A634.2.4.RB_SchreterPaul

            There are two theories of thoughts with ethics and from these spawn many other theories. The two theories being discussed include consequentialism and deontology. The following includes a short discussion on both and my thoughts.

            Consequentialism can be defined as a “claim that we are morally obligated to act in ways that produce the best consequences” (LaFollette, 2007). Utilitarianism is what most people will think about when considering consequences. Utilitarianism is “conforms to our feeling that some good and some bad will necessarily be the result of our action and that the best action will be that which provides the most good or does the least harm, or, to put it another way, produces the greatest balance of good over harm” (Bonde & Firenze, 2013). In my opinion a lot of decisions are made this way, especially within the military, where number of lives may be at stake. Sometimes we have to sacrifice the few to save the many.

            Deontology claims “that our moral obligations – whatever they are – are defined by the rues, partly independently of consequences” (LaFollette, 2007). Growing up as children this was most likely what we were introduced to. Don’t steal from other kids, don’t hurt other kids, and don’t kill anyone. In the military we are introduced to similar. Don’t drink and drive, only yes means yes (with regards to sex), and avoid physical confrontations. The rules here are far more important than the consequences themselves. It doesn’t matter if your sister is starving and about to die, don’t steal that loaf of bread from a fat kid. While this example is a bit extreme, it highlights the basic understanding and idea behind deontology.

            So while making ethical decisions, it takes a careful balance between the two to determine what is right. While a deontologist might argue to never steal, some may believe that it’s justifiable in the example of stealing from a fat kid to feed a starving family member. While a consequentialist might argue to push an elderly man in front of an oncoming train to save five kids, some may believe that it’s not justifiable because of the act of committing murder. There’s really no way to determine right from wrong for every scenario as people and societies will have varying answers, but rarely is the case where one isn’t sacrificing some value for another.

            Discussed were a little bit about consequentialism and deontology and my thoughts on the two. A careful balance has to be played on almost a case by case basis. There is no universal rule on what is the right thing to do and so sometimes we have to trust our better judgement that’ll we’ll do what is right.

References

Bonde, S., & Firenze, P. (2013, May). A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions. Retrieved from Brown University: https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-ethical-decisions

LaFollette, H. (2007). The Practice of Ethics. Malden, MA: WileyBlackwell.