Kantian Ethics Vs Utilitarianism

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1. What are the ethical issues and concerns raised? Sort them by Kantian and Utilitarian perspectives. State the defining characteristics of each theory and briefly apply to the concerns you noted. Kantian ethics is a deontological ethical theory attributed to the German philosopher by the name of Immanuel Kant. It focuses on duties and the moral obligation. The primary formulation of Kant’s ethics is the Categorical Imperatives , which are moral principles that are applied to all rational adults. One's behavior should accord with universalizable principle and ought to always treat others with respect and dignity and not use them merely for some purpose. According to Kantian ethics, the ethical issues raised by the case of harvesting prisoner’s organs are the practice of autonomy, nonmaleficence, voluntary consent, and the respect of cultural sensitivity. The practice of China harvesting prisoner’s organs without their consent is morally wrong. Kant's principle of non-instumentalizaion prohibits one from being used as a means. Physicians and other medical personnel should never do any harm and the decisions should be based on the interest of the patient. …show more content…

Utilitarianism is a moral theory that mainly focuses on consequences. Doctors involvement with execution to harvest prisoners organs is a major ethical concern, however, from a Utilitarian point of view the doctors end goal is to preserve life. For every deceased individual, up to eight people can benefit. Utilitarian's justification for organ donation is due to the shortage of organs. To meet the needs of the unfortunate, it would be acceptable to coerce individuals to be an organ donor, and to even harvest organs without to fulfill the moral

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