Week 3:

1. The Powerpoint slides for this topic make no mention of Immanuel Kant's deontological
theory of ethics (ethics as "duty"). How do Kant's ideas fit with Utilitarianism and the
Rights and Justice theories referred to in the slides?  
Kant's theory defines right action in terms of moral rules whereas utilitarianism sees moral
rules as merely useful rules of thumb. Explanation: Kantianism is a deontological moral
theory whereas utilitarianism is a teleological moral theory.

People should think freely: individuals should have free speech.

Deontological: Can go against the rights of a person.
Justice theory: there is only 1 human species. Not all races can achieve the same thing which can link
back to the justice theory.

2. Immanuel Kant talked about an inherent and unconditional duty to act ethically, which he
called the "categorical imperative". Is there any categorical imperative that you can think
of that would have universal application? Isn’t there an exception to every rule?
According to Kant, there are two categorical imperatives that apply to everyone in all situations;
 Treat people as end does not mean: Essentially a restatement of the ‘Golden Rule’ 
 1The decision maker cannot be exempt from the categorical imperative: If the
decision maker makes exceptions then that negates the concept of an imperative 
3. Commuters who have more than one passenger in the car are permitted to drive in a
special lane on some highways while all the other motorists have to contend with stop-
and-go traffic. Does this have anything to do with ethics? If so, then assess this situation
using each of the following ethical theories: utilitarianism (ignores motivations; looks at
consequences), deontology (considers duty, responsibilities; ethics based on the
motivation of the decision maker), justice, fairness and virtue ethics.
Ethics are socially acceptable norms of right and wrong. These are the moral principles that guide a
person's behavior during a situation. A situation of permitting a car to have a special treatment can
be considered both ethical and unethical. The act of allowing cars with multiple passengers can be
considered against the principles of equality and fairness. Principle of equality states that everyone
carries equal rights on social resources and must be distributed equally. However, there is also
another view. The act of allowing people pooling with others can be seen as an act of saving natural
resources for future generations, hence giving them preferential treatment is necessary to promote
this behavior amongst society 

Individuals using utilitarian approaches choose an option that maximizes good for most of the
people. Under this ideology, this act is considered as bad as in turn, this situation only maximizes
good for some people not all. Individuals using this philosophy of ‘deontology’ emphasize ethical
duties and obligations as a guiding principle for deciding ethically. Under this ideology, the act will be
considered as ethical as it is our duty and obligations to make resources available for future
generations.
Week 3:

Differentiate between utilitarianism and deontology

Apply a model of Kantian business ethics