ASSIGNMENT IN PHL/203

1. Enumerate all the different arguments

A. UTILITATRIANISM
a. Act Utilitarianism
 A morally right act, for any particular situation is an act that would
produce the greatest overall utility
 It is an impartial consequentialist theory
 Takes all those affected into account, it is concerned with the overall
effects
 Addresses the mortality of specific acts in specific circumstances
 Intended to explain what is morally right and wrong
 It considers all individuals
b. Rule Utilitarianism
 A morally right rule or practice is one which if followed by all produces
more overall utility than if there are no such rule or practice
 A morally right act is what a morally right rule or practice requires
(unless if it is in conflict with another)
 Act is right seen if a different act would produce more utility in that
particular situation
B. KANTIAN ETHICS
 Morality cannot be on consequences
 If something is intrinsically good, its addition should always increase
goodness in any situation
 All of the possible consequentialist good either increase or decrease good
depending on actor’s intention
 The only thing that has intrinsic moral worth is good will
C. VIRTUE ETHICS
 A virtuous person is defined as the person who satisfy moral values and
principles
 Moral principles are primary, virtues are merely derivative
 A virtues person is defined in terms of having a good moral character
 What kind of person one should be not what one should do
 Right actions are simply what a virtuous person would typically do
  Person is motivated by her own personal character
 Different choices can count as equally right in the very same situation
 Not necessarily subjectivist, can be considered objectivist
 Find fulfillment only when we achieve the purpose or function of human
existence
 Order and direct our lives in accordance with reason
2. Enumerate all the advantage and disadvantage
A. UTILITARIANISM
a. Act Utilitarianism
i. ADVANTAGE
 Gives a single answer to moral questions
 Counts all individuals as equals
 Explains all of morality with one simple principle
 The rightness depends on the circumstances
ii. DISADVANTAGE
 Calculation problem
 Moral saint’s problem
 Moral permissiveness
 Justice or human rights objection
b. Rule Utilitarianism
i. ADVANTAGE
 Objectivity
 Impartiality
 Fairly simple
 Can be extended to non-humans
 Avoids calculation problem
 Makes progress with the moral saint’s problem
 Makes progress with the moral permissiveness objection
 Can be expected to establish and support various principle of justice
and personal rights
ii. DISADVANTAGE
 The dilemma objection
  The inconsistency objection
B. KANTIAN ETHICS
i. ADVANTAGE
 Avoids the overly demanding and alienating aspects of
consequentialism
 Accords more with conventional notion of our moral duties
 Leaves space for supererogatory
 Accounts for moral intuitions about our duties
 Have the potential for explaining why certain people have moral
standing
ii. DISADVANTAGE
 Conflicts arise between moral duties creating dilemma
 Irrationality of some duties
 Agent-centered creating manipulability
 Paradox of relative stringency
C. VIRTUE ETHICS
i. ADVANTAGE
 Simple system
 Practical approach
 Allows diversity
 Allows you to learn from your mistakes
 What it means to be a human being
ii. DISADVANTAGE
 Incomplete
 Overemphasize impartiality
 Distort the picture of human nature
 Fail to motivate
3. Give at least 3 criticisms
A. UTILITARIANISM
a. Act Utilitarianism
 Some good choices may be wrong because they do not give our best
utility
 Requires us to act as saints
  Difficult to predict and evaluate all possible consequences
b. Rule Utilitarianism
 In some situations, you cannot avoid a rule being violated
 Can prescribe different actions
 Some rules can contradict
B. KANTIAN ETHICS
 Does not take consequences into account
 Many formulations problem
 Absolutism objection
C. VIRTUE ETHICS
 Calls upon us to transform our character
 Morally neutral character of each person
 Doubtful to attain actual genuine virtues