Mill and Kants Efforts to Solve an Ethical Dilemma

It is natural for human beings to subscribe to particular moral ideologies and to apply them to their day-to-day lives since we all live in societies that have norms and values. For many centuries, philosophers have tried to formulate frameworks upon which these moral principles can be based and measured. This paper tries to apply the moral theories of John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant is solving an ethical dilemma. John Stuart Mill opens his utilitarian postulation by asserting that ethical statements cannot be subjected to scientific or mathematical provability (West 23). Mill’s utilitarianism is the moral standpoint that views actions as right or wrong in proportion to how they advance happiness or pleasure (Bailey 23). By maximizing†¦show more content†¦Mill’s utilitarianism would probably suggest that John donates the money to the veterans. Unlike Mill, Kant postulates that certain types of actions as theft, rape, lying and murder ought to be explicitly prohibited irrespective of whether they are likely to generate happiness or not (Reath 23). The Kantian ethical consideration requires that John contemplates whether his actions respect other human beings and whether he can will that other people in his position act in a similar manner. Kantian moral theory is an example of a deontological ethical theory where the moral worth of an action is determined by dedication to moral duty (Wood 31). In choosing whether to use the money to support family or to donate to a veteran’s association, John needs to consider his duty to society as well as duty to family. Kant proposes the categorical imperative as a command that ascertains moral duties irrespective of the consequences of the action (Baxley 23). In John’s case, the categorical imperative would be, ‘you ought to support your family.’ The categorical imperative can be contrasted with the hypothetical imperative, which commands an action to fulfil certain desires (Denis 43). For instance, ‘if you want to get a good job, then go to school’ (Guyer 32) Kant’s morality is founded on the categorical imperative in the sense that one cannot opt out of a moralShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Efforts to Regulate the Internet5321 Words   |  22 PagesThe Efforts to Regulate the Internet Abstract â€Å"Cyberspace is both the popular medias new darling and new demon, revealing a new, expansive intellectual horizon but simultaneously providing easy access to an infinite, virtual Pandoras box† [1]. This paper shall discuss the situations that have raised the need for the Internet regulations, and in particular, Internet content censorship. Then, it shall review the regulatory efforts worldwide, with respect to the local cultures and governmentalRead MoreApplication of Ethical Theories12285 Words   |  50 PagesThe role of ethical theories in ethical reasoning and behavior within organizations - Research proposal Sigalit Pasternak, Phd student The Faculty of Management Tel Aviv University Supervisor: Dr. Ishak Saporta Introduction Business ethics is a specialized branch of ethics focusing on how moral standards apply to business organizations and behavior (Velasques, 1998). As such, it cannot be understood separately from the general ideas of ethics, and the general ethical theories apply to business ethics