Kant And Mill Essays - Social Philosophy, Deontological Ethics

Kant And Mill The task that stands before me in this paper is to address two situations and determine the ethical parameters in which a person should act. The two philosophical approaches that I will examine the situations with the Kantian and Utilitarian point of view. Kant deciphers his ethical questions by examining a person's motivation for performing an act regardless of the consequences. A person who utilizes the Kantian view believes that the only pure good is pure human reason without consequences. This pure human reason works without the influence of human emotions and desires. A truly good act as defined by Kant is performed because of an obligation to the categorical imperative. The objectives and personal agendas of the individual performing the act must kept separate and distinct. Utilitarism makes ethical decisions based on the consequences of the action taken. Unlike the Kantian view the motives are not important just the consequences. The action is measured by how much happiness or sadness the action creates. The ideal ethical decision is the one that creates the most happiness and the least amount of sadness. It nearly impossible to have different degrees of freedom since a person would have to experience all the various degrees of freedom to determine what degree of happiness is better than the other. Upon examining the thief who stole from the millionaire Kant would examine the motives of the thief. The thief is stealing for himself regardless of his situation. Even if his family is poor and struggling. The thief is still furthering himself. The reasons for the thief stealing from the wealthy man doesn't matter. Stealing is against the universal law that it is wrong to steal from another person. This applies to everyday life and decision-making occurrences, needs and wants are thrown out the window. Any form of stealing is wrong according to Kant. This is a strong argument because it stands firm in that it is wrong to steal. We are in a society that has laws and regulations against stealing this keeps order in society. The Kantian view does not waver despite the possible physical and emotional needs of the thief. Kant doesn't make exceptions for the poor and unfortunate. A person using the Utilitarian ethic code would look at the situation then examine the consequences of the action taken. The millionaire doesn't have a clue that the money is gone. There are plenty of indicators that the man is stealing quality of life and material possessions are two for example. As a result of this stealing the man has brought happiness to himself, his family, and to the community around him because they don't have to support them. The heavy burdens of poverty and despair have been vanquished. The burdens of oppression are availed and the family can rise in class and social status among their peers. The only downside is the fear of being exposed. If the thief was found out he could lose his freedom, possessions, and respect of his peers after the discovery of his treachery. But if the thief remained undiscovered he has made everybody happier. By being a sufficient, integral member of society he is making everybody happier. This analysis is favoring the thief, stealing is not looked upon as a bad deed. People get jailed, executed, or have body parts removed for theft but in the utilitarian view he gets away with it as long as he is not found out. The negative part of this analysis is that one has to steal from another human being to be happy and successful. Is there a situation where stealing is justified? The next situation deals with a daughter who lies to her dying father that she will not marry anyone that has a different religious affiliation. The Kantian view would first examine the motives of the daughter for lying to her dying father. By lying to her father the girl is trying to ease the suffering her father is going through by denying his final wish. She is reassuring him in his final hours on earth. By lying to her dad she is giving him happiness and trying to relieve herself of the guilt associated with her father's anger towards her for denying his final wish. The Kantian viewpoint would disagree with the daughter for lying to her father about his final wish. Kant would want her to tell the truth no matter what the consequences would be. The moral obligation to tell the truth is the standard she must hold to. She

