What Makes A Right Act Right And What It A Wrong Act...

What makes a right act right and what makes a wrong act wrong? These are the quintessential questions when evaluating the philosophy of ethics. Throughout time, man, through trial and error, has made many leaps forward to finding the ‘answers’ to these imposing questions. Two theories in particular, utilitarianism and Kantianism, formulate opposing sides of the spectrum that is ethics. While one focuses on the overall happiness, or utility, of people, the other focuses on the individual’s principles and rights. Although many people find themselves in the middles of utilitarianism and Kantianism, more often than not, one is more empowering than the other, and that would be utilitarianism. Utilitarianism begins with Jeremy Bentham. Born in 1748, Bentham was an English reformer and philosopher who is considered to be the father of utilitarianism. He believed that there was a certain value, or utility, that could be placed on an object in regard to its ability to prod uce pleasure or happiness. This general basis of utilitarianism is the foundation to the modern definition, as provided by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: â€Å"The belief that a morally good action is one that helps the greatest number of people.† For example, if a utilitarian had to choose between harming a single relative or five strangers, they would choose the one relative, creating for the greatest amount of overall happiness. Essentially, utilitarianism is calculating the consequences of an action, andShow MoreRelatedWhat Makes A Right Act Right And Wrong Act Wrong?1444 Words   |  6 Pagesethics in how humans act and why they act the way they do people consider how one should act and it examines the right and wrong acts of peoples actions. Each philosopher that we have learned in class have their own views and ideas in what makes a right act right and a wrong act wrong. Their is one philosopher that we learned in class named Thomas Aquinas whom I believe has the bes t idea of what makes right acts right and wrong acts wrong. In this essay I will argue that an act is right if it accords withRead MoreWhat Is An Intuitive Moral Judgment Essay1281 Words   |  6 Pages2016 Quiz #1 1. What is an intuitive moral judgment? 5 points An intuitive moral judgment is immediate judgment that requires no thinking or reflection. In other words, an intuitive moral judgment is simply a judgment we make with a minimum of thinking about it. An intuitive moral judgment is an automatic response to our understanding of a situation or an action. Many moral psychologists believe that moral intuitions are mainly based on our feelings rather than reasoning. 2. What is the differenceRead MoreComparison Between Aristotle And Socrates1174 Words   |  5 Pagesakrasia and what it involves. Aristotle believes that the akratic person does wrong even though he/she knows what is right, but that he/she is driven by passions, emotions and motivations. Socrates believes that if a person knows what they are doing is wrong, he/she will not engage in it, as they are aware of the outcome and no one desires negative outcomes. Socrates believes that people s wrong doings are a result of ignorance and that they lack the knowledge to know right from wrong. I agree withRead MoreMoral Theory Of Max Act Utilitarianism1576 Words   |  7 Pages Max Act Utilitarianism Kirill Parshin University of San Francisco  Ethics is all about principles of right conduct. Under the umbrella term, consequentialism has a much more specific moral theory known as max act utilitarianism. Max act utilitarianism is one of the most well known and influential theories that provides the best notion for the theory of right conduct. After a brief explanation of act utilitarianism, the argument of this paper will then seek to favor why act utilitarianismRead MoreWhat Is Right And Wrong?958 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is right and wrong?† and â€Å"What is Truth?† Life is characterized by many situations that require decision making, especially on ethical and moral grounds. The issue of what makes an action right and wrong has been studied for a very long time and several theories developed to address this issue. Socrates and Aristotle are some of the early philosophers who came up with theories about the rightness or wrongness of our actions. As noted by Warnek (2005), Socrates considered self-knowledge as necessityRead MoreSocrates And Aristotle On Ethical And Moral Grounds978 Words   |  4 PagesAgree or disagree with the statement, â€Å"there is no objective right and wrong because people never agree about what is right and wrong†. What is right and wrong?† Life is characterized by many situations that require decision making, especially on ethical and moral grounds. The issue of what makes an action right and wrong has been studied for a very long time and several theories developed to address this issue. Socrates and Aristotle are some of the early philosophers who came up with theoriesRead MoreDescribe the Main Principles of the Two Normative Ethical Theories of Deontology and Utilitarianism. Compare and Contrast the Two Theories, Bringing Out Any Problems or Limitations You See in Each.1652 Words   |  7 Pages(1724-1804). The theory utilitarianism is the morality of an act that is judged by it’s utility. The greatest utility that is has for the most people; the greatest usefulness an act has for the most people. Utilitarianism states morality is not based in the act itself but in the consequences of the act. The utilitarian approach to morality implies that no moral act or rule is intrinsically right or wrong; it is the rightness or wrongness of an act or rule that is solely a matter of the overall nonmoralRead MoreRam s Morality And Morality1356 Words   |  6 PagesCullen Lemieux Period 2 World literature Mr. Neely Ram’s Morality Many people struggle or debate over the topic of morality, and many people are mistaken as to who really judges what is moral or immoral. The only person who can decide whether an act is morally right or wrong is God. Within Slumdog Millionaire, there are many actions and ideas that can be considered morally good or morally bad according to the Christian views of morality. Ram Muhammad Thomas is debated over when it comes to the topicRead More Ethics and Morality: Right and Wrong Essay1001 Words   |  5 Pages I strongly believe that some acts are morally right and others morally wrong. Though in society today I find many different people with many different opinions on this some issues. The way someone was raised or the experiences they have faced could be what has molded these beliefs. The differences between right and wrong are not always the same in each persons head and this is where we face controversy. Morals differ from person to person resulting in confrontation s dealing with moralityRead MoreUtilitarianism Essay529 Words   |  3 Pagesconsequentialist ethical theory. An action is right or wrong based on its consequences. John Stuart Mill was an important philosopher in developing the idea of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism holds that any action that results in a greater amount of happiness in the world is a right action and any action that results in pain or less happiness is wrong. Utilitarianism can be divided into different versions. Act utilitarianism is one of the versions of utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism’s goal is to maximize