Utilitarianism Vs. Ethical Framework

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Ethics are a way to guide you through life. They provide a set of rules for each individual to follow based on what they believe. It is the way in which someone makes their decisions on what is right or wrong, in correlation to their preferred ethical framework. Religious background plays a big role in shaping these structures, as it suggests a design as to what is deemed good or sinful. Ethical frameworks are different formats of decision-making that one person can refer to when making a moral choice. Utilitarianism is a framework that helps the individual in living a fulfilled and good life. The reason for this can be based on Aristotle’s theory of eudaimonia. He believed that, for an individual to achieve a good life, they must first be …show more content…

The main reason for this is the proposition of gay marriage. Imagine that you are in a room full of men and women in hopes of changing the law so that they can marry their partners of the same sex. You are the only decider on whether this law should be passed or not, but you heavily believe in Christianity and are an activist in spreading God’s word. All of your family and peers are telling you to say no, as they believe it is wrong. However, you also base all of your decisions on the framework of utilitarianism, meaning your proposal should be chosen by weighing up who the issue actually effects and how many people it would grant happiness too. So what do you choose? Religious beliefs or achieving a good life? This example is where many people can clash, as a lot of people cannot see the overall affect something can have on the happiness of others, but rather base their judgment solely on what they want. Religious …show more content…

The reason for this can be found in the ten commandants, specifically commandments six to eight. “Thou shalt not kill”, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” and ”Thou shalt not steal” are all principles that Christians are told to follow. The relation between these and utilitarianism are that, by choosing not to partake in them, it sustains happiness for the most amount people. The main underlying teaching of God is to not make others upset or angry, but rather content with themselves. This is specifically how people that follow utilitarianism achieve their goal of making the most people happy and therefore supports the connection between these two