Michelle Lippert
Ethics
25 March 2016
Deontology or Utilitarianism Over the course of this class thus far we have been learning about two topics: Deontology and Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is when actions which produce happiness have instrumental value, which is valuable for what it is not what is does. Deontology is when you can’t do something unless you would do it to everyone; universalism. We have been going over these acts morality for the past few weeks, and while doing so it has made me think of what category I would fall under; which I think is more toward Utilitarianism than Deontology. The second case study we went over was the study over Justice between the two babies who both were in need of a heart transplant. Baby A doesn’t have any other medical problems but infant B has downs syndrome but other than that is in the same condition of baby A. An Act Utilitarian would say Baby A because there is a higher chance of survival. A Rule Utilitarian would ask which baby would produce the greatest good. A Deontologist would save the baby that came first. I would say that the idea of the Deontologist is right, …show more content…
In this case study there was a family whose 12 year old daughter had leukemia. The doctors say they could do a bone marrow transplant but there are no donors that are suitable for her; her parents included. Her parents decide to have anpother baby hoping that baby would be a match. A Deontologist would say this is not a good moral choice, because Utilitarian’s don’t look at ends, so this is using a child as mere means. A Utilitarian would look at this as a greater good, but it also depends on what that child has to go through. I think the parents could’ve made a good choice by doing this, but it depends on how much the parents use this child as a resource for their daughter with leukemia. If they make her always do things to help their sister than this could’ve been a bad