Utilitarianism
A philosophy does not remain binding if it does not contain some inherent consequences for one to break the rules. A look at the correlation that exist between morality and psychological handling of a solution proves the significance of utilitarian system. With the understanding of the utilitarian system one can then understand the process involved in making of ethical and moral decisions. A look at utilitarianism as an ethical framework reveals a concept that looks at the results or outcome of a certain action. The framework focuses on actions done ethically through making concrete decisions on the actions that will prove to be more beneficial. It looks at actions taken in trying to maximize on the good and bad of an action.
From the case study, the issue of the auto companies venturing into China and inflicting serious harms on the global environment brings forth serious ethical issues. Mill arguments stems that happiness forms the sole basis of morality. Mill supports his arguments with excerpts that shows that all the objects in peoples desired is aimed at happiness. He tries to answer the question of moral and ethical issues with a look at the consensus and principles that supports the notion of right and wrong.
The auto companies such as General Motors (GM), Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Citroen, and BMW altogether invested over twenty million dollars to improve the Chinese auto industry. Their actions were meant to develop the auto industry and bring happiness to the people of china, but that was not the case. Many critics were not impressed by the auto company’s actions by suggesting that iy brought serious harm to their global environment. The ethical decisions involved in the auto industry is an important area of study as it posses various moral and ethical questions. This could involve years of pain and suffering. Mill looks at this as the presence of happiness and pain just like going to school forms part of happiness while doing homework is part of pain.
The Essay on Pursuit Of Happiness Moral Aristotle Good
Why Should I Be Moral? The question of morality proves to be a complex interrogatory. Should Ibe moral? If I should be, then why? Why is morality important to society? An assumption can be made that morals derive from a purely religious perspective or the Golden Rule approach. We are told that it is right to be moral. This is an ineffective answer, since it does not apply to someone outside the ...
He argues that a foundation is necessary in order for morality to have significance and legitimacy. He furthers his arguments by stating that if actions are to be judged whether they are to be done for the greater good, this should be portrayed in the end result. The end result forms the beneficial aspect that is achieved as happiness for an individual. The utilitarianism theory by mill is based on principle of actions that are right. However, focusing on the utilitarianism as an issue in the decision makers in China, is not the step forward. Happiness is personal and cannot be forced on an individual.
The use of utilitarianism as the focal point in study of ethical and moral issues present a dilemma in the study. The theory of utilitarianism has been criticized by many critics who deem it as a substandard method for ethical study. Critics hold that utilitarianism does not provide perfect answers and solutions to the main issue which is happiness. Happiness is a complex matter that cannot be easily attained in all quarters. In this case, as much as the auto companies are hoping to develop and please the Chinese people with new auto mobiles, not all are happy about that.
Happiness is difficult to measure and control. Mill looks at happiness as an important aspect that originates from the human social nature. He sees it as the final aim for any human but what he failed to discuss was the negative effects associated with happiness. For example, happiness cannot be achieved in totality to the people who are in opposed to growth of auto mobiles in China . There will also be a disgruntled person who hopes puts their own happiness first to the happiness of others.
The Essay on Happiness and People
What does happiness mean to you? According to the dictionary happiness means “a pleasurable or satisfying experience”. Most people believe that happiness is simply a state of well-being; to me, happiness is more complex. True happiness is anything that brings feelings of true joy to an individual’s life. For example, Barry Schwartz a psychologist who spoke in the Ted Talk lecture scenes said the ...
Nozick follows the concepts of Libertarian view on the justice of distribution. The libertarian view seeks to identify justice with liberty. The libertarian philosophers focus on liberty as a key concept that takes precedence over other moral concerns. Nozicks believes that people have certain rights that include life, liberty, health and property. They form the Lockean rights that are available for everyone and the constraints to our behaviour. The belief in these rights is what forms Nozicks theory on the economic justice known as the entitlement theory (Nozick, 1974).
