Introduction
There is nothing more argued, explored and discussed in ethics than the value placed on human life. By using case study two this case study analysis will explore how two very different ethical frameworks of act utilitarianism and Kant’s Ethics offer two unique ways of understanding and responding to the assisted death of Ms Griffith by Mr Mathers. Was it an act of selfless love or murder? To have a greater understanding of this question posed this analysis will provide a description and explanation of the two theoretical frameworks of Act Utilitarianism and Kant’s Ethics, discuss the case study using Act Utilitarianism and Kant’s Ethics understandings, responses and limitations, and finally the implications of using these two theoretical frameworks on the people involved and the broader community.
Act Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism meaning acting in ways that bring about good consequences (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
Expanding on this, Utilitarian’s believe that an act should bring about the greatest good for all involved, even if bad things happen to a minority for the overall happiness of the majority (Bykvist 2010).
And finally an act utilitarian believes that to achieve the greatest good for all involved an individual must assess each different situation and weigh up the good and bad consequences of an act. Therefore there are no absolutes for an Act Utilitarian because every situation and person is different (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009; Bykvist 2010).
The Research paper on Act Utilitarianism And Kantian Ethical Theories In Business
... immoral. ConclusionThe application of Act Utilitarianism and Kantian ethic theories to the ethical issue ... (Rachels, 2003). The categorical imperative involves the universalisability principle, the action proposed ... decide sustainability will bring the greatest amount of happiness over unhappiness ... models’ concerns in order to maintain good relationships with important client” (Campbell, ...
Kant’s Ethics
Kant’s Ethics is a form of non-consequentialist ethics, which means that unlike consequentialism, non-consequentialist believe that consequences do not enter into judging whether an act or person is moral or otherwise (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
Kant’s Ethics also falls into the rule-non-consequentialism category meaning simply that there are always rules that are or can be the basis for morality and again that consequences play no part in said morality (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
Kant had many principles but the main ideas include, the good will, the categorical imperative or the universalising of rules, the practical imperative or no human being is a means to an end and lastly duty rather than inclination (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
Analysis of Case Study using Act Utilitarianism
As Singer (2003) describes the consequences that act utilitarian’s are most concerned with are the consequences that cause happiness, sadness, pleasure and pain. If we take this into account with Ms Griffith who was suffering from chronic back pain that doctors told her she simply had to put up with, we can safely assume that her excruciating pain stopped her from enjoying and progressing in her life. We also know that Ms Griffith attempted and failed to take her own life on multiple occasions, in her eyes her happiness was to be maximised and her pain minimised through death. She had explored future consequences of dealing with illness including the pain worsening, becoming immobile, and living in a nursing home, and had decided that the greatest good for all involved (especially her partner Mr Mathers) was for her to die. This shows that in Ms Griffith’s opinion all the consequences had be weighed up and there was more positives than negative consequences for her taking her life (Singer 2003; Rachels 1975).
As referenced in Singer (2003) John Stuart Mill argued that ‘individuals are ultimately the best judges and guardians of their own interest’ showing again that Ms Griffith had taken into account the consequences of her situation and discussed these with her partner Mr Mathers. Upon assisting Ms Griffith with taking her life Mr Mathers was aware of many of the possible consequences Ms Griffith would face if she continued to live, and he like Ms Griffith’s saw her future filled with pain, suffering and unhappiness, in his eyes the consequences of her death were proven again more positive than negative (Singer 2003 & Rachels 1975) . Moreover other positive consequences of Ms Griffith’s death meant that her family didn’t have to watch her prolonged and inevitable suffering, and it also meant that health resources could be used for patients with treatable conditions. This again shows how the consequences of Ms Griffith’s death may have contributed to the overall positive benefit of others (Singer 2003; Edwards 1985).
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For thousands of years, cities have existed, bringing together large numbers of people in common living conditions, complemented by the infrastructure to support the needs of these people, centers of commerce, and the like. In a modern context, cities are planned and executed with practiced precision, in an attempt to create an orderly setting for what has become a hectic way of life in light of ...
Finally to assess this case study from a totally act utilitarian view one must also look at all the possible outcomes and consequences (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009) if Ms Griffith was not assisted with her death. The main argument being that if Ms Griffith was still alive a cure for degenerative spinal condition may have been discovered, in time before her death. And as stated in the case study ‘there was no medical evidence that nothing could have been done for Ms Griffith’. Also Mill states (as referenced in Edwards 1985) we cannot always know the outcomes of our actions… Ms Griffith’s suffering could have raise awareness about her disease and motivated scientist to research new therapeutic drugs, positively impacting future suffers of the disease. This demonstrates that what may be negative for Ms Griffith was positive for the greater good (Edwards 1985).
On the flip side it could be argued that the medical industry and specialists are aware when cures are being researched and developed, they do not happen overnight. And it would be highly unlikely that the time before Ms Griffiths natural death a new drug for her illness would arrive on the market (Rachels 1975).
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Compare Mill and Kant's ethical theories; which makes a better societal order John Stuart Mill (1808-73) believed in an ethical theory known as utilitarianism. There are many formulation of this theory. One such is, "Everyone should act in such a way to bring the largest possibly balance of good over evil for everyone involved." However, good is a relative term. What is good Utilitarians disagreed ...
The limitations of using act utilitarianism for analysing this case study can be narrowed down to two main issues, that of the difficulty of determining the consequences for others, and that of compromising integrity and values (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009; Smart & Williams 1973).
When Ms Griffith attempted to take her life and Mr Mathers assisted her in taking her life neither one could predict what the potential consequences for others might be (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
Neither one could say with certainty that Ms Griffith’s death would have positive consequences for others. For example if Ms Griffith had children they may have found her death traumatising and disruptive on their own lives. In addition by using act utilitarianism ethics personal integrity can become compromised for the maximum good (Smart & Williams 1973).
Although Mr Mathers understood the positive consequences of assisting his partner to die, no doubt he compromised his own integrity and values doing something he never thought he would do, kill his partner (Smart & Williams 1973).
It could therefore be said that Mr Mathers separated his self from his actions, which destroyed his integrity (Smart & Williams 1973).
Ms Griffith decision to die rather than deal with her illness became her partner’s responsibility (Smart & Williams 1973), as evidenced by the statement Mr Mathers made ‘… I had to… if I wasn’t facing you… I’d be facing her in a bloody nursing home… and she’d be asking why didn’t I do something when I could.’
Analysis of case study using Kant’s Ethics
For a non-consequentialist such as Kant, it is the intent of an action rather than its consequences, which determines morality. Kant’s argument against suicide or assisted suicide is the same, stating that it violates the categorical imperative (Gunderson 2004).
When Ms Griffith attempted to take her own life she was going against a maxim and the idea of a universal law. It could be said that Ms Griffith was acting out of her own interest and the maxim behind taking one’s life cannot be universalized because it involves a contradiction in willing. Killing one’s self defeats the purpose of self love, which is furtherance of life (Gunderson 2004).
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It could also be said that Ms Griffith’s motives for taking her own life had some altruistic intentions of not wanting to burden her partner with her debilitating illness, but Kant’s ethics still say that this cannot be universalised because it again is a contradiction of willing by ending her use of rationality (Gunderson 2004).
Because the suicide wills to end reasoning, while also as a rational person she necessarily wills the furtherance of rationality (Gunderson 2004).
Kant’s ethics also suggest that by Ms Griffith attempting to take her life she saw herself as a means to an end (Rothhaar 2010).
By attempting to commit suicide Ms Griffith debased not only her own life but that of humanity, because Kant’s ethics believe that there is an unconditional respect for every human life, which therefore includes revere for your own life (Rothhaar 2010).
Kant’s Ethics also believe in ‘duty rather than inclination’. Kant stressed the importance of obeying the rules out of a sense of duty, as we all have inclinations it is the more moral thing to do when we obey rules out of a sense of duty rather than inclination, or it could also be said the more difficult the duty the greater moral value (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
Neither Ms Griffith nor Mr Mathers obeyed duty and law over their inclinations as obvious when Ms Griffith attempted to take her own life, and Mr Mathers took her life which is illegal. Kant’s ethics would suggest that neither Ms Griffith nor Mr Mathers’ actions were moral because inclination was behind the motives rather than a sense of duty, which would have been to seek help in Ms Griffith case and to not assist his partner in taking her life in Mr Mathers case (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
The main limitations of Kant’s ethics in relation to the case study can be narrowed down to a few key arguments being; that it does not take into consideration any consequences and the rigidness of acting out of duty over inclination. One of the main critiques of Kant’s ethics is that it does not under any circumstances take into consideration the consequences of following rules (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
In Ms Griffith case she could have followed the rules of Kant’s ethics and the categorical imperative, but that does not take into account the consequences Ms Griffith saw in her immediate future. The consequences of living including the pain worsening, becoming immobile, and living in a nursing home were certain futures that were in her mind that she could not avoid. If Ms Griffith follow Kant’s ethics she may have died in an undignified way with little control over her body, and mind. The other limitation is that Kant’s ethics states that to be completely moral one has to follow duty over inclination (Thiroux & Krasemann 2009).
