Kantian ethics & utilitarianism

Kantian ethics & utilitarianism

Immanuel Kant, the man behind Kantian Ethics, says that what defines us as persons is our rationality and autonomy, and we shall therefore always respect them. He states that we shall never use ourselves or someone else simply as a means, and that we never shall undermine our own or anyone else’s rationality and/or autonomy. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, says that actions are right to the extent that they promote happiness and wrong to the extent that they promote unhappiness. Morality tells us to maximize happiness. An action is moral if it increases pleasure and decreases pain. But we shall not privilege our own happiness over others happiness.

I think the more plausible theory is Utilitarianism, because I think that is what most people will follow and do. We shall always increase pleasure and decrease pain, and that is natural for human beings. If you can increase both your own happiness and other people’s happiness, which utilitarianism says is important, I think that is enough. Although you may have to lie you should do it if that is what will generate the most happiness for you and the people around you. And I think most people will do this. Also, we will try to decrease pain. No one wants to experience pain, so we will naturally try to decrease it.

I don’t think that we in every situation should act ethical based on the intention and not on the consequence, which Kant says. An act can be ethical even though the intention is unethical. I’m not writing this because I want to, but because I have to. The intention may be unethical, but the consequence is good for me because I’m submitting the assignment on time, and that’s the most important thing to me.

 Barbara:

All acts that increase pleasure are ethical

All acts of helping homeless people are acts that increase pleasure

Therefore, all acts of helping homeless people are ethical