The case study portrays the theme of justice and economics effectively. Every society seeks a just order that ensures that there is peace and tranquillity. Justice and Economics is an important aspect that looks at the social and ethical requirements for the society to be just. The case study presents the auto car companies who are looking to expand the auto industry in china by investing more into it. The case study raises aspects of justice best described with a look at the Nozicks and Rawls thoughts on ethical justice.
Nozicks entitlement theory holds that one is entitled to their property or holdings as long as methods for acquiring it was legitimate. He argues that if people are entitled to their possessions that makes the economic distribution just. The entitlement theory plays three functional principals of just acquisition, just transfer and rectification. It looks at the legitimacy in the acquisition and transfer of property that will prevent rectification. His theory makes the property rights to be irrevocable. It exists before any other social arrangements and that it is morally antecedent to the legislative decisions that one shall take (Nozick, 1974).
Rawls on the other hand presents his theory on justice and distribution as a modern alternative to the utilitarianism. He looks at justice that relates to fairness and moral equality of people. However, his thoughts on the subject do not relate to the natural rights that exist prior to any social or political organisation. He presents a veil of ignorance that refers to the people who are not aware of the status or social position they hold in the society (Rawls, 2000).
The Essay on Justice People Equality World
Justice When the question is asked 'Can we live in a just world?' In effect it is asking us a variety of things. 'Can there be justice for all?' and 'Can the rebe equality for all people?' . The answer to this question is no. Unfortunately we live in a world where justice has never really transpired. The first justice that I would like to speak about is personal justice. Blessed are those reared ...
The veil of ignorance looks at the original position of the people where they have no knowledge about themselves or on their situation. This in turn leads them to have various battles with views that are biased. However, the veil forces the people to be objective and impartial. The search for objective leads the people in search for justice in their lives to look for a basic structure that fits their lifestyle (Rawls, 2000).
It is this search of objective, that led the people in China to look for the objective to the growth and existence of the new auto companies. This led to the understanding and looking at the positive and negative aspects
Rawls views seems to support the critics in China where they cast doubt to the prevalence of justice or injustice brought by the auto companies. The auto companies have been blamed for the increase in pollution and causing other serious harm to the environment. The production of smog has been seen to cause tuberculosis cases to double, emphysema and lung cancers cases to increase. These speculated hazards have been seen not to be justified to the Chinese people as it will cause them to suffer in the future. The cost of development from the auto companies, seems not to be justified if it will cause the people of China to suffer.
However, in his thoughts Rawls rejects the views of Utilitarianism as he looks at maximising the total well being in the society. He sees Utilitarianism as the cause to unfair distribution of benefits and pains. He objects to any moral theory that supports a gain in the primary social goods at the expense of others. He also rejects Nozick’s view on the primary subject for justice should exist between individuals only. To him, the true account for justice is the one that aims at minimising the social consequences of the natural differences (Rawls, 2000).
Rights Theory
A right is defined as the justified claim that an individual or group make upon others. The rise of rights can be traced to the Ketts rebellion in 1549, which preached that “all bond men may be made free, for God made all free with his precious blood-shedding.” It was a revolution that advocated for freedom of religion, and since then civil rights have come to play an integral part to the human legal understanding. The rights have with time been broaden with the coming up of human rights, economic, cultural and social rights (Bernard & Leinwand, 1968).
The Essay on Plato: The Soul and The Theory of Forms
The Relationship Between Plato's Theory of Forms and the Immortality of the Soul Preface In the Phaedo, Plato set out to show many things, including that the Soul is Immortal. Through the aid of the Theory of Forms Plato proved that the soul is immortal. This paper will show that Plato fell short in determining the fact that the soul is immortal. This will be shown, by analyzing the arguments that ...
The rights have come to be established in various constitutions that are mainly found in the bill of civil rights and freedoms. For example, the rights includes the right to life, protection from discrimination, right to vote, right to due process and the right to civil participation in the society. It also includes various freedoms such as the freedom of speech, thought, religion, movement and press.
The issue of rights forms part of a contentious issue where there are various distinctions that exist between what is referred as the positive liberty rights and the negative liberty rights. The existence of rights in some countries is an issue of dispute as some are considered to border not on rights but on its infringement. Some controversial rights includes the rights to property, reproductive rights, the right to bear and keep arms and the issue of civil marriages (Leiter, W. M., & Leiter, 2011).
