Utilitarian Ethics

natural selection A Write a contrast hear dealing with the major distinction amid utilitarian and deontological reasoning. Make reference to e real(prenominal) relevant aspects of the two positions including the solve and order versions along with apposite examples that clarify your answer. The major distinction between Emmanual Kants deontological reasoning and Mills utilitarian reasonsing is that deontological reasoning refers to duty, which is usu eithery dogged without regard to destiny or consequences where as utilitarian reasoning al ways considers circumstances and consequences.A good case arouse be made that classic deontological theories, like Kant savour little jussive mood, be just utilitarian theories very well disguised. Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is an good system that is virtually ofttimes attributed to philosophers much(prenominal) as tin substructure Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism relys that the nearly estimable occasion to d o is to mottoize the happiness within a society. Utilitarians believe that carry throughs deplete calculable outcomes and that ethical choices stick out outcomes which lead to the most happiness to the most members of a society.Utilitarianism is often considered a consequentialist philosophical outlook because it both believes that outcomes fire be predicted and because it judges actions ground on their outcomes. Thus, utilitarianism is often associated with the phrase the ends justify the means. Deontology Deontology is an alternative ethical system that is usually attributed to the philosophical customs duty of Immanuel Kant. Whereas utilitarianism focuses on the outcomes, or ends, of actions, deontology demands that the actions, or means, themselves mustiness be ethical.Deontologists designate that there are transcendent ethical norms and truths that are popularly applicable to all people. Deontology holds that some actions are im clean regardless of their outcomes t hese actions are ruin in and of themselves. Kant gives a two-dimensional imperative to act morally at all times. The categorical imperative demands that clements act in a way that their actions can be cosmopolitanized into a general rule of nature. Kant believes that all people come to moral conclusions about right and wrong ground on rational thought.Deontology is roughly associated with the maxim the means must justify the ends. The fight illustrated A classic example illustrates the departure between these two ethical systems. theorize an evil villain holds you and ten a nonher(prenominal) people at gunpoint and tells you that she bequeath slay all ten of your oath pris championrs unless you shovel in one of them yourself. You have no doubts about the veracity of the villains threats you believe in full that she will do as she narrates she will. Therefore, you have two options.The first option is to kill one of the ten people to sustain the lives of the other nin e. The other option is to do nothing and watch the villain kill all ten people. Utilitarians would most presumable conclude that you should kill the one soulfulness because it has the most beneficial outcome. Deontologists would most potential conclude that you should not kill the one soulfulness because killing another person is wrong as a universal moral truth. Utilitarianisms answers to deontology Utilitarianisms first answer to deontology is to regularise that there are no universal moral truths. Such truths are difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain. On the other hand, the benefits and disadvantages of actions are overmuch more easily calculated. Thus, rather than relying on amorphous, vague moral truths to guide action we should look to more concrete ways of determining the ethics of a particular proposition act. Also, utilitarianism would argue that deontology leads to morally untenable outcomes, such as in the example preceding(prenominal). Utilitarians would argu e that the outcome of ten deaths is much less desirable than one.Thus, we should always look to the ends rather than the means to determine whether an act is ethical or not. Deontologys answers to utilitarianism Deontologys first answer to utilitarianism is to say that the ends are illusory. That is, it is impossible to predict the outcomes of ones actions with authoritative certainty. The only thing one can be sure of is whether his or her actions are ethical or not based on the categorical imperative. Additionally, deontologists believe that we can only be responsible for our consume actions and not the ctions of others. Thus, in the example above you are only responsible for your closing whether to kill the prisoner or not the villain is the one making the wrong choice to kill the rest of the prisoners. oneness is only responsible for following the categorical imperative. Finally, deontologists argue that utilitarianism devolves into dangerous moral relativism where human be ings are allowed to justify heinous acts on the grounds that their outcomes are beneficial.