Many people in the world have strong feelings of right and wrong. Where do moral rules come from, and how do we know if we are really doing the “right” thing? In many societies, most moral beliefs come from a religious background, or a family tradition passed down throughout the generations. There are many philosophical beliefs about this issue; one of these is the Utilitarian view, which is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members. On the other side of this moral spectrum come the ideas of Kant, which basically consist of following a set of standard rules; in other words, certain actions are always wrong, while others are always right. An example of Kant’s absolute rules is that lying and murder are always wrong.
Utilitarianism gives a clear, theoretical basis for moral decision making. Before deciding upon a course of action, the utilitarian is asked to consider its effects on the entire population over......
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