Deontology And Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism and Deontology are two very different ethical theories that have very little in common. They are similar in the sense that they share the same focus which is to determine which human actions are right and acceptable versus the actions that are wrong hence unacceptable. Beyond the primary focus of which actions are right or wrong, there seem to be no similarities. This is because both theories have different approaches to determine what is good and what is bad. Despite the fact that both theories have pros and cons, Utilitarianism seems to be the better moral theory.

Throughout life, individuals are often faced with a multitude of moral dilemmas which can be difficult to assess given the factors of the situation and consequences, based on what is right and wrong. In this paper I will be assessing the Trolley Problem in relation to Utilitarianism and Deontology and will conclude which theory is the best way to behave given the situation. In the first paragraph, I will begin by discussing the Trolley Problem followed by the next paragraph’s which will explaining how Utilitarianism and Deontology would approach the situation. Furthermore, I will be discussing which theory I believe is right in regards to the best way to behaving in society, given the possible outcomes of the problem. Since the moral issue of killing and letting die are close in hand, Deontology is the only explainable way to behave because this theory approaches all situations in regard to what is fair and acceptable for all, while Utilitarianism takes an approach that degrades humanity and differs from person to person.

Utilitarianism is the principle that the correct form of action be taken to benefit the greatest number of people. Deontology is defined as the area of ethics involving the responsibility, moral duty and commitment. Both utilitarianism and deontology deal with the ethics and consequences of one’s actions and behavior despite the outcome.

Utilitarianism is normative ethical theory from a school of thought that believes we must guide our actions always by the consequences that can from follow them. Utilitarian’s believe we ought to implement the actions that bring the most overall happiness. Deontologists believe in an ethical theory that is guided by maxims, which means the action you choose must be applied to all scenarios, for example even if lying is the best option in one particular situation, in most regular situations lying will cause more damage so we must follow that as a principle all the time. I’m going to go in depth on how both a Utilitarian and Deontologist would rationalize their duties to be charitable to the less fortunate and argue that

Describe the main principles of the two normative ethical theories of deontology and utilitarianism. Compare and contrast the two theories, bringing out any problems or limitations you see in each.

There are two major theories which are utilized to guide ethical decision making, these are deontology and utilitarian. Few people rely exclusively on one theory. Instead, they make decisions by examining both theories and determining which is most appropriate for the presenting situation (Rae, 2009).

Numerous moral theories have surfaced in the past years. They have been widely debated by philosophers and social reformers. It is important to understand what these theories are because of their influential tendencies in the way people act, especially in making morally right or wrong decisions. Utilitarianism is one of these many moral theories. Upon further analysis, problems with utilitarian thoughts are revealed. It has been widely debated by many philosophers, including G.E. Moore and Immanuel Kant. Like these two philosophers, I argue that utilitarianism is inadequate because of its contradictory nature as a moral theory. It highlights the principle of utility in seeking the greatest pleasure, allowing egotistic and hedonistic actions to be considered moral.

When faced with adversity and difficult dilemmas, people have different ways to figure out what to do; some people make pros and cons lists while other people just go with their gut. Ethical theories like utilitarianism and deontology, can aid people in making these difficult choices. Utilitarianism focuses on the results of your actions, rather than the intent behind them, as the goal of the theory is the create the greatest good for the greatest amount people. On the other hand, deontology follows a strict moral code concentrating on the right or moral action rather than the results it yields. While utilitarianism and deontology focus on different aspects of decision making, the effect and the intent respectively, they often yield the same result; more often than not the more ethical decision leads to the greater result. These ethical theories are both used in Snow Falling on Cedars by David Gunderson where they both agree on the topics, yielding the same results.

Philosophy consists of two major theories which aim to deny and validate moral rules and principles: deontology and utilitarianism ethics. These two perspectives give philosophy its wide range of concepts and decisions to frame our lives, giving structure to what we believe is right and wrong. More often than not, these concepts bring argument to what has already been set in stone by tough, controversial philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham due to the nature of the topics and sensitivity they cause. In this essay, I look to discuss the trolley example in relation to deontology and utilitarianism; what each of these concepts tells us about the best way to behave in the example, and concluding with which concept is right?

When observing the different ethical theories one may believe that although their differences are unique there are similarities in them. One may state that a similarity between utilitarian and deontology is that they both require one to consider their duty something that should be done and considering the character of an individual is if it will be done. If an individual has morals and character he or she may consider it their duty to do what is morally correct.

The concept of Utilitarianism has been around for hundreds of decades with origins in ancient Greece, with Epicureanism. Modern utilitarianism was advocated by Bentham in the 18th century which drew other philosophers such as Mill to construct their own alternatives to Bentham’s original concept. In this essay, I will be analysing Rule-Utilitarianism (RU) and I will be comparing and contrasting it with Act-Utilitarianism (AU) to see if it has any advantages over the latter strain. Utilitarianism is the most common form of consequentialism, which is the theory that an act is morally right or wrong depending on the consequences it produces. Therefore, this concept treats the intentions or the act itself as irrelevant. Utilitarianism is a hedonistic theory which measures actions in terms of happiness or pleasure. Mill used the principle of utility in which he believed a right action is one that maximises utility for all, with every rational being regarded as equal. So, according to utilitarians, one ought to promote the “greatest happiness of the greatest number”.

Kant’s theory of deontology and Mill’s theory of utilitarianism provide starkly different approaches to assigning moral value to ethical dilemmas, two modern dilemmas being commercial surrogacy and physician-assisted suicide. This essay will expound upon the process of deciding moral value within each ethical theory and then apply this decision process to the two ethical dilemmas. Arguments will be posited in support or in opposition to the proposed ethical dilemmas according to the ethical theories. The discussion will revolve around the theories as proposed by the specific authors mentioned above in their relevant works.

“Deontology is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations – such as the consequences of the action” (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). In many aspects deontology is contrasted with utilitarianism. Deontology is based upon principle and does not calculate the consequences (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). Deontology attracts those seeking a stronger moral attraction because it refers to commanding rather than commending and commanding is a stronger structure (Boylan, 2009, p. 172). The

Ethics and virtue have been a very contentious issue facing society for centuries. Many argue over the merits of various theories, each with its own philosophies and assumptions. It is this argument that has given rise to many popular and followed theories of ethics and virtues. The theories discussed primarily in this document include the virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological theory. Each is very distinct to the others in regards to its principles and assumptions regarding human behavior. Each however, has merit in regards to question of ethics and virtue, and how it should subsequently be valued.