Kant And Mill Ethical Theories Philosophy Essay

Kant And Mill Ethical Theories Philosophy Essay John Mills Utilitarianism and Immanuel Kants Fundamental Principle of the Metaphysic of Morality present the two philosophers divergent views on the field of moral philosophy. Mills Utilitarianism is a more refined ethical theory compared to Kants breakdown of the metaphysics and its use in proving what is right and what is wrong. Kant employs his corroboration of the subsistence of metaphysics as a discipline in his ethical philosophy. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if a law is to have moral force, i.e., to be the basis of an obligation, it must carry with it absolute necessity. (Kant preface). This dictum forms the base for Kants ethical theory. Mill disputes Kants assertion that our moral force must be driven by an obligation. Instead, Mill argues that humans are driven by a desire to be happy. Immanuel Kant utilized practical reasoning in his moral theory and suggests that there exists only one moral obligation; categorical imperative. He states, Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will that it should become a universal law (Kant second section). This obligation is derived from the notion of duty, and describes the categorical imperatives as the demands of moral decree, and further emphasizes that an individuals behavior ought to live up to the moral laws. These categorical imperatives should be the constitution governing all men; they should be the principles of human life. Kant argues that all ethical duties inherently expected of humans stem from these categorical imperatives, and it systematically follows that human obligations are put to the test. He goes on to state that employing these imperatives, an individual regarded as rational could be able to achieve specific ends using certain means. Kants categorical imperative forms the basis of the deontological ethics. The fundamental principle of the metaphysics of morals postulates that moral law is a base or foundation of reason in itself and it does not have to be influenced by other contingent factors. The biggest flaw of Kants moral theory is that it fails to mention the role of human desire in the choices individuals make. Kant theory succeeds only in highlighting moral versus immoral human actions, and specifically makes it easier in making choices that exclusively involves evil versus good. It does not provide insight into what an individual should do in case he or she is faced by two evils, a nd he or she has to make a choice between the two. For instance, what does one do when faced with the exclusive choices of either lying or killing? Mills ethical theory offers an insight. Mills utilitarian ethical theory provides a rule that illuminates this quandary. Utilitarian theory supports Machiavellis the end justifies the means; according to the utilitarian opinion, the end of human action, is necessarily also the standard of morality (Mill ch II). The greatest happiness principle proposes that humans should inherently choose the option that gives them the most happiness. Mill constructs a world where the happiness of humans is judged. Mill believes that the best happiness is achieved when everyone is happy; the absence of suffering and pain. He believes that true happiness must be moral or intellectual in nature. Physical happiness does not qualify as true happiness. Happiness is greater than feeling of contentment. Mill talks of different forms of happiness, high and low happiness. When an individual experiences both forms of happiness, he or she develops a preference of one over the other. Mill opines that simple pleasures are preferred by individuals who have not experienced greater ones. Nevertheless, he still holds that higher pleasures are really valued. Because happiness predetermines human desires, it is only logical that our actions are determined by will; will to be happy. Mill however posits that the realization of human desire can at times be subjective to the will of an individual or an individuals habit. Mills utilitarian therefore covers more on human motives as compared to mere indulgence. Every intrinsic human desire is a derivative of elementary human desires to be happy or achieve gratification. Sometimes the pursuit of basic human pleasures may result in pain as a result of sacrifices humans consciously or subliminally make. Such sacrifices for the sake of happiness in the en d are fully justified. A significant difference between Mill and Kant, based on the two writings, is the gradation of ethics. Under Kants metaphysics of science, an individual can be regarded as morally upright while still being selfish. Under Mills utilitarian, an individual cannot be morally right if he or she is selfish since Mills ethical theory requires humans to extend happiness to others. All honour to those who can abnegate for themselves the personal enjoyment of life, when by such renunciation they contribute worthily to increase the amount of happiness in the world (Mill ch II). Kant negates the utilitarian idea by stating that there exists a divergence between desires and ethics and that contemplations of human rights temper estimations of cumulative utility. Kant holds that everything in existence possesses a price or a dignity. He adds that whatever possesses a price can be easily replaced by something else of the similar value as it, but whatever has a dignity can never be replaced. Both philosophers have deep thought on the issue of morality. Mill has his thoughts based on utilitarian grounds, which is an elaborate system that revolves around happiness of people. It hypothesizes that an individual ought to act in a way that ensures the happiness of those around them. Kant has his philosophy of giving morality a good versus bad angle. He, on the other hand, hypothesizes that reasoning and human nature should be the determinants of morality and not human desires. Morality is the root of human interaction and without it, humans would not discern right from wrong. Morality is very important but between the two philosophers John Mill offers an upgraded version of ethical philosophy that is more elaborate and practical.

