This assignment will be critically analysing how different ethical perspectives may impact upon an individual and their justification for an action they have elected to undertake. This shall be implemented in accordance to case study one, where Sean misses the deadline to submit a substantial piece of work, whilst referring to the ethical perspectives of consequentialism and deontology.
Deontologists judge the morality of their actions in accordance to how those actions adhere to the rules (Hursthouse, 2010), without regard to consequences or other external factors (Fox and Demarco, 2001). In this case, the rule was that the students must submit the assignment on that particular day, and no later. As such, the teacher has no choice but to record Sean's work as un-submitted. There is an inherent duty to comply with the rules (Waller, 2005) from the deontological viewpoint, which overrides any mitigating circumstances; as justification for their actions are based on what is permissible and what is wrong (Blackburn, 2003).
This is not to say the teacher would not have granted Sean with an extension had Sean had a plausible reason as to why he was unable to submit his work, as the rules do allow for extensions under certain circumstances. Sean however did not offer such reasons, thus the ability for the teacher to give him an extension is not available. Although such action may compromise the overall grade Sean achieves, this would not phase the actions of a deontologist. This is not to say however that the decision to take such action would come easily, as personal feelings are morally neutral (Billington, 1993) and may contrast with the course of action taken.
If the teacher had decided to grant Sean with an extension it coul...
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Waller, B. (2005) Consider ethics: Theory, reading and contempory issues. New York: Pearson longman.
Virtue ethics is an approach that “deemphasizes rules, consequences and particular acts and places the focus on the kind of person who is acting” (Garrett, 2005). A person’s character is the totality of his character traits. Our character traits can be goo...
Nye, Howard. PHIL 250 B1, Winter Term 2014 Lecture Notes – Ethics. University of Alberta.
In the above paper, I have explored Williams’s criticism of negative responsibility and consequentialism’s attack on integrity. I then moved on to Railton’s solution of sophisticated consequentialism as a reconciliation of consequentialism and integrity; I then proposed an objection to Railton on the grounds that embracing sophisticated consequentialism is a move away from consequentialism. Finally, I considered Railton’s probable response to that objection. The decision is now left to the reader as to the fruitfulness of my endeavor.
Deontological moral theory is a Non-Consequentialist moral theory. While consequentialists believe the ends always justify the means, deontologists assert that the rightness of an action is not simply dependent on maximizing the good, if that action goes against what is considered moral. It is the inherent nature of the act alone that determines its ethical standing. For example, imagine a situation where there are four critical condition patients in a hospital who each need a different organ in order to survive. Then, a healthy man comes to the doctor’s office for a routine check-up.
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Class notes from PHIL 330, Moral Theory, by Dr. Richard Lippke, Department of Philosophy, and James Madison University. Spring Semester 2002.
In this paper consequentialism, non-consequentialism, and virtual ethics are described as systems and then applied to
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In his article "The Schizophrenia of Modern Ethical Theories," Michael Stocker argues that mainstream ethical theories, namely consequentialism and deontology, are incompatible with maintaining personal relations of love, friendship, and fellow feeling because they both overemphasise the role of duty, obligation, and rightness, and ignore the role of motivation in morality. Stocker states that the great goods of life, i.e. love, friendship, etc., essentially contain certain motives and preclude others, such as those demanded by mainstream ethics.11 In his paper "Alienation, Consequentialism, and the Demands of Morality," Peter Railton argues that a particular version of consequentialism, namely sophisticated consequentialism, is not incompatible with love, affection and acting for the sake of others. In the essays "War and Massacre" and "Autonomy and Deontology," Thomas Nagel holds that a theory of absolutism, i.e. deontology, may be compatible with maintaining personal commitments. The first objective of this paper is to demonstrate that despite the efforts of both Railton and Nagel, consequentialism and deontology do not in fact incorporate personal relations into morality in a satisfactory way. This essay shows that Stocker’s challenge may also hold against versions of Virtue Ethics, such as that put forth by Rosalind Hursthouse in her article "Virtue Theory and Abortion." The second objective of this discussion is to examine criticisms of Stocker made by Kurt Baier in his article "Radical Virtue Ethics." This essay demonstrates that in the end Baier’s objections are not convincing.
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In this assignment we will be identifying an ethical dilemma an individual has experienced. We will begin with a short introduction of what an ethical dilemma is, moving on to providing brief details of the dilemma an individual has experienced. We will then go on to selecting one ethical theory, to show how it can help an individual understand and deal with the situation when placed within, followed by a conclusion.
Furrow, Dwight. Ethics- Key Concepts In Philosophy. New York, NY: Continuum, 2005. Print. 20 Oct. 2011
This paper will examine this ethical dilemma further, including why it is an important issue...