The issue of the existence of victimless crimes forms a controversial topic on whether it infringes on the civil liberties. For instance, women in some societies are still treated as slaves or as property. The personal consent that concerned their well being is usually considered as being unimportant. The women are treated as not being party to the marriage contract but part of possession that is used to show off and for procreation purposes. In some, the women have no inheritance and are not independent to do anything they please. However, since there are no laws created against these acts, the civil liberties of these women will always remain at bay.
Rights on the other hand forms a class of rights that are bordered on the designation categorized under the human rights (Bernard & Leinwand, 2011).
Civil rights touch on one’s basic right against unfair or unequal treatment by the other party. This unfair or unequal treatment is usually based on ones protected characteristics that include gender, race or disability. The rights ensure that one can fully participate fully in their political or civil life without political repression or other forms of discriminations. Civil rights also ensures that the minority in the society are protected from unwanted infringement, oppression or discrimination from different classes of individuals, people, private organisations, governments and from other entities. This is mostly due to the fact that the minority groups such as the children, elderly, Immigrants and women are the ones who are mostly prone to infringement of their rights.
The Essay on Plato Theory Of Forms
One of the questions that has faced and continues to face some of the philosophers of the world is 'What is reality?' Plato addresses this question in his doctrine, the Theory of Forms. In an attempt to answer this question, he explains what the Forms are and how they affect the way the world is observed. These so-called Forms are the basis of the reality we perceive. The question one must ask him ...
The rights provide protection to things like life, liberty, property and expression. Legal, moral and institutional rules have been created over time to distinguish the valid from the invalid rights. The creation of rights, civil liberties and led to the creation of the rights theory. Many have encompassed the growth of the auto companies in China as infringing into the rights of the Chinese people. The rise of car ownership in china would be hazardous to the people in china and would infringe on their rights. Due to fuel consumption, the right to own cars would be restricted due to increase in the oil prices. This would in turn affect the general rights that the Chinese people are entitled to.
Kantian deontology
Freedom is seen as being absolute; however, it is up to an individual to will their own freedom. This is because freedom is seen to take place in a particular context where ones characteristics, body and circumstances in the world seem to weigh up to ones freedom. Freedom is found to be a concept linked to anguish and is defined by isolation of the decisions determined by a deity, or the existing values and knowledge. Freedom as seen by Kant is looked at autonomous where it consists of an individual binding themselves to a law, a law given in recognition of the self and its responsibilities. Therefore, the act of a person welding their own freedom can be classified as an ethical where one recognizes on the authenticity that exist in recognition of the self as well as the responsibility of the decisions that they undertake.
The Kant’s theory relies on the approach that emphasizes on particular acts and consequences that focus on the person. The theory approaches on the aspect of issues that are not primarily dependent on whether the intention is deemed as being right but whether one is following on the right rules. It also places importance on whether the consequence of the action is good. These factors are still important though they should not be deemed as being irrelevant. However, what forms the major importance to the virtue ethics theory is whether the person is expressing a good character also known as the moral virtues.
The Term Paper on Adapting Communicative Language Teaching Approach to China’s Context
1. Introduction With the development of market economy, China is accelerating its steps to join the world family in commerce and cultural partnership. With the recent accession to the WTO, the long-awaited Olympic Games in Beijing, China has made learning English a national priority. English, with its unique status, has been taught in China for more than 100 years. Today, English is becoming more ...
Kant’s theory looks at the approach where ethics are usually contrasted with the other teleological approaches. The reasoning extends to conformity to the set rules and laws that is referred as moral reasoning. It is the practical reasoning that equate on the moral reasoning in addition with the calculative reasoning. The practical reasoning that deals with the practical sense, that is determined by reasoning furthers this. For this reason, Kant’s theory forms the best theory in determining what is rational. It forms the right theory in offering the rational reasoning to the question as to whether it is wrong for the car companies to try and help China expand its auto industry.