Foundation and Empire 2. The Magicians

FOUNDATION†¦ With forty years of expansion behind them, the Foundation faced the menace of Riose. The epic days of Hardin and Mallow had gone and with them were gone a certain hard daring and resolution†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica There were four men in the room, and the room was set apart where none could approach. The four men looked at each other quickly, then lengthily at the table that separated them. There were four bottles on the table and as many full glasses, but no one had touched them. And then the man nearest the door stretched out an arm and drummed a slow, padding rhythm on the table. He said, â€Å"Are you going to sit and wonder forever? Does it matter who speaks first?† â€Å"Speak you first, then,† said the big man directly opposite. â€Å"You're the one who should be the most worried.† Sennett Forell chuckled with noiseless nonhumor. â€Å"Because you think I'm the richest. Well – Or is it that you expect me to continue as I have started. I don't suppose you forget that it was my own Trade Fleet that captured this scout ship of theirs.† â€Å"You had the largest fleet,† said a third, â€Å"and the best pilots; which is another way of saying you are the richest. It was a fearful risk; and would have been greater for one of us.† Sennett Forell chuckled again. â€Å"There is a certain facility in risk-taking that I inherit from my father. After all, the essential point in running a risk is that the returns justify it. As to which, witness the fact that the enemy ship was isolated and captured without loss to ourselves or warning to the others.† That Forell was a distant collateral relative of the late great Hober Mallow was recognized openly throughout the Foundation. That he was Mallow's illegitimate son was accepted quietly to just as wide an extent. The fourth man blinked his little eyes stealthily. Words crept out from between thin lips. â€Å"It is nothing to sleep over in fat triumph, this grasping of little ships. Most likely, it will but anger that young man further.† â€Å"You think he needs motives?† questioned Forell, scornfully. â€Å"I do, and this might, or will, save him the vexation of having to manufacture one.† The fourth man spoke slowly, â€Å"Hober Mallow worked otherwise. And Salvor Hardin. They let others take the uncertain paths of force, while they maneuvered surely and quietly.† Forell shrugged. â€Å"This ship has proved its value. Motives are cheap and we have sold this one at a profit.† There was the satisfaction of the born Trader in that. He continued, â€Å"The young man is of the old Empire.† â€Å"We knew that,† said the second man, the big one, with rumbling discontent. â€Å"We suspected that,† corrected Forell, softly. â€Å"If a man comes with ships and wealth, with overtures of friendliness, and with offers of trade, it is only sensible to refrain from antagonizing him, until we are certain that the profitable mask is not a face after all. But now-â€Å" There was a faint whining edge to the third man's voice as he spoke. â€Å"We might have been even more careful. We might have found out first. We might have found out before allowing him to leave. It would have been the truest wisdom.† â€Å"That has been discussed and disposed of,† said Forell. He waved the subject aside with a flatly final gesture. â€Å"The government is soft,† complained the third man. â€Å"The mayor is an idiot.† The fourth man looked at the other three in turn and removed the stub of a cigar from his mouth. He dropped it casually into the slot at his right where it disappeared with a silent flash of disruption. He said sarcastically, â€Å"I trust the gentleman who last spoke is speaking through habit only. We can afford to remember here that we are the government.† There was a murmur of agreement. The fourth man's little eyes were on the table. â€Å"Then let us leave government policy alone. This young man†¦ this stranger might have been a possible customer. There have been cases. All three of you tried to butter him into an advance contract. We have an agreement – a gentleman's agreement – against it, but you tried.