Abstract
The paper discusses utilitarianism, an ethical philosophy which holds that the right course of action is the course of action which provides the greatest good. The paper then looks at deontological ethics that believes a person has certain duties which he should carry out. The paper looks at Immanuel Kant's deontological beliefs of moral duties and discusses how duty requires a defense lawyer to zealously represent the defendant even if he/she knows that a client is guilty and believes that if the client is not imprisoned, he/she will commit more crimes. The paper further explains that an attorney is required to not take a case in which he cannot give zealous representation.

From the Paper
"Utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy which holds that the right course of action is the course of action which provides the greatest good or the greatest number. As articulated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, this ethic holds that the two controlling emotions in life are pleasure and pain. Man prefers pleasure. Thus, for the isolated individual, an action producing pleasure is good; an action producing pain is bad. For a person in society, an action is good if the pleasure felt by all those affected is greater than the pain felt by those affected. (Hollinger 2002, pp. 32-33; Bentham, 1949; Mill, 1979)"

Tags:pleasure, pain, benefit, Kant, duties, categorical, imperative, attorneys

Abstract
The paper describes a case study of a 19 year old male, Daniel, who suffered from mild depression and was treated by a medical herbalist. The paper relates that after six months of treatment, Daniel committed suicide, and the parents face the decision of whether to sue the doctor for negligence and unprofessional behaviour. The paper discusses the four principles of medical ethics that include respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, and also outlines the perspectives of utilitarianism and deontology. The paper applies these principles and frameworks to Daniel's case and explains why beneficence and maleficence are more important than respect for autonomy. The paper also shows how deontology has been followed here, but a utilitarian approach would have been better suited. The paper comes to the conclusion that in this case, it is difficult to say whether it is truly ethical for the parents to sue when they played a significant part in the outcome of their son's treatment.

Outline:
Case Study: Medical Herbalist
Four Principles of Medical Ethics
Utilitarianism and Deontology
Application
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Daniel was a 19 year old male suffering from mild depression. His family was well aware of the situation, and had obtained various opinions about what is needed to help him. Daniel did not react very well to medical anti-depressants. On the physical level, they made him nervous and restless. On the emotional level, he resisted the meds for fear of becoming dependent upon them. Despite his depression, Daniel had never felt the need to succumb to substance abuse, and indeed feared this, as he had considerable experience with a friend who nearly died as a result of substance abuse. The medical herbalist, Mr. Mudra, seemed to have the solution. After about a month of his treatments, Daniel's general mood and emotions appeared to improve somewhat. After about five months of the treatment, however, he began to fall into depression again. Despite the parents' attempt to find a psychotherapist who would see Daniel, the boy refused any such help and insisted that Mr. Mudra was helping him. After only one more month, Daniel had committed suicide. The parents now face the decision of whether to sue the doctor for negligence and unprofessional behaviour."

Tags:autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, utilitarianism, deontology

Abstract
The paper first looks at the forms of deontological ethics, that include ethical formalism, religion, natural law and the ethics of virtue. The paper then turns to the teleological ethical systems, that include utilitarianism, the ethics of care and the ethics of egoism. The writer
considers himself first and foremost to be a utilitarian since he believes that the best criterion to judge our actions is by how they impact the world around us.

From the Paper
"All ethical systems can be categorized as one of two types. The first type is the deontological, meaning that right and wrong are thought of as independent categories and that ethical decisions are made without regard to a specific outcome. In the other kind of ethical system, the teleological, there is an ultimate goal towards which the individual or the community is striving. The realization of that ultimate goal is what guides ethical decision-making. Pollock (2003) has identified seven separate ethical systems, each of which can be categorized as either a deontological or a teleological perspective."

Tags:ethical, formalism, religion, natural, law, virtue, utilitarianism, care, egoism

Abstract
In this article, the merits and demerits of Utilitarianism are considered. The writer discusses Utilitarianism in light of James Rachels' essay, "The Elements of Moral Philosophy". Ultimately, the writer concludes by abondoning this theory for its inconsistency with liberty, justice and fairness.

