Applied Ethics

Applied Ethics

1. Kantian approach to euthanasia

   • deontological system- prohibits euthanasia
     • someone has a moral duty to others
       • e.g carer has a duty to look after patient. so no harm may come to them
       • e.g patient has a duty to carer, this prevents them from asking for assisted suicide because of the harm it would cause surrounding people.
   • Kant didn't think people should chose death to stop suffering
     • logical conclusion
       • many things can cause pain, childbirth, sport...
         • kant said imagine if every time you were in pain you stopped that activity
           • you would have given up most things in life
             • to be in pain is therefore no sound criterion, in kantian thought.
   • kant believed assisted suicide created a society far removed from the the Summum Bonum

2. Utilitarian approach to abortion

   • no single view on abortion
     • utilitarians are divided in how to apply the principle of utility
     • however, there are fundamentals which all utilitarians hold.
       • no absolute value on human life
         • allows utilitarians to move on from the issue of when life begins
       • the consequences of an action determine whether an act should take place or not
       • whatever the benefit might be of an action, it should be determined by whether it benefits the maximal number of people
   • utilitarians do differ on several issues
     • what is the greatest good?
       • classical utilitarians thought of this in terms of happiness and pleasure
       • modern utilitarians refer to the maximisation of welfare rather than happiness
   • preference utilitarians
     • refer to what is in the best interest of all people involved
       • this is problematic
         • e.g a woman might argue its in her best interest to have an abortion, her family and the father of her child might disagree
           • who decides?
   • rule utilitarians
     • they create a basic rule to judge all abortions
       • this had advantages and problems