† â€Å"So did you,† growled the second man. I know it,† said the fourth, calmly. â€Å"Then let's forget what we should have done earlier,† interrupted Forell impatiently, â€Å"and continue with what we should do now. In any case, what if we had imprisoned him, or killed him, what then? We are not certain of his intentions even yet, and at the worst, we could not destroy an Empire by snipping short one man's life. There might be navies upon navies waiting just the other side of his nonreturn.† â€Å"Exactly,† approved the fourth man. â€Å"Now what did you get out of your captured ship? I'm too old for all this talking.† â€Å"It can be told in a few enough words,† said Forell, grimly. â€Å"He's an Imperial general or whatever rank corresponds to that over there. He's a young man who has proved his military brilliance – so I am told – and who is the idol of his men. Quite a romantic career. The stories they tell of him are no doubt half lies, but even so it makes him out to be a type of wonder man.† â€Å"Who are the ‘they'?† demanded the second man. â€Å"The crew of the captured ship. Look, I have all their statements recorded on micro-film, which I have in a secure place. Later on, if you wish, you can see them. You can talk to the men yourselves, if you think it necessary. I've told you the essentials.† â€Å"How did you get it out of them? How do you know they're telling the truth?† Forell frowned. â€Å"I wasn't gentle, good sir. I knocked them about, drugged them crazy, and used the Probe unmercifully. They talked. You can believe them.† â€Å"In the old days,† said the third man, with sudden irrelevance, â€Å"they would have used pure psychology. Painless, you know, but very sure. No chance of deceit.† â€Å"Well, there is a good deal they had in the old days,† said Forell, dryly. â€Å"These are the new days.† â€Å"But,† said the fourth man, â€Å"what did he want here, this general, this romantic wonder-man?† There was a dogged, weary persistence about him. Forell glanced at him sharply. â€Å"You think he confides the details of state policy to his crew? They didn't know. There was nothing to get out of them in that respect, and I tried, Galaxy knows.† â€Å"Which leaves us-â€Å" â€Å"To draw our own conclusions, obviously.† Forell's fingers were tapping quietly again. â€Å"The young man is a military leader of the Empire, yet he played the pretense of being a minor princeling of some scattered stars in an odd comer of the Periphery. That alone would assure us that his real motives are such as it would not benefit him to have us know. Combine the nature of his profession with the fact that the Empire has already subsidized one attack upon us in my father's time, and the possibilities become ominous. That first attack failed. I doubt that the Empire owes us love for that.† â€Å"There is nothing in your findings,† questioned the fourth man guardedly, â€Å"that makes for certainty? You are withholding nothing?† Forell answered levelly, â€Å"I can't withhold anything. From here on there can be no question of business rivalry. Unity is forced upon us.† â€Å"Patriotism?† There was a sneer in the third man's thin voice. â€Å"Patriotism be damned,† said Forell quietly. â€Å"Do you think I give two puffs of nuclear emanation for the future Second Empire? Do you think I'd risk a single Trade mission to smooth its path? But – do you suppose Imperial conquest will help my business or yours? If the Empire wins, there will be a sufficient number of yearning carrion crows to crave the rewards of battle.† â€Å"And we're the rewards,† added the fourth man, dryly. The second man broke his silence suddenly, and shifted his bulk angrily, so that the chair creaked under him. â€Å"But why talk of that. The Empire can't win, can it? There is Seldon's assurance that we will form the Second Empire in the end. This is only another crisis. There have been three before this.† â€Å"Only another crisis, yes!† Forell brooded. â€Å"But – in the case of the first two, we had Salvor Hardin to guide us; in the third, there was Hober Mallow. Whom have we now?† He looked at the others somberly and continued, â€Å"Seldon's rules of psychohistory on which it is so comforting to rely probably have as one of the contributing variables, a certain normal initiative on the part of the people of the Foundation themselves. Seldon's laws help those who help themselves.† â€Å"The times make the man,† said the third man. â€Å"There's another proverb for you.