11 UTILITARISM TO DEONTOLOGY Sketch the main points in Smart 's version of utilitarianism. Compare with a deontological view of ethics and discuss deontological objections to utilitarianism. Number of words with footnotes: 3169 Utilitarism and deontology are two opposing ethical theories. On the one hand, J. J. C. Smart represents the utilitarian view of ethics, while on the other hand Charles Fried represents the deontological. Both point to fundamental features of their interpretations as well as some criticism of the other party. Like other ethical theories, both Smart and Fried have different views of ethics and definition of right and wrong. Utilitarianism has its basis in consequentialism, where actions are judged by the results or consequences …show more content…
The purpose of actionillitarianism is to choose the actions that lead to the best consequences, and then bring the best possible happiness. Actions that meet these requirements are interpreted as correct in actionillitarianism, and this is precisely what the action-utilitarist doctrine supports. Firstly, it is essential to understand the concept of happiness, and according to Smart, the idea of happiness satisfies and pleases. He emphasizes that a person must be satisfied with someone else 's state of mind, and then enjoy the thought of this condition. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to determine the term, as the definition of happiness varies for any person. At the very least, it requires that a person is average satisfied and indifferent in …show more content…
Unlike utilitarianism, deontology requires that you set certain boundaries to one 's actions. Fried describes that the deontological perception involves taking into account how to achieve its goals because the act has a moral significance. Unethical acts like lying, slavery, denying, and harmless innocence can not be justified, although it could lead to a lot of good in some cases. For example, a follower of deontology would not argue that a person is happy if this happiness was caused by the suffering of an innocent person. Utilitarism, on the other hand, believes it is permissible to inflict an innocent person harm if this causes more happiness as a consequence of the action. Unlike utilitarianism, the deontologist will appreciate the right actions, although this does not necessarily lead to the greatest