Assignment

1. ASSIGNMENT 1
11/28/2014

3. 1. DEFINITION OF ETHICAL
THEORIES
SUBJECTIVE RELATIVISM
• We each create our own morality where we decide
our understanding on what is right and what is
wrong
• It is always about “me” but still considers others
• Example: I think it’s immoral for a student to copying
the assignment from other student. I think it is an
unethical. You don’t think that. That’s just your
opinion; let’s agree or disagree.

4. Cultural Relativism
• What is right and what is wrong depends
on the society’s guidelines.
• One society may say an action as right at
one time and wrong in another society or
in another time.
• Example: Family kills a women family
member who is raped in Somalia, herein
Malaysia it is totally wrong to kills
someone

5. Divine Command Theory
• Have their own moral guidelines to follow.
• Obliged to follow God because they believe
that it holds morality according to God’s will.
• Based on obedience not the reasons

6. Ethical Egoism
• It is all about “me”, not considers about others
• The community can benefit when individuals put their
well-being first
• Example: A person starting up a bakery in town where
there is none. The individuals sees an opportunity to
make profit, by selling bread, in a town with no, or very
little competition. In effect he has captured the market
and is able to make a lot of money by pursuing his own
self-interest. The town however gains the resource of
bread and through his specialisation into one field he
can produce the goods more efficiently than other
members of society could if they were to make it for
only themselves

7. Kantianism
• Moral action that is performed because of the sense of
duty which action that is based on “This is what I has to
do”, not based upon feelings or pity.
• Motive is the most important thing in Kantianism in
determining the morality.
• Everyone should be treated as an ends and never as a
means.
• If you inclined to do something, your action is immoral.
• Example: If a building is on fire, it is your duty to save
people inside even the people inside are murderers.
You would save the people for the sake of saving them
and no other reasons

8. Act Utilitarianism
• Figure out the consequences and then
determine the action was right
• It is a good action if it brings more benefit to
the majority of people
• Concerned with short term consequences
• Example: You go in to save someone and the
end up drowning. By following act
utilitarianism, the action is wrong because the
consequences was bad and give sorrow to
majority of people

9. Rule Utilitarianism
• Deals with the desire of actions to produce more
pleasure and the least amount of pain
• The correctness of rules depends on the amount of
good it brings about when followed and vice versa.
• Concerned with long term consequences
• Example: A friend comes to your door and asked to be
hidden so they are not killed.
• You then hide them in the basement and there is a
knock at the door and it is the person who is looking
for you friend. They ask if your friend is hiding here.
Based on rule utilitarianism, choosing to tell the truth
even though it leads to bad consequences. Thinking
long term because lying is always wrong to do and
leads to negative consequences

10. Social Contract Theory
• Is more on a government concept which is a
basic rules for a government where it is the
consent given by the people.
• Persons morality is depends on a contract and
agreement among them all to form the society
• Example: The first people in the area of North
America that is now the US had to sign a social
contract to start making laws.

11. 2. If you as a group had to choose only one of the ethical
theories and use it for all of your personal ethical decision-making,
which theory would you choose? Why?
In our group we would follow Kantianism theory for decision
making. This is due to action will be taken on underlying
principle which the moral worth of any action is judged.
According to this theory, universalizing a maxim or
statement will lead to being valid. We will see on the whole
and whats our duty. All we see is that on our action which is
good or bad which purely depends on the reason. Through
this theory we also show our common sense views on the
good and bad depends on rational action.Regarding this
theory,we a act in a way that we give priority to humanity be
it in our own person or other person. Whatever decision or
action taken must be rational as the act will be part of the
universal so we will think widely upon any decision. We will
have a goal when taking decision.

12. 3. People give a variety of reasons for copying a
music CD from a friend instead of buying it.
Refute each of the reasons given below using
one of the theories described.
a. Ethical Egoism
b. Act Utilitarianism
c. Subjective
d. Kantianism Relativism
e. Rule Utilitarianism
f. Social Contract Theory
g. Cultural Relativism

13. 4. The morality of Mary is wrong. At first they are
supposed to do their own work but John was asking
for the answer from Mary and she responded to John
by giving him the answer. Mary influenced John by
getting lazy to do his own work. Second, they are
free to consult their lecture notes and the textbook
while taking the quiz but they both breached the
rules by discussing and exchanging the answers.
Mary should not give John the answer as the
instructor has explained the rules of the quiz. In
conclusion, Mary's action is totally wrong and she
should reject John's request for answer and let him
to do the quiz by himself as the quiz can be repeated
as many times as they wish.

14. 11/28/2014