† â€Å"You can't count on that, not with absolute assurance,† grunted Forell. â€Å"Now the way it seems to me is this. If this is the fourth crisis, then Seldon has foreseen it. If he has, then it can be beaten, and there should be a way of doing it. â€Å"Now The Empire is stronger than we; it always has been. But this is the first time we are in danger of its direct attack, so that strength becomes terribly menacing. If it can be beaten, it must be once again as in all past crises by a method other than pure force. We must find the weak side of our enemy and attack it there.† â€Å"And what is that weak side?† asked the fourth man. â€Å"Do you intend advancing a theory?† â€Å"No. That is the point I'm leading up to. Our great leaders of the past always saw the weak points of their enemies and aimed at that. But now-â€Å" There was a helplessness in his voice, and for a moment none volunteered a comment. Then the fourth man said, â€Å"We need spies.† Forell turned to him eagerly. â€Å"Right! I don't know when the Empire will attack. There may be time.† â€Å"Hober Mallow himself entered the Imperial dominions,† suggested the second man. But Forell shook his head. â€Å"Nothing so direct. None of us are precisely youthful; and all of us are rusty with red-tape and administrative detail. We need young men that are in the field now-â€Å" â€Å"The independent traders?† asked the fourth man. And Forell nodded his, head and whispered, â€Å"If there is yet time-â€Å"

Free Homeschooling Printables for Flag Day

Sad and Sadistic - 803 Words

The word â€Å"father† appears commonly on first-grade spelling quizzes due to its simplicity of spelling; however, it holds startlingly many different meanings under its simple spelling. Most young-aged daughters characterize a father as the protector of their family who they can always rely on, a role model whom she gets inspiration from, and a counselor who provides wise guidance for her life. The Bible commands fathers to â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go† and to â€Å"bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.† Also, a British Poet George Herbert once said, â€Å"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.† Absence of father, in other words, means insufficient guidance, security, and love in a young child’s life.†¦show more content†¦Even when the father is alive, he can possibly be physically away because of his work. No matter what the cause is, a father’s absence affects the future life of th eir children. Fathers affect who their children become and how they live their lives. One of the biggest problems fatherless daughters face is self-esteem issues and romantic relational problems. Fathers and daughters naturally have a link between them from birth, for they are genetically related. All daughters need and desire love from opposite sex and love from father satisfies this desire during the early age of a daughter. But when father’s unconditional love is absent from daughter’s life, she feels abandoned and neglected. This results in low self-esteem and doubtful self-worth. A daughter’s romantic relationships can also be affected significantly by the absence of father. There are two extreme effects: seeking for love and attention from a guy desperately or refusing to have a romantic relationship at all. Because a father was never able to satisfy a daughter’s desire for attention and love from the opposite sex, a daughter can desperately seek love and attention from guys without considering their character. On the other hand, beca use of the hurts she received from feeling abandoned by a father, it is possible that she will completely refuse to have a romantic relationship. Other effects of absence of father can be exposed on categories like education,Show MoreRelatedHas Society Treated Men and Women Equally Through the Years? Essay812 Words   |  4 PagesHas society treated men and women equally through the years? During the most inhuman, barbaric, and sadistic period of history, women seem to be mistreated in a higher degree. For many years women were not only considered the weaker sex but also repressed and dehumanized by the male dominated society. 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