Compare And Contrast Deontology And Mill's Utilitarianism
When studying philosophy, a student becomes very aware of the contradiction and different opinions of highly remarked philosophers. Many students become frustrated with the opposition and question the importance of the study all together. Others choose to indulge in these differences to further their understanding beyond what he/she thought capable of beforehand. The obvious contradictions between Kant’s deontology, and Bentham’s and Mill’s utilitarianism is a perfect example of such occasion in philosophy. However, even though these are two opposing philosophies, with very different ideas governing their conclusions, we should look to learn from both and apply the knowledge we identify with, thus creating our own philosophies. In this essay I wish to do exactly that; to compare and contrast these two ideologies in order to better understand them and help others do the same. First we must understand what is Deontology. The word deontology when broken down to its roots literally means, the study of the nature of duty and obligation. Just the word alone is a great summary of what this philosophy deals with. Kant, the German philosopher who developed deontology, taught that the highest good one could achieve is that of good will. However to achieve this highest good one must be motivated only by a duty or …show more content…
The greatest good is that which brings the most happiness to the most people. This idea is very easily found in todays society. For example if you find a lost child you will help him find his parents because it will bring happiness to the child, the parents, and to you. On the other side you will not abandon the child because it will bring pain to the child, the parents, and possibly to yourself. These quick pros and cons list that we think of on a daily bases is what Mills and Bentham build their philosophy off
Deontology, Consequentialism, And Virtue Ethics
1040 Words | 5 PagesAs with each ethical theories, there are strength and weaknesses associated with them. Deontology stresses the role of duty and respect for an individual person and it is also easy to judge whether a person actions are moral not, simply by looking at whether the person is following basic rules or the guiding principles. It also allows society or people to be consistent in how they would perform an act regardless of the outcome associated with it. The disadvantage of Deontology is, it underestimates the importance of happiness, complexity of life situations and conflicting duties of people. The rules of Deontology are also vague and fail to offer moral guidance or take into account as to which rules or principles should take priority when conflict arises and While it is not necessarily wise to rely solely on outcome, it is not a good idea to completely ignore the outcome
Kant's Deontology: The Final Ethical Theory
154 Words | 1 PagesAutonomy is a person ability to lead a self-directing life. Unlike egoism and utilitarianism, Kant’s deontology looks into how the information was gather to determine if its ethical to use. Because of the focus on how the information was gather Kant ’s deontology would consider the using of the information as unethical.
Would You Kill The Fat Man Analysis
1256 Words | 6 PagesDeontology states there are certain things we should never do, such as torturing another man. Edmonds argues that DDE can only be uses when two situations will have similar endings. The author introduces the deontology equivalent: the difference between doing and allowing, and acting and omitting. Edmond concludes that there is no moral difference in killing someone and allowing them do die by doing nothing. Thus the Doctrine of Triple Effect (DTE) was created.
Immanuel Kant's Groundwork For The Metaphysics Of
795 Words | 4 PagesDeontology is portrayed as the investigation of the way of duty, obligation and commitment. The ethical quality of an activity depends on good intention, which is characterized by its adherence to a rule or set of guidelines. Such a rule is known as a maxim and if a man wills a maxim to wind up noticeably as a general or universal law with the end goal that everybody in any circumstance ought to maintain this adage, it is judged to be ethically or morally right. Immanuel Kant in his, 'Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, gives the focal idea of Kant's deontological reasoning. The downright basic incorporates three definitions that are utilized to judge the ethical pertinence of any goal or obligation.
Mill's Utilitarianism: Right Or Wrong?
1280 Words | 6 Pages“He who thinks and thinks for himself, will always have a claim to thanks, it is no matter whether it be right or wrong, so as it be right or wrong, so as it be explicit. If it is right, it will serve as a guide to direct, if wrong, as a beacon to warn.” Jeremy Bentham believed that each individual should be able to speak their own opinions whether they were right or wrong as long as they didn’t harm anyone. Bentham was a British philosopher, who was believed to be the founder of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is based on the principle of having ethics towards the morally right action, which would benefit everyone’s life and well-being.
