Ethics - Should Heinz steal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics - Should Heinz steal - Essay Example f the utilitarian theory of ethics, it is important to first look at the main moral principle that guide decision making in the utilitarian theory of ethics. According to the utilitarian theory of ethics, the guiding principle in making moral judgements and moral decisions is to always choose the action that maximizes the happiness for the majority of people who will be affected by the moral decision; in other words, the utilitarian theory of ethics hold that in making moral decisions, we should always choose the action that will result in the highest good for the majority of people (Singer, 14). This means that, in judging the morality of Heinz’s action in light of the utilitarian theory of ethics, we should ask ourselves whether or not Heinz’s action will result in the highest good for the majority of people. A critical analysis of Heinz’s action in this case study shows that Heinz’s action will inevitably result in the highest good for the majority of people. This is because the healing of Heinz’s wife will make Heinz’s family members and friends happier, than would the $2000 that the druggist would earn from the drug that Heinz store from him, make the druggist family members and friends happy. Given that there was no other available drug that could heal Heinz’s wife from the lethal cancer, and also, given the fact that Heinz had exhausted all the available means to raise the $2000 required for the radium drug, Heinz’s action of breaking into the druggist’s store and stealing the drug so as to save his wife is morally justifiable on the utilitarian ground. Heinz’s action of stealing the drug from the druggist is also morally justifiable under the Kantian Deontology. According to Kantian categorical imperative, which is the Kantian moral principle guiding moral decisions, in making moral decisions, we should always choose the moral action that we should at the same time wish to be made into a universal law (Kant, 18). In other words,