Deontological ethics

Ursula Le Guin illustrates a hypothetical city where the happiness of an entire society depends on the eternal agony of one child. In her narration of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, she begins by describing the gathering of city people to a festival. The author maintains a rather vague depiction of the authenticity of the city, claiming that the details of their relation of technology, drugs, or sex for example to ours are simply irrelevant. The main importance that Ursula Le Guin stresses…

Topic One Immanuel Kant was an extremely influential philosopher in the 18th century, who many consider to be the father of modern philosophy. His groundbreaking work on morality is best exemplified in his book, The Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. This book introduces readers to the concepts of morality and the idea of what it means to have good will. Metaphysics is defined as a branch of philosophy that deals with the first principle of things which includes concepts such as being,…

Morality, according to various theories, has the capability to be defined in multiple ways. For instance, De Waal claims morality is a direct outgrowth of social instincts we share with other animals (7). By direct outgrowth, he is actually implying morality is evolutionary-based. De Waal then goes on to make various claims such as the one that says the core of morality is emotion (18). Lets assume that this ramification is proven to be true. If so, then other theories of morality made by other…

Philosophy 2306 Final Paper In The Elements of Moral Philosophy, James and Stuart Rachels discuss the ideas of ethics that a novice should challenge. This book consists of thirteen chapters. First, the author begins with the minimum conception of morality; the following three chapters cover cultural relativism and the connection between morality and religion; the middle chapters, five to twelve, focus on essential ethical theories; and the last chapter describes the author’s perspective of…

The definition of importance is the state or fact of being of great significance or value. The level of importance for anything truly depends on one’s opinion. Wistawa Szymborska believes everything has importance and value. In her poem, “No Title Required,” she focuses on the little observations she comes upon and hears about. Details as small as a tree or silence, or even ants in the grass, that she adds make this poem very interesting and unique. The setting, tone, and point of view stand out…

Moral Theory Of Utilitarianism. The moral theory of Utilitarianism is defined as to be that an action is only good only if it brings happiness to others. There are three sub principles that define the theory of Utilitarianism, Principle one talks about how consequences are all that matter in a situation or an action, that the final outcome/ results are those that matter. The second principle states that happiness is the only thing that matters and that we seek for pleasure more often and we…

In this essay, I will argue that Mencius’ altruistic position and four dispositions offer more precise explanations of human motivation than Glaucon’s support of psychological egoism. I contend that humans all have the capacity to partake in moral acts (e.g., helping kin and others, altruism, combatting injustice, etc.). Glaucon’s defense of psychologically egoistic motivation is only useful to recognize that human beings harbor a degree of self-preservation (i.e., to guard oneself from harm and…

Classic Work Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals “outlines a rationalist ethical system centered in the notion of the categorical imperative as the fundamental principle of action” (Pojman and Tramel 218). The excerpt we read The Foundation of Ethics focuses on what gives an action moral worth, Kant argues that only if we act out of a sense of duty do we find a true sense of moral worth. I find this claim to be a very interesting one because I have never thought about how duty not in the…

1. What does Leopold mean when he talks about a Land Ethic? Summarize the main points of the essay. In his essay, Leopold describe a Land Ethic as a relationship between men and and the land of social and ecological conscience which “reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land.” (Page 11, Paragraph 6) This means a set of moral principles that prioritize the safety and preservation of the environment that are believed in by the general population. It associates a…

Kant and Consequentialists (Including Utilitarians) differ on several philosophical issues such as assisted-suicide, the right to live. The consequentialist theory focuses on the ultimate consequence of the action , whether an action is right or wrong depending on the outcome. Utilitarianism is the most developed consequentialist theory. Utilitarianism differs to the Kantian theory as it main goal is to maximize happiness and give weight to both the individual and the people associated with the…