deontology versus act utilitarianism
1. Begin your essay with an introductory paragraph briefly describing what you are going to do in the essay. You must include a thesis statement in this section. Your thesis statement describes the position you will be arguing for in the essay. More details on writing an introduction will be discussed in the lecture entitled ‘Writing an Introduction and Conclusion’ (found in the module for Week 8).2. Explain Kant’s theory of right action. In this section of the essay, your explanation should address the following points:- What does it mean for something to be a moral requirement, according to Kant? In your explanation, you should discuss the difference between hypothetical and categorical imperatives, and you should explain what it means to say that moral requirements are unconditionally valid for all rational agents.- Explain the Humanity as an End in Itself (HEI) formulation of the Categorical Imperative. Give a specific example of where the principle would apply.3. Explain what act utilitarianism is. Your explanation should address the following points:- What is act consequentialism and what kind of consequences do act utilitarians think we should bring about with our actions?- Explain the following aspects of act utilitarianism: maximization, universalism, and impartialism.4. State which theory of right action you think is stronger and give a reason for your preference. Your preference should be stated in terms of one of Timmons’s seven ways of evaluating moral theories. 5.