From the Paper
"'The Elements of Moral Philosophy' by James Rachels contains an exposition of Utilitarianism that considers the strengths and weaknesses of this unique moral philosophy. Like all ethical theories, Utilitarianism advances a conception of the Good that is expected to prevail. All action if it is to be considered moral or Right must conform to that ethical conception of the Good. In Utilitarianism the Good is happiness and action that produces the most happiness for the most people is Right action. Conversely, it is wrong to take any action ... "

Tags:utilitarianism, james rachels, moral philosophy, ethical theory, principle of utility

Abstract
A comparison and contrast of the egoistic attitude with utilitarianism in this paper is revealing of the complexity of both approaches to ethical action, in that each is best considered a rubric or a category comprising a number of subsidiary positions. Thus for example ethical egoism has been cited as covering diverse approaches ranging from individual ethical egoism to universal ethical egoism. In this analysis, the paper shows that in order to present compare and contrast egoism and utilitarianism it is necessary to recognize both the complexity of each approach objections to each and the points at which the two approaches seem to overlap.

Tags:utilitarianism, egoism, ethics

Abstract
This paper responds to set questions on the defects of utilitarianism, as found in matters of constant sacrificial action, Utilitarian errors of justice, the greatest good rationale and all things to do with the ideal as opposed to the practicality of the philosophy. The paper notes a guiding social ethos, perhaps deduced to date in its promise of social improvability, in relation to rights.

From the Paper
"A Critical Assessment of Utilitarianism Introduction John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism is most familiar to contemporary students of Philosophy and Political Science in his credo to do with the greatest good, for the greatest number, or societies that should be organized so that they can bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number. Mill's thinking has influenced the shape of contemporary liberal democracies in areas led by policies that should bring benefit to the greater part of a society, and classical liberal ideas of ensuring personal freedoms that can ensure happiness and remove future sources of contention."

Tags:j.s.mill, utilitarianism, pojman

Abstract
In this article, the writer deals with the objection to utilitarianism that implies it is too demanding on people when it comes to balancing their individual interests with the collective good. Utilitarian refutations of this charge are examined and their validity is questioned.

From the Paper
"Utilitarianism has its roots in the thought of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus but the basis of modern utilitarianism is based on the writings of British philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Bentham used the principle of utility to conclude that pleasure and pain were the only essential values in the world. As he put it nature has put man under the governance of two sovereign masters pleasure and pain. In his consideration of ethics he conceived of the ..."

Tags:Jeremy Bentham, utilitarianism, collective, John Stuart Mill

Abstract
This paper questions the ethics of selling one's car knowing that it is defective and applies the ethical systems offered in Utilitarianism, Kantian Deontology, and Virtue Ethics to decide what to do in this situation. The paper discusses each of the theories and shows how they could be applied to the situation.

From the Paper
"In simple terms, Virtue Ethics assumes that the moral person will act morally, and the individual should strive to be virtuous and knowledgeable in order to act rightly. Because of this, this theory does not specifically tell one how to decide on a situation, but trusts that the virtuous person will simply know from their righteous and knowledgeable nature. Therefore, if one were a moral and knowledgeable person, and one decided that one should sell the car, then the action would be correct."

Tags:moral, law, rational, being

Abstract
The paper analyzes the philosophical premise of deontological reasoning, utilitarianism, and objectivism within the film "Extremities". The paper explains that while Marjorie initially relies on utilitarian belief systems that rely on a legal discourse after she is attacked, she quickly turns into an objectivist thinker when she realizes she can take action against her attacker.

Tags:law, american, history

Abstract
This essay will argue that no genetically modified foods should be allowed on the market in Canada at the present time due to concerns about public health, the possibility of wider environmental damage, and problems with corporate influence over the regulatory approval process as it currently exists. Moreover, a normative analysis will demonstrate that from the ethical standpoint of utilitarianism, the government is negligent in adopting a Precautionary Principle in terms of the impact of its regulatory policies upon the Canadian public. This is reinforced with respect to the application of deontological ethical theory that requires action to be taken in terms of its moral value, and in accordance with universal laws.