Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism Essay -- Papers Immanuel Kant Ethics Mor

Utilitarianism vs. KantianismEthics can be defined as the conscious reflection on our righteous beliefs with the carry of improving, extending or refining those beliefs in some way. (Dodds, Lecture 2) Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism are two theories that attempt to answer the ethical nature of human beings. This paper ordain attempt to explicate how and why Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism differ as well as cover why I believe Kants theory provides a more than arguable account of ethics. Immanuel Kants deonotological ethical theory assesses if actions are moral based on the persons will or intention of acting. Kants theory can be categorise as a deonotological because actions are not assessed to be morally allowable on the basis of consequences they produce, but rather on the form of the agents will in acting, (Dodds, Lecture 7) therefore his actions are based on barter and not consequential. Kantianism is based on three principles saws, willing, and th e categorical imperative. Kant states that a maxim is a general rule or principle which will explain what a person takes himself to be doing and the circumstances in which he takes himself to be doing it (Feldman, 1999, 201). It is important that this principle be universalisable and that the maxim can be utilize consistently to everyone that encounters similar situations, therefore willed as a universal law. The act aspect of Kants theory is willing. This involves the agent consistently committing oneself to make an action occur. He states that, In general, we can say that a person wills inconsistently if he wills that p be the case and he wills that q be the case and its unfeasible for p and q to be the case together (Feldman, 1999, 203). T... ...nces. Kantianism focuses on the motivation of actions, has clean-cut and distinct set of universal rules, and is morally logical. On the other hand, Utilitarianism relies on the consequences of an action, has no set universal la ws as each action is assessed on an individual basis, and morality is based on the results of the assessment. Because of these reasons, I believe that Kantianism is the more ethically plausible theory of the two. BibliographySusan Dodds, Lecture 2 notes, Utilitarianism.Susan Dodds, Lecture 7 notes, Kantianism.Fred Feldman, Kants Ethics Theory Exposition and Critique from H. J. Curzer, ed Ethical Theory and deterrent example Problems, Belmont, Ca Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1999.J.S. Mill, What Utilitarianism Is from Peter Y. Windt, An Introduction to Philosophy Ideas in Conflict, St Paul, MN West Publishing, 1982.