in our city limits as well as how the location would be chosen. All relevant data at our disposal would be reviewed. This element would constitute step one of the utilitarian philosophy. Then city leadership, that includes me, would weigh the benefits of corporate tax revenues and employment for residents compared to the costs of increased air pollution from non-residents as commuters as well as potential environmental damage from the plant 's operation. This component relates to step two of the utilitarian ethics. Fortunately, our municipality has residents possessing strong environmental stewardship inclinations. Therefore, city management would be obligated by residents to appoint a federal environmental analysis as how to allow the plant 's operation yet experience no unsustainable ecosystem effects. Additionally, we would require the plant to indemnify for accidents and maintain a city-held fund for continual environmental maintenance and education in addition to municipal taxes. (Imaging that this location is prime for this particular manufacturing plant.) This final requirement completes the utilitarian step three, whereas the safeguards control the environmental costs while permitting the benefits of municipal tax revenues and local employment for

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