Compare Utilitarian and Deontological Theory - 1821 Words

COMPARE UTILITARIAN AND DEONTOLOGICAL THEORIES Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined by its usefulness. In maximizing utility and minimizing negative utility, in short it can be defined as pleasure minus pain. Deontology means duty or obligation. This theory was founded by a German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). According to Kant, it is the only way of making moral decisions. Another definition for deontology is that it is an approach to the justification in which priority is given to the fundamental principles (Thompson et.al 2000;364) Utilitarianism is an act which is right when it promotes happiness and is wrong when it promotes unhappiness. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was the†¦show more content†¦John Stuary Mills theory contrast related to how people find pleasure and human happiness. Utilitarianism understands all practical reasoning- reasoning about what to do as means to an end reasoning. It is rational to do whatever brings about a good end. The utilitarianism thinks it is obvious that is something is good more of it is better and we ought to do what is. The deontologist disagrees and offers an alternative theory of practical reasoning. (Michael Lacewing www.alevelphilosophy.co.uk) Here is an illustration of how a Deontologist and Utilitarianism may differ on making decisions , A bus on a school bus with 30 children is hijacked by hijackers . The hijackers demanded that one child should be killed so that the rest would be saved. The hijackers have made it clear that if no action is made within an hour they will kill all the children within 3hours.A utilitarian will make a decision based on its merit that is utilitarianism is a theory that produces that always produces happiness for the greater number of people .Therefore if one child dies it saves 29children. A deontologist will follow the deontological ethical theoryShow MoreRelatedDescribe the Main Principles of the Two Normative Ethical Theories of Deontology and Utilitarianism. Compare and Contrast the Two Theories, Bringing Out Any Problems or Limitations You See in Each.1652 Words   |  7 PagesDescribe the main prin ciples of the two normative ethical theories of deontology and utilitarianism. Compare and contrast the two theories, bringing out any problems or limitations you see in each. Bioethics Essay †¢ Intro: Define ethics and define and introduce the two theories. (philosophical theories†¦) †¢ Utilitarianism- example †¢ Deontology- example- compare †¢ comparing- evaluating and critically analyzing*- similarities and differences. †¢ Limitations and positives* Read MoreCyber Ethics Should Be Addressed Sooner915 Words   |  4 Pagesmedia (Cyber-Ethics). This theory of moral principles spans further than just downloading torrents from a site, it is trend that is sweeping or youth, neglecting to set standards and educate users has become the norm in our web centric society. Cyber ethics is an issue that needs to be taught to users at a younger and younger age, as schools and institutions turn to information technology (IT) as an avenue to educate, these users need cyber-ethical guidance. Utilitarian Normative ethics in IT fallRead MoreDeontology and Utilitarianism Essay1340 Words   |  6 PagesDescribe the main principles of the two normative ethical theories of deontology and utilitarianism. Compare and contrast the two theories, bringing out any problems or limitations you see in each. INTRODUCTION:- Bioethicists ask these questions in the context of modern medicine and draw on a plurality of traditions, both secular and religious, to help society understand and keep pace with how advances in science and medical technology can change the way we experience the meaning of healthRead MoreDefinitions And Development Of Deontological And Teleological Ethics1039 Words   |  5 Pagesessay will include the background and development of deontological and teleological ethics. Also, it will compare and contrast the absolute and relative ethics. Finally, it will contain the ethical issues which can affect the operational activities of the business. In order to support the points, it will also include the real life examples. AC 1.1 - Background and development of ethical approaches Teleological ethic - this describes an ethical theory which judges the rightness of an action in termsRead MoreEthical Concepts And Principles Of Business Ethics1673 Words   |  7 Pagesthat held by consumers, and so they have an obligation above and beyond the sales contract (and let the buyer be aware) to exercise due care in preventing consumers and the environment from being harmed by their products. Organisations that follow Utilitarian ethics assess economic externality factors relating to their operations in terms of the cost and benefits of their actions. Organisations that follow Kantian codes of conduct concentrate not completely on financial goals, or internal political goalsRead MoreEvaluating Causation When Confronted With Unfavorable Outcomes1743 Words   |  7 Pagesprocess causation when confronted with unfavorable outcomes. In order to gauge how counterfactual thinking can be affected, we will focus on the factors of gender and mutability of a situation. According to Epstude and Roese (2008), when people compare an imagined alternative outcome with the actual outcome of an action or a situation, they are engaging in the process of counterfactual thinking. The implications of this concept have been subjects of interest to many researchers due to the theory’sRead MorePlanning Stage At North West Shelf818 Words   |  4 Pagesan ethical manner so as to ensure an acceptable company image. The ethical issue noticed in this stage was minor oil spills that occurred during transportation, through leakage, jettisoning or collision (Woodside 2006). It is observed that the utilitarian approach adopted in this project is highly valued in economic terms; it must be tailored to incorporate ecological issues (Bentham). They choose the course of action that provides the greatest benefits after the costs have been taken into accountRead MoreEssay about Martha Stewart Ethics1436 Words   |  6 Pagesactions we must compare her actions agains t the different theories. Normative ethics shows us how to mentally dissect an issue and make a moral decision. There are two basic theories: utilitarian and deontological. When utilitarians make a moral decision, they look at the consequences of a decision in order to decide if it is right or wrong. This approach is called consequentialism. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill founded the most widely accepted consequentialist theory called utilitarianismRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Utilitarianism Essay1381 Words   |  6 Pages There are many ethical theories that one can follow. As a result of there being many different theories, some can overlap while others can vary greatly. The two most widely known theories, Utilitarianism and Deontological ethics, greatly conflict with each other. They differ mostly in what they value most, the outcome vs. the action/motive. John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism itself differs from the original form of Utilitarianism created by Jeremy Bentham. Bentham felt that pleasure was wholly goodRead MoreUtilitarianism And Deontology From A Business Perspective1875 Words   |  8 Pagesage old question of what is better for business Utilitarianism, Deontology or something else? These two main ethical concepts rule almost all decisions made by companies nowadays. The paper is structured so that first it analyses Utilitarianism and compares it to Deontology by first defining the ethical terms based on current literatures, and later provide real live examples to illustrate the concepts mainly obtained from articles in authoritative sources. A conclusion is then derived from these discussions