Question

1. What is the difference between Default Rule Utilitarianism and strict Deontology?

2. What is the Euthyphro Dilemma and what does it show about Divine Command Ethics?

3. Either (A) state a policy on the limits of religious liberty motivated by Utilitarian or Deontological considerations or (B) state a policy on drug use based on Utilitarian or Deontological considerations.

Answer 1

1. Rule utilitarianism suggests that an act would be ethical if it benefits maximum number of people within the rules of that act while strict deontology suggests that an act would be ethical if it fulfils duty without worrying about the consequence. Although both the theories suggest that the act should be within the rules, utilitarianism focus on maximizing benefits while deontology doesn’t care about the outcome.

2. One of the most important dilemmas in the philosophical world is Euthyphro’s dilemma in which Socrates asks Euthyphro whether gods love something because it’s pious or whatever gods love is pious. If one chooses gods love something because it’s pious it would question their own powers as gods and if someone chooses that something is pious because gods love them, then there are many gods who love different things which would cause more chaos among their followers.

3. B. Utilitarianism suggests that an act would be considered ethical if it maximizes benefit to maximum number of people and reduce any harm. This would mean that drug use harms those who use them and in return impact the economy because they would either become unproductive or would become unemployed thus, their contribution would be lost and they would need more assistance from the government. Secondly, drug use would also lead to many deviant behaviours that would affect other innocent people because people who take drug wouldn’t know what they are doing. Finally, government’s primary responsibility is to act as a welfare state thus, it should help the society lead a healthy and happy life without harming them. Thus, criminalizing the drug use would help maximum number of people benefit and reduce harm.

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