Normative Ethics Term Paper

Ethics While all ethical theories appeal to me in some way, the one I relate to the most is utilitarianism. Utilitarianism suggests that the ethical decision should enhance as much happiness as possible. I appreciate this idea, which is why I believe I make more decisions using a utilitarian ethic than any other. With Kantian duty ethics, I struggle with the absolutism. I do not believe it is possible to have one principle govern every ethical decision that I make. For example, I do believe that sometimes it is acceptable to tell lies. I have told lies to make my parents or girlfriend feel good, and I do not think it hurt them. In fact, I believe that if they knew now which lies I told and when, they would not even be upset. I would never tell a lie that I could later not admit to, however, I relate to the Aristotle vision of virtue ethics in the sense that I do believe we should all strive to reach the highest possible moral character. When...

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Utilitarianism is the only one of the three ethical theories we are studying that takes into account the real essence of human nature, which is moral ambiguity. I do not believe that there can ever be any absolute rights and wrongs when it comes to making ethical decisions. Even killing a person is justified in self-defense. Yet some people believe that killing is categorically wrong no matter what else is going on: this would be the Kant notion of categorical imperative. I believe that a person who is genuinely hungry is not doing a bad thing by stealing a sandwich from a store. Some people who commit adultery do so because their relationship has deteriorated to the point at which there is nothing more they can…

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