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KANT Kant begins to claim that there is nothing in the world that can be regarded as good without qualification except good will. He says that qualities of temperament such as courage can also become extremely bad and harmful if the will is not good. Gifts such as fortune; power, riches, honor and health make for pride and sometimes even arrogance. A good will seems to constitute the indispensable ...
This view point does not take into consideration things such as love, compassion, loyalty and sympathy to name a few (Baron 1995).
It is clear that in the case study Mr Mathers assisted Ms Griffith to die, through love and loyalty and to this man those things were more important than his sense of duty to the law. Does this make Mr Mathers a less moral man because he performed a task that was above and beyond his duty to Ms Griffiths through his love and loyalty to her (Baron 1995)? This makes Kant’s ethics highly trying and rigid asking of people to promote as much good as they possibly can (Baron 1995).
Conclusion
The implications from analyising this case study from an act utilitarian view on both Ms Griffith and Mr Mathers situation could be said to stem back to one of the fundamental limitations of act utilitarian not knowing all the consequences of one’s actions for the greater good (Smart & Williams 1973).
It could be argued that the implications of this meant that Ms Griffith may not have had a complete understanding of the consequences of her death had on the greater good for all concerned… Especially her partner Mr Mathers. He had to face a court of law over assisting her with her death, and how did Ms Griffith know that her death was something that caused happiness for Mr Mathers? The greater implication on society from an act utilitarian view could be said that again Ms Griffith did not know, nor could she predict all the consequences her living may have had on the greater community. If Ms Griffith had chosen to live she may have raised awareness about her illness, raised funds towards research, been an inspiration to others, and maybe help find a cure! From an act utilitarian view this would have been a better set of consequences for the greater good.
The Essay on Kantian View Program Society Utilitarian
First of all I want to state the Kantian and the Utilitarian views butt heads on this issue. The Kantian view is non consequential, that is as a matter of principle with the consequences be damned. The Utilitarian view is consequential with the results given as much consideration as possible. I will attempt to explain what I mean through some examples. Some school systems hand out condoms free of ...
The implications from Kant’s ethics view point meant that Mr Mathers and Ms Griffith were both morally wrong in their acts towards ending Ms Griffith’s life. Mr Mathers was morally wrong therefore he would face serious legality issues under Kant’s ethics, murder is murder there are no other considerations to be taken into account. This is also the view point that the greater community would hold as well, society would not take into consideration the consequences because only an action is deemed moral or immoral and Mr Mathers would be seen as a murderer.
References
Baron, M. W 1995, Kantian ethics almost without apology, Cornell University Press, United States of America.
Bykvist, K 2010, Utilitarianism A Guide For The Perplexed, Continuum International Publishing, London.
Edwards, R. B 1985, ‘ J. S. MILL AND ROBERT VEATCH’S CRITIQUE OF UTILITARIANISM’, The Southern Journal of Philosophy, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 181-200.
Gunderson, M 2004, ‘A Kantian View of Suicide and End-of- Life Treatment’, Journal of Social Philosophy, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 277-287
Rachels, J 1975, ‘Active and Passive Euthanasia’, The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 292, no. 9, pp. 78-80
Rothhaar, M 2010,’ Human dignity and human rights in bioethics: the Kantian approach’, Springer Netherlands, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 251-257
Singer, P 2003, ‘Voluntary Euthanasia: A Utilitarian Perspective’, Bioethics, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 526-541
Smart, J. J. C, & Williams, B 1973, Utilitarianism; for and against, University Press
Thiroux, J. P, & Krasemann, K. W 2009, Ethics Theory and Practice, 11th edn, Pearson International Edition, London, England.