25 Synonyms for Beginner

25 Synonyms for Beginner 25 Synonyms for â€Å"Beginner† 25 Synonyms for â€Å"Beginner† By Mark Nichol There are a lot of terms used to identify a beginner many of them condescending or derogatory, so pay attention to connotation before employing any of these synonyms: 1. Abecedarian (from the Latin term abecedarius, â€Å"of the alphabet,† coined from linking the first four letters of the alphabet with vowels to form a pronounceable word): One in the early stages of learning. 2. Amateur (from the Latin term amator, â€Å"lover†): Someone who engages in an area of skill or expertise without remuneration, or, derogatorily, a person without experience or ability. 3. Apprentice (from the Latin term apprendere, â€Å"to learn†): One in the midst of hands-on training; originally denoting someone bound by a contract to train with a craftsperson, but now employed simply to refer to someone inexperienced. The term is used in a naval enlisted rank (â€Å"seaman apprentice†) and for the lowest level in Freemasonry (â€Å"entered apprentice†). 4. Babe (from the Middle English word coined in imitation of baby talk): An inexperienced person, with a condescending connotation of naivete. 5. Boot (from Anglo-French bote, â€Å"boot†): A US Navy or US Marine Corps recruit, perhaps from â€Å"boot camp†). Condescending. 6. Colt (from the Old English term for a young horse): A young, inexperienced person. Condescending. 7. Cub (from the word for a young animal): A young, inexperienced person, as in the expression â€Å"cub reporter,† referring to a new journalist. Condescending. 8. Fledgling (ultimately from Old English fleogan, â€Å"to fly†): Originally, use was confined to the literal meaning of â€Å"a young bird just learning to fly†; now, it is also a rare informal, condescending term for a young, inexperienced person (and is used to refer to a new enterprise). 9. Freshman (derived from fresh, as in â€Å"new to a situation,† and man): Originally referred only to a first-year student; now also denotes a politician or an athlete at the beginning of their career. 10. Greenhorn (from an obsolete English word referring to the new horns of a young horned mammal): Refers not only to a naive, inexperienced person but also to someone unfamiliar with customs or procedures. Condescending. 11. Layperson (from the Latin term laikos, â€Å"of the people†): A non-gender-specific variation of layman, originally denoting someone who is not a member of the clergy but now a general reference to someone who is not part of a particular profession or does not have expertise in a given subject matter. 12. Neophyte (from the Latin term neophytus, â€Å"newly planted† or â€Å"newly converted,† from the Greek word neophytos): A beginner or a convert. Mildly condescending. 13. Newbie (a diminutive noun derived from new): A person new to a place or situation, especially one unfamiliar with the conventions and etiquette of online interaction; a newer diminutive of this slang term is noob (or n00b, using zeros instead of the letter o, a variation often used in online conversation). Condescending or even derogatory. 14. Newcomer (a compound noun formed from new and come): Originally, one newly arrived to a location, but now a beginner in general. 15. Novice (from the Latin term novicius, â€Å"newly imported†): Originally, a probationary member of a religious organization, now generally someone with rudimentary skills. Depending on context, can be condescending. 16. Novitiate (see novice, above): A variation of novice, as well as a word for the condition of being a clerical novice, or the name of their residence. 17. Proselyte (from the Latin term proselytus, â€Å"foreign resident,† derived from the Greek word proselytos): A recent convert. 18. Probationer (from the Latin term probare, â€Å"approve†): Someone in the process of learning. 19. Punk (origin obscure): A young, inexperienced person, though it also has connotations pertaining to punk subculture and to sexuality. Derogatory. 20. Recruit (from the French term recrute, derived from recroistere, â€Å"to grow up again†): A newcomer; often used in a military or similar context. The term is used in the lowest naval enlisted rank (â€Å"seaman recruit†). Depending on context, can be condescending. 21. Rookie (uncertain; perhaps derived from recruit): One in his or her first year or years of experience, originally in the context of professional sports but now general in usage. (The back-formation rook is rare.) Depending on context, can be condescending. 22. Tenderfoot (a combination of tender and foot): Originally, someone new to a frontier area, unused to hardship; in the modern sense, a beginner. Condescending. 23. Trainee (from the Latin term traginare, â€Å"to draw† or â€Å"to train†): One learning a job or skill. 24. Tyro (from the Latin term tiro, â€Å"young soldier†): An inexperienced person. 25. Virgin (from the Latin term virgo, â€Å"young woman, virgin†): Originally a specific reference to a female with no sexual experience, now used lightheartedly to refer to someone new to a situation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to KnowBody Parts as Tools of MeasurementCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups