Brandi Caldwell

April 23, 2004

Phil 116 Section #
Philosophy is a study that focuses on inuirin! into "oral issues and how "oral
decisions are "ade# $ypically philosophers deal with conseuentialist %ersus non&
conseuentialist theories# Conseuentialis" has three %ersions '!ois", Altruis", and
(tilitarianis"# $hese three for"s differ fro" each other )ecause they loo* at different
perspecti%es# '!ois" focuses solely on the )enefits of the person ta*in! the action# +n
the other hand, Altruis" e,cludes the costs and )enefits of the person actin!, and only
considers others "a,i"u" utility# Both '!ois" and Altruis" differ fro" (tilitarianis"
)ecause (tilitarianis" ta*es e%eryone into consideration for deter"inin! the "orality of
an act# -or the purpose of this paper we will only focus on (tilitarianis"#
.(tilitarianis" is a conseuentialist ethical theory /S01 P!12
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3#4 5t is conseuentialist
)ecause it deter"ines an action6s "orality )ased on the conseuences of that action# 5t is
ethical )ecause it is concerned with hu"ans and their actions# (tilitarianis" deals a lot
with the cost )enefit analysis, and how )enefits and har"s are calculated# $he "ain !oal
of utilitarianis" is to "a*e decisions )ased on lon!&ter" outco"e and the deter"ination
of "orality in a situation# (tilitarianists follow the Principles of (tility# .An action is
"orally ri!ht if and only if the )alance of )enefit to har" calculated )y ta*in! e%eryone
affected into consideration is !reater than the )alance of )enefit to har" resultin! fro"
any alternati%e act /S01 P!123#4
1edonistic Act (tilitarianis" is one of the three "a7or utilitarian %alue theories#
.1edonistic act (tilitarianis" clai" that pleasure is the only intrinsically !ood thin!
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/S01 P!183#4 5ntrinsic !oodness is so"ethin! that is not a "eans to an end, )ut has
i"portance )y 7ust )ein!# Sone%en)os and 1u")er discuss 9ere"y Bentha"6s se%en
criteria for deter"inin! the le%el of pleasure used to "easure intrinsic %alue# +ut of the
se%en, intensity, duration, and pro)a)ility will )e outlined for the Buffy Case scenario#
Bentha" for"ed an euation that all alternati%es to an action should !o throu!h to
deter"ine the "a,i"u" utility# Basically, nu")ers are assi!ned to the duration of the
pleasure, the intensity of the pleasure, and the pro)a)ility of that action )ein! successful#
$hese fi!ures "ultiplied to!ether for" the total utility# $he purpose of the .hedonistic
calculus /S01 P! 2034 is to deter"ine which of all the alternati%es has the hi!hest utility#
A (tilitarian would analy:e Buffy6s situation usin! the fours steps of hedonistic
act utilitarianis"# -irst, he or she would .set out all the rele%ant alternati%e acts that are
open to hi" or her /S01 p! 123#4 -or this case Buffy !oin! either with or a!ainst Spi*e
are the only alternati%es a%aila)le# Secondly, Buffy and Spi*e will )e listed as the only
indi%iduals .who will )e affected )y the alternati%e courses of action /S01 p!123#4 $he
third step is to assess how Buffy and Spi*e will )e affected )y )oth alternati%es# 5t is
necessary to co"pute the )alance of )enefit to har" for )oth players# -or the first
alternati%e, Buffy6s intensity and duration under !ettin! cau!ht were selected )ased on
her losin! her 7o) and all the "oney she would !ain fro" ;a"pire# She has a "uch
hi!her unit of intensity co"pared to not !ettin! cau!ht )ecause of the conseuences# +n
the other hand, Spi*e6s nu")ers were hi!her than Buffy6s )ecause it )ein! his co"pany
actin! as the *ey player in "anipulatin! the )oo*s, he stands to )e in "ore trou)le than
Buffy6s co"pany# <oreo%er, he also stands to !ain "ore fro" not )ein! cau!ht# $hus,
his nu")ers are si!nificantly hi!her than Buffy6s on that affect# 5n the second alternati%e
