Morals and Decision-Making

Paper Summary:

The paper describes a case for decision-making and moral action in George Eliot's "Middlemarch". The paper describes the case where the character, Dorothea, confronted with an extremely arduous choice: she is peremptorily urged by her husband to make the promise of acting in a certain way that is dictated by him, after his death. The paper then explains how, although Dorothea honorably makes the decision instantly and is aware that she is incapable of refusing him, she defers her answer because she cannot bring herself to devote herself to a futile purpose. The writer relates that in a similar situation, he would probably act the same way. The paper then analyzes how Kant's categorical imperative offers a very interesting perspective on Dorothea's difficult situation.

From the Paper:

"Immanuel Kant's metaphysics of morals established a close connection between the reasoning faculty which is proper only to human beings and the ability to act morally. Kant based his ethical theory on a famous concept which represented the standard of moral action: the categorical imperative. In Kant's view, the morality of an action can be established through logical argument, thus demonstrating that reason is the foremost faculty of man and the locus of virtue. A very interesting case for decision making and moral action is presented in chapter forty-eight of Middlemarch. Here, Dorothea is confronted with an extremely arduous choice: she is peremptorily urged by her husband to make the promise of acting in a certain way that is dictated by him, after his death."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Eliot, George. Middlemarch. New York: Penguin, 1984
• Kant, Immanuel. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. Translated by James W. Ellington. Indianapolis: Hacket, 1993

More papers on Morals and Decision-Making:

• Term Paper # 114182 : "Ethics and Decision Making"
• Research Paper # 93706 : "Perception and Decision Making"
• Essay # 84574 : "Ethical Decision Making"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: