Short Essay Utilitarian, Kantian and Virtue Ethics
Humanities
Make sure you read the attached chapters from the textbook before starting the essay. As soon as I can chat with you I will send more attachments- PP presentation and Topic notes which should make it easier for you to understand the subjects.
Consider the following prompt and then compare and contrast how any two of the
following three normative ethical theories would approach the topic: Utilitarian
Ethics, Kantian Ethics, Virtue Ethics (Aristotle).
Your answer should be no more than a maximum of two pages in length, (title and citation page do
not count)you do not need to use the full pages to give a proper answer to the question. You are
graded on CONTENT
In your response to the question you will be evaluated based on two key criteria:
1) Your initial discussion of what each theory would emphasize in terms of the values at stake
(example: happiness is going to be a key part of the issue for Utilitarians, but whose happiness
may be effected here and how should that effect our decision).
2) Your ability to apply the theory to create a solution to the proposed dilemma.
Question: Chris and Sonja went shopping to buy Christmas presents for their three sons; Mathew,
Mark, and Luke. The loving parents always tried to treat their children equally. This year, they
had budgeted to spend $100 on each of them.
For once it looked as if their shopping would be trouble free, for they soon found what they were
looking for: handheld PlayGame game consoles for $100 each. Just as they were about to take three
to the checkout, Chris noticed a special offer. If you bought two of the new, top of the line,
PlayGamePlusMax consoles at $150 each, then you would get an original PlayGame free. They could
spend the same amount of money and get superior goods.
“We can’t do that,” said Sonja. “That would be unfair, since one of the boys would be getting less
than the others.”
“But Sonja,” said Chris, excited at the thought of borrowing one of his sons‟ new toys, “how can it
be unfair? This way none of them gets a worse gift than he would have done, and two of them get
better. But if we don’t take the offer, two of the kids are worse off than they would otherwise
be.” “I want them all to be equal,” replied Sonja.
“Even if it means making them worse off?”
So, which of the two parents is being more fair, and what is the just or fair thing to do in this
instance? Remember – compare and contrast how any two of the three normative ethical theories would approach the topic: Utilitarian Ethics, Kantian Ethics, Virtue Ethics (Aristotle).