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Buffy6s nu")ers are "uch hi!her than Spi*e6s )ecause he will win either way# 5f Buffy
does not !o with his idea, he will si"ply "o%e his )usiness elsewhere# $herefore, Buffy
has hi!h nu")ers )ecause of the )usiness and "oney she will lose# =ow that all
possi)le situations ha%e )een analy:ed, the final step is to si"ply deter"ine nu"erically
which results in the !reatest total of )alance of )enefit to har"# +nce intensity, duration
and pro)a)ility are calculated, it is deter"ined that fro" a (tilitarian %iewpoint Buffy
should !i%e into Spi*e and render an unualified opinion on ;a"pire6s financials without
forcin! ;a"pire to )oo* her su!!estion ad7ust"ents#
>antianis" is an ethical theory ar!uin! that the intentions )ehind an action
deter"ine the "orality of said action rather than the conseuence# >ant )elie%ed e%ery
action has a "a,i", a )asis of e%ery action# 1e also )elie%ed in the .ethics of duty rather
than the ethics of conseuences /Bowie p! 434# $herefore, he ta*es an opposite %iew of
(tilitarianis"# Since >ant %iews 7ud!in! "orality )y the intentions, he adopts the
principle of an i"perati%e# An i"perati%e is a co""and, or !eneral su!!estion of
)eha%ior# $here are two types of i"perati%es 1ypothetical and Cate!orical 5"perati%es#
A 1ypothetical 5"perati%e is when .you want to do ? so you do @# /Bowie p!43,4
whereas, Cate!orical 5"perati%e is a co""and that you ha%e to o)ey no "atter what#
$he -or"ulation of (ni%ersal Aaw, the -or"ulation of 1u"anity, and the -or"ulation of
the >in!do" of 'nds are of Cate!orical 5"perati%e# >ant )elie%ed that .only hu"an
)ein!s can follow laws of their own choosin! )ecause they are the only creatures that are
free, and it is fact that we are free that ena)les us to )e rational and "oral# /Bowie p! 4
ii
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Because of this >ant focuses his ar!u"ents on followin! the for"ulations of Cate!orical
5"perati%es#
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5n reference to the Buffy situation, a >antian theorist would apply either the
uni%ersali:a)ility test or the respect for persons test# Because a >antian )elie%es in
people ha%in! intrinsic %alue throu!h free will, a respect for persons test is appropriate
)ecause it 7ud!es if an action if %iolatin! a hu"an6s intrinsic %alue# Also an
uni%ersali:a)ility test deter"ines whether you can uni%ersali:e the "a,i" of your action
without co""ittin! yourself to a lo!ical or practical contradiction# $herefore, Buffy6s
"a,i" is to sa%e her lar!est account )y followin! Spi*e6s lead, and present an
unualified report of ;a"pire6s financials# 1owe%er, this "a,i" does not stand up once
it is uni%ersali:ed# 5f e%eryone in the world were to cheat 7ust to "a*e "ore "oney, no
one would e%er )e trusted# $herefore, Buffy6s scenario of !i%in! in to Spi*e does not
pass, and is dee"ed i""oral# Also, )ecause the actions are a "eans to an end, they fail
the respect for persons test# Buffy is )ein! used )y Spi*e and ;a"pire to help the"
create "ore instru"ental %alue# $hat is directly %iolatin! Buffy6s intrinsic %alue )ecause
she should not )e used for such# $hus, a >antian theorist would conclude that Buffy
refuse to render a clean opinion unless ;a"pire )oo*s her su!!ested ad7ust"ents#
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Snoeyen)os, <ilton and 9a"es 1u")er# .(tilitarianis" and Business 'thics#4 A Companion to Business Ethics, ed# Bo)ert
-rederic*, 12&28# <alden, <assachusetts, Blac*well Pu)lishers, 5nc# 1888
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Bowie, =or"an# .A >antian Approach to Business 'thics#4 A Comparison to Business Ehtics, ed# Bo)ert -rederic*, 3&
16# <alden, <assachussets, Blac*well Pu)lishers, 5nc# 1888