Euthanasia: Kantianism vs Utilitarianism Essay Sample The deliberate act of ending another’s life, given his or her consent, is formally referred to as euthanasia. A KANTIAN APPROACH TO EUTHANASIA ABSTRACT The paper addresses the issues of euthanasia and thoroughly analyses Kantian response to the practice in question. I'm in Canada and the debate has been started again by the government. It is said that case should be read two times. it would back up the act of mercy killing as a morally sound action.Unlike Utilitarianism nevertheless. According to Utilitarianism, ethics is primarily an empirical science; essentially implying that the moral standard must be based on human experiences, and not abstract principles that are largely impractical. Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 2. 0 Like 0 Tweet. In reference to Kant’s views on many related issues, such as murder, suicide, autonomy, rationality, Nonetheless, Kant would consider it the wrong choice for the same reasons as those relating to an actively perpetrated suicide. Aside from the cultural and religious aspects on dying, Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics discuss how we, as humans, should pursue our lives. Immanuel Kant focuses on actions and labels an action morally right if … Thus, for these reasons, the positions of Utilitarianism and Kantian on euthanasia are inadequate in resolving the issue of euthanasia, and euthanasia still remains as a significant social-ethical problem in our contemporary society. A probable Kantian attitude towards euthanasia, apart from the analogy with suicide, can be derived from Kant’s vie ws on deliberate murder and punishment, i.e. Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism Ethics can be defined as "the conscious reflection on our moral beliefs with the aim of improving, extending or refining those beliefs in some way." It irrational sa y that pleasure is all that matters and then to act with other things in mind as w ell. Also contrary to Utilitarianism, Kantian asserts that the moral worth of an action should be judged on its motive and the action itself, and not on its consequences. According to Utilitarianism, euthanasia can be morally justified, whereas according to Kantianism, euthanasia is not morally justifiable; but I will argue that neither position provides an adequate resolution to the issue, due to the significant flaws that are inherent in … Hedonistic Utilitarianism An action is god when it maximizes the amount of pleasure for most people, consequences in a minimum amount of pain. However, as I stated in my thesis, I believe that Utilitarianism, and Kantian do not provide an adequate resolution to the issue of euthanasia, because of he significant flaws in their reasoning. Aside from the cultural and religious aspects on dying, Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics discuss how we, as humans, should pursue our lives. Utilitarianism means that the outcome of our actions determines whether or not what we have done is good. Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism According to Thiroux and Krasemann (2012), utilitarianism is, “a normative ethical theory originally established by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that advocates brining about good consequences or happiness to all concerned” (pp. Hence, based on an understanding of human experience Utilitarianism proposes that the ultimate end of every human action is simply pleasure, and the absence of pain. Therefore, since euthanasia does not meet the moral standards set out by Kantian, it would not support the act of euthanasia as a morally sound action. Utilitarianism pdf and kantianism. the death penalty. So, in applying the utilitarian principle to this case, the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people occurs when the person is dead. Thus, under the utilitarian system, keeping the person alive in this scenario would have been the morally justified act, whereas killing the person would not have been. Keywords Ethics, Euthanasia, demise, Uncertainty, ethical issues. Euthanasia related to Kantianism and Utilitarianism. Essay, Ask Writer For According to Kant, we should look at our maxims, or intentions, of the particular action. Kantianism and utilitarianism have different ways for determining whether an act we do is right or wrong. Kantians believe “human life is valuable because humans are the bearers of rational life” (O’Neill 414). This paper will find out what utilitarian and deontological positions would say about euthanasia. Bentham's theory states that when faced with an ethical dilemma, you should decide what is morally right or wrong depending on what has the best consequences for the maximum amount of people. Finally, Utilitarianism asserts that an action is good only if it promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people. Utilitarianism says that what defines right or wrong is the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people by maximizing benefits or at least reducing suffering. Kantianism states that moralss is a strictly a priori subject. 4 UTILITARIAN ETHICS Bedau (1983) tells us that Kantian ethics contrast the idea of utilitarianism, which proposes that all situations demand a certain degree of pragmatism with respect to behavior. Initially, fast reading without taking notes and underlines should be done. This practice with the terminally ill is known as euthanasia. Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism According to Thiroux and Krasemann (2012), utilitarianism is, “a normative ethical theory originally established by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that advocates brining about good consequences or happiness to all concerned” (pp. It is Teleological and focused on maximizing utility, as opposed to the Deontological root of a Kantian philosophy. Essentially, the categorical imperative states that your actions must not result in a practical contradiction, which can be determined by nationalizing all other people performing the same act. To effectively make these 451). Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 3 NOTE TO TUTORS These support materials have been designed to support the teaching of the Thus, in the context of the case mentioned in the introduction, the Utilitarian position on euthanasia would go something as follows: With respect to the individual who is willing to die, he/she would simply be happiest dead, and unhappiest alive. Voluntary euthanasia is defined as “the practice of ending a … First let us define voluntary euthanasia. Finally, the categorical imperative is an unconditional ought, which means that an action must be performed solely out of duty to the categorical imperative, without any ulterior motive, in order for it to be a moral action. Taking the categorical imperative in terms of being able to act In ways that can, without contradiction, become a universal law, if one were to universalism killing another person – which is the fundamental act in euthanasia – this would result in a practical contradiction. Downloaded 202 times. Voluntary euthanasia is justifiable when the action leads to the happiness of the individual and society. To illustrate, if I were to make a promise with no intentions of keeping it, and I imagine all other people doing the same, then very idea of a promise would cease to have meaning, and thus, my action would give rise to a practical contradiction, and consequently, be immoral. With Utilitarianism, the significant flaw in their position lies in the fact that it is built on the false assumption that the consequences of actions can be predicted, when in actuality they cannot. With Kantian, the significant flaw in their position lies in the fact that they make an absolute, immutable statement – do not murder – without any consideration for the context in which murder takes place. According to Kant there is only one categorical imperative, which is to “act only on that maxim in which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal (Kant, 528); and can also be formulated as “act in such a way tattoo always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as means, but always at the same time as an end” (Kant, 532). Euthanasia: Kantianism vs Utilitarianism. Essays: Euthanasia: Kantianism vs Utilitarianism. This can be illustrated in the most common case of euthanasia, where the person who is ailing to die suffers from an illness that causes great pain, and will result in his or her demise in the not-so-distant future. At present, euthanasia is one of the most controversial social-ethical issues that we face, in that it deals with a sensitive subject matter where there is much uncertainty as to what position one ought to take. He followed two 'laws' when deciding what to do in a moral dilemma. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. We are going to have one group taking a Kantianism perspective and the other Utilitarianism. You can get your custom paper from Utilitarianism states that what makes an action right is that it produces the greatest amount of happiness (not just your happiness, but others as well). Deliberately killing another person is presumed by most rational people as a fundamental evil act. For example, it is possible that the person, who underwent euthanasia because of the pain he/she suffered, could’ve been misdiagnosed and fully recovered shortly after. • Utilitarianism says that an act is justified if maximum numbers of people are deriving happiness out of it. Therefore, since euthanasia meets the moral tankards set by Utilitarianism, it would support the act of euthanasia as a morally sound action. your own paper. If you need this or any other sample, we can send it to you via email. It is unreasonable, and bordering on foolish, to claim to adequately resolve special cases of murder such as euthanasia through a simple, general statement without taking into consideration its context. The deliberate act of ending another's life, given his or her consent, is formally referred to as euthanasia. Two most famous ethicists are John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) and Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). This fundamental idea then forms the basis for Utilitarianism’s Greatest Happiness Principle which states, “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. That practical contradiction being if everyone were to kill one another, then there would be no people left in this world, and as a consequence, the very idea of murder would lose its meaning. There are a variety of positions, based on the numerous ethical theories that have been developed, that one can take in order to resolve the issue of euthanasia; but the positions will be looking at in particular, are the positions based on John Stuart Mill’s ‘Utilitarianism’ ethical theory, and Emmanuel Cant’s ‘Categorical Imperative’ ethical theory. (Dodds, Lecture 2) Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism are two theories that attempt to answer the ethical nature of human beings. According to Utilitarianism, euthanasia can be morally justified, whereas according to Kantian, euthanasia is not morally justifiable; but will argue that neither position provides an adage Tate resolution to the issue, due to the significant flaws that are inherent in the reasoning that led to their particular positions. "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy", Don't use plagiarized sources. This paper will first discuss the principles of utilitarianism through Bentham Euthanasia is often considered a moral issue. Let us look at the issue of euthanasia being admissible in a utilitarian framework. • Utilitarianism says that an act is justified if maximum numbers of people are deriving happiness out of … In fact, killing the person would seem to be the most humane act one can perform, and in not killing the person, and keeping him/her alive in such a state of pain and agony, would be like an indirect form of torture; which in Kantian is not a moral act. Also, Utilitarianism asserts that actions are judged as moral solely based on their consequences, and not on their motives. Kantianism vs Utilitarianism • Attitude towards what is right or wrong is what constitutes the basic difference between utilitarianism and Kantianism. In case you can’t find a sample example, our professional writers are ready to help you with writing Kantian vs. Utilitarian Ethics of Euthanasia... Euthanasia is often considered a moral issue. There is hardly any similarity between utilitarianism and Kantianism. Euthanasia denotes any action that terminates the life of an individual in intense and debilitating medical state. Kantianism and utilitarianism have different ways for determining whether an act we do is right or wrong. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. Therefore, since euthanasia meets the moral standards set by Utilitarianism, it would support the act of euthanasia as a morally sound action. Though it is indeed reasonable that deliberately killing another for the sake of harming them is an immoral act, in euthanasia, a person is killed by another only by their own consent, and for the most part, with a good motive. Tannsjo is correct to observe that the same philosophical starting points can be used to arrive at very different outlooks. We have to prepare both sides. Voluntary euthanasia is defined as “the practice of ending a … Euthanasia and Utilitarianism The principle of Utilitarianism was invented by Jeremy Bentham. our expert writers, Copying content is not allowed on this website, Ask a professional writer to help you with your text, Give us your email and we'll send you the essay you need, Please indicate where to send you the sample, Hi, my name is Jenn Utilitarianism is an ethical approach that attempts to maximise The deliberate act of ending another 's life, given his or her consent, is formally referred to as euthanasia. Help, Use multiple resourses when assembling your essay, Get help form professional writers when not sure you can do it yourself, Use Plagiarism Checker to double check your essay, Do not copy and paste free to download essays. Euthanasia: Kantianism vs Utilitarianism. A utilitarian perspective is the foil to a Kantian viewpoint, as intent has no bearing on a decision, while the net outcome is the determining factor for … Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism According to Thiroux and Krasemann (2012), utilitarianism is, “a normative ethical theory originally established by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that advocates brining about good consequences or happiness to all concerned” (pp. According to Utilitarianism, euthanasia can be morally justified, whereas according to Kantian, euthanasia is not morally justifiable; but will argue that neither position provides an adage Tate resolution to the issue, due to the significant flaws that are inherent in … A probable Kantian attitude towards euthanasia, apart from the analogy with suicide, can be derived from Kant’s vie ws on deliberate murder and punishment, i.e. I am preparing for an in-class debate to discuss the morals of the Euthanasia. Kantians believe “human life is valuable because humans are the bearers of rational life” (O’Neill 414). Euthanasia is seen by some as killing, while others see it as removing a person from immense amounts of pain. In this case, killing the person Would seem to be the most humane and reasonable thing to do, whereas keeping the person alive would be akin to torture; which is also presumed to be a fundamental evil act. Therefore, an action that slightly increases your own pleasure, but in turn, dramatically decreases the pleasure of other, according to Utilitarianism is not moral action. since euthanasia meets the moral criterions set by Utilitarianism. Get Your Custom Essay on, By clicking “Write my paper”, you agree to our, By clicking Send Me The Sample you agree on the, The doctrine of utilitarianism articulated by jeremy bentham argued that governments should, Compare And Contrast Utilitarianism With Kant MID TERM, https://graduateway.com/euthanasia-kantianism-vs-utilitarianism-essay/, Get your custom Unlike Utilitarianism however, Kantianism states that ethics is a purely a priori discipline, thus, independent of experience, and that ethical rules can only be … Logistics management - Evaluate the logistics operations carried out within the company highlighting the problems encountered. However, when that person gives his or her consent to do so, this seems to give rise to an exceptional case. A utilitarian perspective is the foil to a Kantian viewpoint, as intent has no bearing on a decision, while the net outcome is the determining factor for whether something is right or wrong. Voluntary euthanasia is justifiable when the action leads to the happiness of the individual and society. With respect to the people who care for the individual, they loud be happy that he/she is alive, but unhappy at the same time because he/she is in great pain; or if the individual underwent euthanasia, happy because he/she is no longer in pain, but unhappy because he/she is dead. Thus, with regard to euthanasia, Kantian would reject the act of euthanasia s a morally good action based on their reasoning that an action is good only if it acts in accordance with a categorical imperative. 451). How is racism depicted in 'Life for a Life' by Alan Paton. But euthanasia, in essence, is murder, and this might lead one to ask whether there can ever be an exception to murder? First let us define voluntary euthanasia. Kantianism and Utilitarianism Euthanasia is one of the issues that different philosophers have discussed in length. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure” (Mill, 7). This simply means that the end justifies means. independent of experience. download word file, 6 pages, 4.3. It is a consequentialist ethic. I am preparing for an in-class debate to discuss the morals of the Euthanasia. In reference to Kant’s views on many related issues, such as murder, suicide, autonomy, rationality, According to Kant, we should look at our maxims, or intentions, of the particular action. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/euthanasia-kantianism-vs-utilitarianism-essay/, This is just a sample. the death penalty. • Utilitarianism and Euthanasia • Kantian Ethics and Euthanasia. All you need to do is fill out a short form and submit an order. 451). concept of autonomy in the euthanasia debate and 2) the application of Kantian autonomy to the euthanasia debate is only appropriate in making an argument that advanced directives, made by a present rational self for a future arational self, can legitimately specify conditions under which euthanasia should occur. Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.”As somebody who believes in god and with Kant’s ideas, I agree with this quote because Kantian ethics are usually spoken of in terms of duty and doing the right thing, Kant himself thought that … Euthanasia: Kantianism vs Utilitarianism . The deliberate act of ending another's life, given his or her consent, is formally referred to as euthanasia… In the worst case scenario, would his not leave an opening for cold-blooded murders to kill people without their consent, and make false claims that they did have their consent? 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