Pros And Cons Of Deontology
1202 Words | 5 PagesDeontology which is derived from the Greek words Deon (meaning obligation/duty) and logia (science/study) combined to be also known as duty or rule-based ethics or the study of duties or obligations. It is a branch of ethical theories that deals with ethics of conduct, which theories are based on the sort of actions people must perform. It is based on non-consequentialism where the ends do not justify the means and thus deontology is an approach to ethics in which a sense of duty or principle prescribes the ethical decision (Preston, 2007). Deontology affirms duties must be obeyed regardless of the consequences. The theory of Deontology has its flaws as well and this essay will present three criticisms of deontology namely that deontology relies on moral absolutes, allows acts that make the world a worse place, two permissible duties that are right can conflict with each other and will demonstrate these flaws with relevant case studies and dilemmas.
Utilitarianism In Nursing Ethics
1374 Words | 6 PagesDeontology and Utilitarianism are similar in that the tenets of each aims at promoting the well-being of others by doing good. However, there are several differences between Deontology and Utilitarianism. Deontology focuses on the moral intention of an act.
Summary Of Bernard Williams A Critique Of Utilitarianism
1565 Words | 7 PagesBernard Williams’ essay, A Critique of Utilitarianism, launches a rather scathing criticism of J. J. C. Smart’s, An Outline of a System of Utilitarian ethics. Even though Williams claims his essay is not a direct response to Smart’s paper, the manner in which he constantly refers to Smart’s work indicates that Smart’s version of Utilitarianism, referred to as act-Utilitarianism, is the main focus of Williams’ critique. Smart illustrates the distinction between act-Utilitarianism and rule-Utilitarianism early on in his work. He says that act-Utilitarianism is the idea that the rightness of an action depends on the total goodness of an action’s consequences.
Immanuel Kant's Theory Of Utilitarianism
1228 Words | 5 PagesImmanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are two of the most notable philosophers in normative ethics. This branch of ethics is based on moral standards that determine what is considered morally right and wrong. This paper will focus on Immanuel Kant’s theory of deontology and J.S. Mill’s theory of utilitarianism. While Mill takes a consequentialist approach, focused on the belief that actions are right if they are for the benefit of a majority, Kant is solely concerned with the nature of duty and obligation, regardless of the outcome. This paper will also reveal that Kantian ethics, in my opinion, is a better moral law to follow compared to the utilitarian position.
Deontology Vs Utilitarianism Essay
431 Words | 2 PagesIntroduction In this essay, I will be comparing Deontology to Utilitarianism. I will attempt to substantiate why I am justified in arguing that Deontology is a superior moral theory than Utilitarianism. A Discussion of the Main Elements of Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a moral theory developed by English philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1947 – 1832) and refined by fellow countryman John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873).
Examples Of Deontology In Nursing
338 Words | 2 PagesMargarita Rodriguez Philosophy of Nursing Millers College of Nursing October 16, 2015 How does deontology relate to an individual nurse?s professional practice of nursing? According to the American Nurses Association, Deontology, an ethical theory founded by Immanuel Kant, applies judgments based on the underlying morality, or the rightness or wrongness of an action. It is based upon adherence to rules.
Basic Principle Deontological Analysis
929 Words | 4 PagesDeontology is contrasted with teology, which maintains that the rightness or wrongness of acts depends solely on ends or consequences. For deontologists, moral law is not defined by consequences, unlike that of egoism and utilitarian theory; instead, moral law is an end itself. There are four levels of deontological theory namely, basic-principle deontology, general-principle deontology, rule deontology and act deontology. Basic-principle deontology deals with logical priority to basic, fundamental, or ultimate principles. One known proponent of such level is Immanuel Kant, who gave rise to some of the most influential philosophy in Western history.
Kant's Ethics Vs. Utilitarian Ethics
1023 Words | 5 PagesThe theory of deontology states we are morally obligated to act in accordance with obvious set of principles and rules regardless of results. Deontological ethics focuses on duties, and rights. The term deontological was coined by the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham, who described it as “knowledge of what is right or proper” Bentham thought that deontology points in the direction of principle of utility. But contemporary philosophers use the term deontological to indicate a contrast with the utilitarian focus on the consequences of action. Instead of focusing on consequences, deontological ethics focus on duties and obligation: things we ought to do regardless of the consequences.
Deontology Essay
418 Words | 2 PagesDeontology- The word deontology derives from the Greek words for duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos) (Alexander, Larry and Moore, Michael, 2015). Merriam-Webster (2015), defines Deontology as the theory or study of moral obligation. In simple terms deontology means the deed itself is right or wrong.
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