Student Name: Bradley King

Date: 3/23/2022

The case study involves a newspaper editor who receives very old and disturbing
photographs of American soldiers celebrating and engaging in the unspeakable that involved a
pile of mutilated combatants and personnel which, tragically, included children. Worse, the
soldiers in the picture are war heroes that put an end to the oppression of the enslaved people in
the opposing land. Remarkably, the editor possesses the only existing copies of these
photographs. The case study is in essence a moral dilemma regarding Kantian and
Consequentialist, and Virtue Ethics. The doctrine of Utilitarianism is depicted as involving the
greatest good for the greatest number to bring happiness. Kantian ethics, also known as
deontological Ethics, implores adherents to follow the categorical imperative, certain things
MUST be done and others in which certain things MAY be done but not necessarily depending
on the situation. In these moral solutions, there are certain situational exceptions, however, in
others there are some moral solutions that do not have exceptions and are absolute. Virtue Ethics,
as espoused by the luminary polymath Aristotle is quite simple in that one may live a virtuous
life without explicit rules (i.e.  utilitarianism (consequentialism) and deontology,) via
Eudaimonia. Live your life, do what you think is right and morality and virtue will sort itself out
from there.  Most definitely, I would publish the photos. This is simply because of my personal
belief that devotion to truth is a categorical imperative, that is, an absolute must.

There are two types of utilitarianism: act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Act
utilitarianism states that actions are moral so long as they can and should be taken in regard to
the greatest good and happiness for the greatest number of people. This philosophical view is
also known as classical utilitarianism, since it is the original iteration of the theory. Rule
utilitarianism rejects classical utilitarianism as too short sighted and thus given toward
immoralities for little gain. Rule utilitarianism argues for the long term, that people should
follow a set of rules that lead to the greatest good for the greatest number of people but not
commit immoral actions for good consequences in the short-term. The principle of utility, in “An
introduction to principles of morals and legislation,” by Jeremy Bentham, quoted thusly, the
greatest happiness principle, “to act always to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest
number.”.

In order to apply utilitarianism to the case study, we must first analyze the negative
consequences inflicted upon the soldiers and their families and contrast this. the negative
consequences of potentially allowing such violations of the Geneva Convention to happen again
ultimately taking these into account we should implement the action that causes the greatest good
and least amount of bad. On one hand, it would ruin the lives of the participating soldiers and not
only traumatize their families but open the families and the participating soldiers   up to
harassment and before, during and after justice is meted out. On the other hand, the soldiers had
it coming as theirs was a rational choice they knew this was wrong and chose to do it anyways
believe no harm to come to them. Furthermore, What about the victims and their families?
Oppressors or not, their families would also be bullied and harassed most likely by the
perpetrators' military superiors, unscrupulous government officials from both sides and other
ne'er do wells with no end in sight. and also, again, oppressors or not, those victims still deserve
justice, and their families deserve closure. Some of them were children after all… Lastly, we
need to show faith in the justice system and civics and not encourage other malfeasances. 
 Kantianism is also known as deontological ethics which can be divided into two subsets
Act-Deontologists, that each act is a unique ethical occasion, and a decision must be made by
consulting our conscience, reason, and intuition—apart from any rules.  Rule-Deontologists
which is to Accept the principle of universalizability as well as the notion that in making moral
judgments we are appealing to principles or rules. Kant sees moral laws as a set of imperatives
divided into categorical and hypothetical.  The Categorical Imperative states what we should do
in all situations regardless of our needs or wants (“do not steal for example) as opposed to the
hypothetical imperative which is what we should do if we have certain desires “if you need
money work for it” 

Kant’s two types of moral duties are derived from the categorical imperative, perfect and
imperfect duties. Perfect duties are those that must be followed without exception not to lie not
to break a promise as these duties if not followed lead to contradictions imperfect duties are the
opposite: developing one’s talents helping those in need and they can have exceptions as if not
followed will not lead to contradictions. As to what are the Kantian duties that would fall under
perfect duties as one should not lie. Therefore, as an editor, one should publish the evidence and
should do so absolutely without regard to the nature of the family or reputation of the soldiers
because in Immanuel Kant ‘s view, verisimilitude and dissimulation are not to be tolerated. Ever.
The categorical imperative is unequivocal in this.

According to Aristotle one must keep doing a virtuous action until it is habituated, also
one must seek people more virtuous than oneself for the purposes of emulation and imitation and
finding the golden mean in twain of certain vices, from that arises yet more virtue. To be
specific, not a categorical imperative, more a set of characteristics developed solely through
means of experience and humility born of age. Aristotle’s account of the good life advocates the
concept of eudaimonia, to live a virtuous moral life and a life very well lived. Properly translated
the word eudaimonia approximates human flourishing. In layman's terms it means that in order
to have virtue one needs to trust one's instincts and morality will form out of the chaos of life. In
regard to the case study, the answer is simple: find what Aristotle refers to as the golden mean,
between too much and too little, a moderate solution.   In order to do this one must make the
soldiers answer for their injustice but spare the reputations and good will of their families.

In terms of bringing about virtue one would imagine that the process of getting caught
and subsequently punished, as repeating said process will teach humility and justice. Getting
away with a misdeed will not teach virtue as it will teach that one should commit more misdeeds
and partake in vices, so long as they bring success, in essence it's only bad if one gets caught and
isn't inherently immoral, which is untrue. Virtue is promoted in the armed forces by means of
discipline and the laws of war as outlined in the Geneva Convention, simply speaking, it is the
threat of punishment and implementation of the routine habits of martial society as well as the
basic human decency of the individual and the group.  There are various things that promote
virtue in a country: patriotism, nationalism, globalism, peer pressure by adherence by those who
follow those ideologies.

In conclusion, as the editor, I would publish the photos simply because I have a
categorical imperative to learning and spreading the truth.  My decision to publish the
documented atrocities aligns with the Kantian theory because I consider the truth and its
dissemination a must. In other words, just like the absolute moral rules that Immanuel Kant
wrote of. I do not think my choice of theory is superior to the other philosophies, they are simply
distinct from Kantian theory and are not better than it nor vice versa. In this instance I chose the
Kantian theory due to my personal feelings on the subject matter as I adhere ironically to the
Aristotelian intellectual virtue of intellectual honesty and courage.