Kant And Utilitarianism Essays - Social Philosophy,

Kant And Utilitarianism First of all I want to state the Kantian and the Utilitarian views butt heads on this issue. The Kantian view is nonconsequential, that is as a matter of principle with the consequences be damned. The Utilitarian view is consequential with the results given as much consideration as possible. I will attempt to explain what I mean through some examples. Some school systems hand out condoms free of charge to their students. The Utilitarian view would be that this is a good thing. They would state that by doing so they are stopping unwanted pregnancies that in turn could cost society. This program would help stop the spreading of diseases such as HIV, AIDS and syphilis. This also would lesson the burden on society. Kantian view would not be in favor of this program because it is considering the outcome of what might happen if the program were not in place. They might feel it is the parent's decision to make because it is their job to act in good will of their family and not the school system's. Another topic under much debate would be assisted suicide. The Kantian view is totally opposed to this. It is just wrong to kill someone. One cannot kill another person out of good will. If you were to apply this to the Universal Law it would not hold true and there for it is wrong. On the other hand, the Utilitarian view would be open to this concept. How could we allow one to suffer knowing they are going to die in the end anyway? Would it be wrong to stop the suffering? How can one seek the greatest amount of happiness if they are suffering and are basically condemned to die? By assisting this individual we are also helping out his family by limiting their grief. We are also helping out society by freeing up a bed in the hospital for those individuals that could be healed and go on to lead a happy life. It could also save money if the person does not have insurance. The last example I want to use is the needle exchange program. This is where drug users can exchange dirty needles for clean ones. This program also stops the spreading of diseases such as HIV and AIDS. The Utilitarian would also state that is lessons the burden on society. Drug users are also associated to crime and when they come into exchange needles help may be provided to get them off drugs and there fore lesson the crime rate and bring more happiness to society. The Kantian view would not be in favor of this program because it is considering the consequences of what would happen if community doesn't help. They would state that drug use is not good will and not at all duty. If a drug user is breaking the law by using drugs and needles they should be punished. This punishment is not to be a deterrent but rather what is right because one breaks the law. I Think the Utilitarian view is better than the Kantian view because it does consider the outcomes of the event. Though I am not wholly sold on their concept. The Kantian view does not address the problem it just condemns it. In the world today we all know what happens when a person breaks the law and so do the criminals yet; they still break the law. When someone is addicted to a drug it is out of their control to help themselves and society as a whole should step in and help. Their does come a time when you can help only so much and it is up to the individual to correct their own wrong but not in all circumstances. I think the best approach would be a happy medium between both views.

African Americans essays

African Americans essays In the period after Reconstruction the position of African Americans in southern American society steadily deteriorated. After 1877 the possibilities of advancements for African Americans disappeared almost completely. African Americans experienced a loss of voting rights and political power created by methods of terrorization such as lynching. The remaining political and economic gains that were made during reconstruction were eventually whittled away by Southern legislation. By the 1900s African Americans had almost no access to political, social, or economic power. Shortly after this Jim Crow laws began to emerge, segregating blacks and whites. This dramatic transition from African American power to powerlessness after reconstruction gave birth to two important leaders in the African American community, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Although these two remarkable men were both in search of a common goal, their roads leading to this goal were significantly differen t. This is most evident in the two most important documents of the mens careers: Booker T. Washingtons, 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech and W.E.B. DuBois response to this, The Souls of Black Folks. These two men were both dedicated to solving the difficult problems African Americans experienced in the post reconstruction south. Both DuBois and Washington wanted economic prosperity for African Americans but they differed on what would be done to achieve this. Both men focused on education as a key to the improvement of black life but they differed on the form education should take. The true difference in these mens extremely different routes to better the lives of African Americans after reconstruction was a product of their extremely different backgrounds. In this essay I will examine the documents, 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls...

Research Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Ethics - Essay Example The paper tells that another characteristic of qualitative research manifested in this scenario is the involvement of the researcher in the subject matter as it is evident in the involvement of Alisha Shah in the research by observing gamblers gamble. Subjective interpretation of results is another characteristic of qualitative research that manifests itself in this research scenario. From the first instance of observing the gamblers, she objectively analyzes the data and comes to the conclusion that gambling is a due to social factors as opposed to the need for more money. Objective analysis and interpretation of data is one of the requirements for a good research report and is encouraged as one of the important practices in research ethics. Further, qualitative research is richer in terms of results and takes more time to come up with tangible results. This is evident in the analysis of the fractured communities in order to conclude that one of the driving forces of the gambling addiction is socially related. The characteristic of the detailed description of scenarios in qualitative research is also manifested in the use of open questions in the research tool. This is so because detailed description cannot be gotten from closed questions mostly associated with quantitative research. The decisions to allow the participants fill the questionnaires and mail them back confirms this aspect since in this case, it means the participants may give more details which can only be gotten if he/she is given the necessary time to answer and mail back.