Compare and Conctrast Essay on Kant's Ethical Theory and Mill's Utilitarian Approach

Introduction

Kantian ethical theory adopts the deontological strategy that describes the idea of the universal moral law and the concept of duty. The idea of commitment states that an individual should carry out the right thing even if the result becomes negative. For example, Kant thought that it could be wrong when an individual lies so that they can save their friends from becoming a murderer. The theory has its center the idea of the categorical imperative since the ethical commands are not conditional or conditional but are categorical. The deontological moral theory creates opposition to making morality limited to the actual circumstances and the consequences of actions carried out by people. The thing which makes the action to be viewed as right by Kant since it is conducted for the sake of duty and not because it leads to desirable or good consequences (Bowie, 2017). Kant maintains on principle of categorical imperative that appears to become an actual command. Therefore, the central notion of Kant about the ethical theory is due to the idea of the goodwill.

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On the other hand, the Mill's utilitarian approach of ethics states that actions are usually right in proportions since they contribute to the happiness of an individual thus focusing on the consequences of different activities and not the rights or the moral sentiments. A utilitarian will states that an individual has to consider their good as well as the good of others. The classical utilitarian like John Stuart Mill held that people have to bring the most significant amount of good to the highest numbers. Mills definition to utilitarianism focuses on the creed which considers a specific theory of life which becomes the foundation of morals (Mill, 2016). Pleasure is intrinsically desirable in the lives of people hence making Mill to believe that some types of desires are valuable than others in the virtue of their inner qualities.

How the Kantian Ethical Theory can be applied in Euthanasia

When an individual tries to use the moral ideas to euthanasia, the person sees it challenging to make a clear decision if it is ethically allowed. There are two maxims which a person would follow when applying the ethical theory to euthanasia. The first maxim is that "Do Not Kill" is not ethically acceptable but the law can be universalized when approaching the cases of murder, suicide or euthanasia. The ending of an individuals' life would be viewed as morally wrong which appears to be plausible. Therefore, a person can argue that the maxim of "Do Not Kill" through the Kantian moral theory appears to be wrong in every circumstance. Also, a person can use another maxim in approaching Euthanasia, where one supports it. For example, if a person is permitted to end their life due to uncontrollable amount of suffering which cannot be cured, the law can be universalized thus making euthanasia morally acceptable. Therefore, it is clear to state that an individual might be killed if they decide to do so and if it has been agreed that there will be no other way to cure them thus the law can be universalized. Through these maxims, Kant's morals alone cannot be used in prohibiting or supporting euthanasia (Vaughn, 2015). The person decide if it is ethically acceptable or not depending on the maxim they would like to follow, and if it can be universalized thus being used in approaching euthanasia.

Consequently, Kant had another moral view about euthanasia where he stated that life is not supposed to be considered as a means to an end but as ends. Individuals who happen to be against euthanasia can utilize this view to argue that Kant was not supporting ending the life of a person to stop suffering. This could be fall under using this person as the means to an end. Also, Kant valued every person, and he wanted a perfect community where every individual was treated with the much respect they require (Vaughn, 2015). Therefore, it could be against the wishes of Kant to deny a person the right to die is they were experiencing severe pain or a lot of suffering.

How Mill's Utilitarian Approach can be applied in Euthanasia

The utilitarianism theory by Mill judges morality on the bases of the consequences which an action might bring to a person or persons. The individuals who act in a useful way their efforts are required to bring about the appropriate results. Mill argues that the functional consequences are the ones which lead to happiness, pleasure or reduce pain in an individual. Therefore, to act morally, an activity must be undertaken to cause happiness to the highest number of persons. Sacrificing a persons' happiness can be ethically right as long as the actions of that person lead to everyone's happiness. Mill categorizes happiness into various types where he states that the higher pleasures stimulate a person's intellect while the lower pleasures tend to stimulate the body. People are required to aim at higher pleasures since they bring greater happiness compared to the lower pleasures. Therefore, euthanasia makes the person suffer from depression and different influences which changes the persons' state of mind. The alteration might be against the individuals' value when they were rational, and one could want to stop them through committing suicide. For example, according to utilitarian theory, committing suicide might become both moral and immoral. Due to this reason, it will depend on the amount of happiness brought about with the loss of that person. In most case, euthanasia leads to more sadness than happiness, but in some circumstances, a persons' death might be the only option (Vaughn, 2015). Also, the theory considers more of other people's views than the person who is making the decisions. Therefore, the utilitarianism theory does not take a strong position in deciding how moral is euthanasia since it is not the best theory to analyze this issue.

The Approach Which I think is Most Appropriate to Deal with Euthanasia

I believe that Kantian ethical theory is the most appropriate since it makes it more comfortable in the determination of the actions as morally right than in the utilitarianism approaches. Whenever data are scarce, the Kantian theory provides more precision than the utilitarian theory since a person can determine whether the person is getting used as the mere means even when the happiness of others is ambiguous. The ethical approach considers the actions proposal which occurs to them and ensures that the suggestions do not use the mere means. In contrast, the utilitarianism theory compares every act and determines the one that has the best effects (Vaughn, 2015). Therefore, it is time-consuming to calculate the potential cost and the advantages of a given activity thus leaving less time to promote happiness as it is the Utilitarian aim.

References

Bowie, N. E. (2017). Business ethics: A Kantian perspective. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://assets.cambridge.org/97811071/20907/frontmatter/9781107120907_frontmatter.pdf

Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. In Seven masterpieces of philosophy (pp. 337-383). Routledge. Retrieved from https://philpapers.org/rec/MILU-7

Vaughn, L. (2015). Doing ethics: Moral reasoning and contemporary issues. WW Norton & Company. Retrieved from http://rsp9-nicola-symeonides.weebly.com/euthanasia-through-kantian-ethics.html