Current Dominant Principle-Based Ethical Theories

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Part 1:
1. What are the current dominant principle-based ethical theories utilitarianism and deontology: their strengths and limitations? What do the ethics of care, virtue-based and feminist ethics offer us?
Two dominant principles based ethical theories are utilitarianism and deontology. Utilitarianism is “the belief that an ethical action is one that does the most good. (Merriam-Webster) This ethical theory is beneficial because it can help a large amount of people. However, with utilitarianism, keeping a promise or common morality do not define a “good” action. This theory makes me think of stem cell research. For many people, a life is viewed as sacred from the begging of fertilization and to end a life purposely is immoral. Stem cell researchers may create a life and end it for the means of stem cell research and harvesting. This research can be beneficial to lots of people but does it justify ending a life? Utilitarianism says yes. …show more content…

I prefer this theory because I believe it is important to focus on helping each person instead of focusing on helping every person. Health care providers must look at the needs of every individual patient and do what is morally right to help each one. An act that is morally wrong cannot be justified even if it can end in good. Each person is valued equally and none are sacrificed for the good of others. However, deontology can be limiting because not all things can be viewed as moral or immoral. Also, this theory may limit some practices that can be beneficial to overall population such as stem cell

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