Act Utilitarianism

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1 Examining the Responses of Two Ethical Theories to Assisted Suicide It is currently illegal in Canada to aid or counsel a person to commit suicide. Should the law be changed to allow for assisted suicide of people who are terminally ill and suffering from severe pain that cannot be managed? A case must be made that this form of assisted suicide is in fact ethical. This paper will examine the ethical positions of two theories, Act Utilitarianism and Kant’s theory of Deontology, in regard to this particular type of assisted suicide. Act Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of an action, where an action will be deemed right or wrong after analysing the end result. The right action is the one which brings forth the greatest…show more content…
Kant’s theory maintains that actions themselves are right or wrong, regardless of the consequence that occurs as a result (Waluchow 173). Most arguments for assisted suicide are based on the probable consequence that the person won’t suffer anymore, however Kant’s theory would not accept this assertion as morally relevant. The arguments that include suffering of friends and family and cost to the health system would also be viewed as insignificant. Most justifications for assisted suicide are consequential in nature, and would therefore be dismissed by Kantian…show more content…
Both theories are monistic in nature. Kant’s deontology and Act Utilitarianism both state that their theory should be the only one applied to this issue, not just one consideration among many. Similar to Act Utilitarianism, Kantian Deontology would negate the significance of any personal relationship in regards to the issue of assisted suicide. Both theories provide a type of test that can be applied to this issue; a test that attempts to answer the question: How does one know if they have chosen to act in an ethical way? It is at this point where the two theories diverge
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