Consequentialism

In this paper, I will discuss Kant’s moral reasoning, both broadly and in terms of a case study, and elaborate on some issues with Kantian ethics. The core of Kant’s ideas on morality is his statement that "nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good without qualification, except a good will". He defines this good will as “the will which acts from freedom and respect for the moral law”, meaning that one must choose by their own volition to pursue…

influenced by the tumultuous political climate under the Elizabethan succession crisis, Shakespeare diverges from Machiavelli, complicating the concept of weakness by portraying the adverse consequences of Cassius' aforesaid self-interested consequentialism. Namely, Brutus' and Cassius' intrafactional…

as important in determining morality as the consequences. I will also argue that this objection is sufficient in undermining the feasibility of utilitarianism. I will provide a modification to the theory that will survive this objection Like consequentialism, utilitarianism looks at the consequences to determine whether an action is right or wrong. Utilitarianism is the moral theory…

Bioethics Essay Utilitarian Theory reflects consequentialism which is “a label affixed to theories holding that actions are right or wrong to balance of their good and bad consequences” (354). The general meaning for utilitarian is, the greatest good for the greatest number. In other words, “The right act in any circumstance is the act that produces the best overall result as determined by the theory’s account of value” (354). What matters is that you are getting the most out of your action.…

Thousands of dogs and cats enter animal shelters everyday without the hope of ever leaving. They often end up in these shelters due to the owner’s lack of responsibility or ability to care for the animal; many become lost and wander the streets until found, while others are the result of irresponsible backyard breeding. Shelters euthanize millions of these animals every year in the U.S. due to the lack of adoption because a large number of people would prefer to buy a pet from a pet store or…

Capital punishment, or the death penalty, has been an ongoing ethical debate that has been traced to the beginning of the American colonies. The death penalty is an issue that has the United States quite divided. While there are many supporters of it, there is also a large amount in opposition. Currently, there are thirty-one states in which the death penalty is legal and nineteen states that have abolished it. Because of its controversial nature, it is important to further analyze the moral…

Punishment and the death penalty is one of many ethical debates that continue to be widespread throughout the United States. What justifies the death penalty and is it ethically correct to impose such punishment? What constitutes punishment and how does one effectively enforce punishment? In Ethics: Theory and Contemporary issues, MacKinnon introduces to the facts of legal punishment and the death penalty and how to apply this contemporary issue to 4 ethical theories. Legal punishment is…

Human evolution is a very controversial topic these days. There are two sides of the story for the past of human evolution, the creationism and scientific facts. But as for human evolution of the future there are many options. We got the chance to sit down with some people to talk about some of them. We asked each one a series of questions. Theory 1 ‘humans will continue to evolve’ A few weeks ago we got to sit down with a few people to talk about the future of human evolution. The first…

Green Revolution becomes a Genetic Revolution Food is obviously a necessary resource for the average person. It is a known natural resource that feeds all living species. However, from the film GMO OMG by Jeremy Seifer, it reveals that not all foods are natural, introducing genetically modified organisms, also known as GMO’s. GMO’s are organisms that have genetic material that has been altered in a way that is unnatural. Surrounding GMO’s lies economical, environmental, and societal dilemma’s…

The dilemma of surrogacy, specifically custody rights, is resolvable under most state laws; however, judges often consider ethical theories in court case discussions surrounding the topic. Nearly any ethical theory could be applied to the question of surrogacy, yet it mainly encompasses three specific ones. Cultural Relativism, Kantianism, and the Justice Theory are all ethical ways of thinking that must be expressed to fully comprehend and debate the concerns of surrogacy use. Along with…