Utilitarianism In Nazi Germany

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1. On its surface, the theory of utilitarianism seems like the logical choice for society. It states, your ethical decision should be the one that causes the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. What 's wrong with this notion? Why isn 't the theory realistic? Give an example as to why the theory is broken? The theory of utilitarianism does not consider justice for all. If we are only concerned with what 's right for the benefits of the majority, that means the minority will be left out. The theory is broken in regards to the example illustrated because most people would save their family member. An example that comes to mind is testing a small group of people with a new drug that could possibly cause a terminal illness. In turn, the new drug could save many lives from a rare cancer.
2. Are people born evil, or is evil something learned? How is it that two siblings, growing up with the same set of parents, with the same set of moral boundaries, that one could go off to become a successful member of society, and the other a hardened criminal? I don 't necessarily believe that people are born evil. Evil is wickedness, sinful, foul or immoral. Therefore, I believe evil is a learned through childhood experiences, how we were raised, difficult …show more content…

In Nazi Germany (1933-1945), Jews were persecuted simply because they were Jewish, and eventually put to death in gas chambers, or shot, or burned in locked houses. Their bodies were made useful to the Nazis. Their hair was shaved for use in padding and their bodies were turned into soap. This is clearly wrong, even though it was legal in Nazi Germany at that time. Were the people killing Jews “evil”? What ethics were at play here? I believe killing the Jews was clearly wrong because all life has value. There are other resources that clearly could have been used to make padding and soap. I believe the theory of egoism was at play. Their self-interest was the foundation of their