For example, many individuals value freedom and knowledge as things that can bring happiness. So, having their own value, these things are parts of happiness.
Mill believed that everyone's happiness is important. He believed in what he called the 'greatest happiness principle.' According to the greatest happiness principle, a person is ethically required to try to bring about the consequences that would lead to the greatest amount of happiness for everyone affected. More simple stated, if a person can produce more happiness (and/or less suffering) in a certain situation, then he or she is ethically obligated to do so. In more contemporary ethical terms, this is called the requirement to 'maximize happiness. If one was considering doing something for one's own happiness, but that action would cause others suffering, then Mill would have to take both of the sides into account in deciding whether or not the action should morally be taken. For the utilitarian, every single individual's happiness must be considered. This is what Mill called the 'equal consideration of interests.' Under this way of thinking, everyone counts for one and none for more than one -- that is, one's happiness or suffering cannot be weighed more or less than anyone else's when it comes to deciding an action to take. This goes for everybody, whether the person is someone in the family or a complete and total stranger.
Mill's utilitarian moral theories also examine the moral worth of action on the basis of happiness that is produced by an action. Whatever action creates the most happiness in the most people is the moral course of action. Kant objected to utilitarian theories, believing that they devalue individuals that the theories are supposed to benefit. If one is to follow his or her utilitarian calculations to motivate his or her actions, he or she is allowing the valuation of one individual's welfare and interests in terms of what good they can be used for. Under utilitarian theories then, it would be possible to justify the sacrificing of one person for the benefit of other people if the utilitarian calculations promise more benefit. Doing this would the treating an individual completely as a means and not as an end in...
Once again, the moral value of the matter in question is proven to be wrong. Therefore, the fundamental principles which need to be taken into consideration when discussing the Kantian ethics are represented by the categorical imperative, humanity and autonomy. The most important value that man needs to respect is life. Just like he will not harm another person's life, he must never harm his own. Annulling one's self means
Kant, Rousseau, Locke In his book Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, how does Kant apply these concepts? Discuss Kant's EACH use of: - sensibility - transcendental idealism - objective reality - understanding - Copernican revolution The philosophical concept of transcendental idealism holds that the subjective qualities of human perception affect how we perceive certain objects, and experience is not simply grounded in the qualities of 'things in and of themselves.' We perceive
Thus, according to Mill, a state of thriving morality would be that in which each individual constantly pursues his own happiness and at the same time that of the others, through all his actions. Mills uses as a central argument for his theory of morality the 'golden rule' of Christianity, as he calls it, which states that each individual should only act as he in his turn would be
Rousseau offers a mix of philosophical notions of liberty with advice and opinions on how to structure a government that promotes equality and liberty, but not excessively so, that the will of the majority or strong overcomes the will or the rights of the minority. as, unlike the founders of America, Rousseau was not concerned with a real, live, specific historical situation he could to some extent afford to be
Kant; Adam Smith Locke: primary qualities, secondary qualities, substance Kant: Judgment of perceptions, judgment of experience, categories of the understanding Explain all six terms above. Does Kant's position (relevant to those terms) different from Locke's? Is Kant (on these terms) able to deal with some of the problems Locke encountered (when using these terms)? According to John Locke, "the primary qualities of objects are their real qualities," such as "solidity, extension, figure,
According to utilitarian ethical theory, a lie would be very moral indeed if it increased someone's happiness without creating detriment to anyone -- telling a child that their unintelligible crayon markings is a great picture of a house, for instance, boosts their self-esteem and helps them to feel loved, and no one in the art world suffers for this white lie. Utilitarianism also provides a solution to conflicting duties that
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