Personal ethical philosophy comparing Augustine, Aquinas, care-based, rules-based, and utilitarian theory

Personal Ethics Theory

For me, the concept of utilitarianism is the most compelling ethical philosophy. When we think about society, we think about what is best for the many, and/or does the means to the end matter more than the end results. This is the basic premise of utilitarianism and the offshoot, deontology. Using utilitarianism, the most ethical thing anyone, individual or society, can do is an action that, when completed, will maximize the happiness of the largest number of individuals, or of society or an organization. Actions have quantitative outcomes and the ethical choices that lead to the "greatest good for the greatest number" are the appropriate decisions, even if that means subsuming the rights of certain individuals (Robinson and Groves, 2003). Deontology or duty-based ethics is from the Greek word "deon" meaning duty or obligation. This subset of utilitarianism helps us better understand the more pragmatic issues about the right or wrong of an action -- or the benefits and potential costs. This philosophy says that we cannot make the determination about actions only by looking at the result. Instead, we must find the motives and ways that the actions moved from idea to reality (Gutman & Thompson, 2004). Immanuel Kant, German philosopher, found that actions are only ethical if they are universal, reversible, and allow for respect toward the individual (White, 2009).

I remember hearing about a way to think of utilitarianism and morality that makes sense in the modern world. Let us say that an FBI agent is managing a situation in downtown Boston in which a sniper is shooting passersby from the top of a building. Law enforcement has cornered this shooter and is ready and waiting for the order to kill the sniper. But, the sniper grabbed a young girl and is using her as a human shield. Do we authorize the snipers to take a shot, hoping that they will not hit the child, or wait and risk that the sniper will kill more innocent civilians? Of course, the child does not wish to die, but neither do the hundreds of potential victims walking the street, not even knowing that a person with a long-range rifle might shoot them. If we choose the utilitarian approach, we give the order to shoot the sniper and hope the child is safe -- if we use deontology we stand down and try to find another approach because the child's life is as important as the public good. Clearly, neither is 100% right or wrong, but situational and dependent on variables. What if that child grows up to find the cure for cancer and save millions? Or what if that child grows up to be a serial killer? What if the person who might be the next President to develop a global peace accord is killed by the sniper? Using ethics, though, helps us make difficult decisions by having a tool box of potential ideas.

Precepts

Act Utilitarianism is the view that the morally right action is the one that will yield the highest amount of social good under the conditions of the moment.

Act Utilitarianism considered only the results or consequences of that single act.