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Peer Reply 1:
Rebecca Haynes
I have the same concerns regarding health care costs and who will pay for it. On the one hand, I can understand the predicament: someone has to foot the bill later on down the road, but at the moment people need care and that should not be ignored. Figuring out the best approach so that the greatest common good can be achieved is especially difficult in this type of situation, as there is not a lot of commonality among people anymore, for one.
We are very divided in our beliefs and in our needs, and so just trying to get to a place where we can say for certain that this is the greatest common good over here or that this is it over there—that just seems so unlikely at this point in time. For that reason, I question the validity of the utilitarian approach at this moment in time. However, I also appreciate its philosophical tenets and if we as a collective society could just get to a point where we can agree on things going forward, I think a lot of pain and suffering could be avoided later on.
Peer Reply 2:
David Velazquez
This is a great example of how a utilitarian approach would work. It shows that for smokers, it is a difficult process to swallow, because they...
Looking back, however, you are able to appreciate the approach because you have realized that the common good was not just for the non-smokers but actually for the smokers as well, because smoker can be harmful to one’s health.
Becoming a non-smoker you saw that the utilitarian approach actually had your best interests in mind as well, though you did not realize it at first because of the sacrifice that was being demanded of you in the initial stages. I think that this is a great example of how utilitarianism can and should work, because the common good that was pursued was recognized as such and understood as such. Sometimes that is not always the case, but here it certainly was.
Peer Reply 3:
Shane Utley
Layoffs are such a controversial issue that this is a great way to explore the utilitarian concept. You outline the problems and the personal sacrifices that the minority group would face—i.e., the loss of their job so that the majority group, the stakeholders in the company could be spared. This is a painful example of how utilitarianism works and one that…
The Limits of Deontology and Utilitarianism in the Trolley Problem Introduction The trolley problem is an old moral quandary that essentially has no wrong or right answer. It is a kind of worst case scenario in which one must choose the lesser of two evils. For example, a runaway trolley is set to crash and kill five people, but by throwing a lever you might spare those five but take the life
Please see "Stake Holder: The Taliban" for more information regarding virtue ethics. The farmers who are growing poppy plants have a logical stake in this moral dilemma as well. If their crops are destroyed they will have no alternative but to join the Taliban to help settle their debts. They are in a precarious position where they are often forced to grow poppies because they are a very lucrative and
Canine Behavior: Genetics vs. Environment The debate over nature vs. nurture as it applies to learning dates back over a hundred years. Certainly, during much of the 20th century, the distinction between learned and inherited behavior appeared much clearer than it does today. The concept that any type of behavior was either learned or merely developed without learning seemed a rationale and straightforward belief. Research based on these expectations caused
In addition, we might ask ourselves if the richer nations have or not a greater responsibility as far as the research and development in the area of sustainable energy are concerned. (Reid, environmentalleader.com) Believing that there are such energy sources or consumption policies which would allow the planet's resources to be maintained for a longer period, while making sure that all the nations are provided with a comfortable living is
Ethics of Legalizing Marijuana In recent years, there has been a significant amount of debate as to whether or not the possession and usage of marijuana should be legalized. Several issues revolve around this topic, not the least of which are the perceived and actual effects of this particular narcotic in a psychological, physical, economic, and even social sense. Perhaps one of the best methods for determining a prudent choice of
Philosophy Today The final chapter of Soccio's Archetypes of Wisdom brings philosophy into the present day, by discussing several current practioners of philosophy and hinting at applications that can be made of their ideas. I would like to discuss three problem areas in human life -- poverty, gender difference, and sexual ethics -- to look at how contemporary philosophy seems to be approaching the subject. The issue of poverty is raised interestingly