PHIL 347 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Divine Command Theory, Consequentialism
1 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Action"s moral rightness/wrongness is determined by the good/bad consequences of that act. Considers everyone who is affected by the act, not just the actor. Net happiness = all happiness produced by an action - all unhappiness produced by an action. Action is morally right when it has an net happiness (nh) value that is greater than any alternative actions. Intrinsic good: good itself, independent of the relation to other things. Instrumental: good/bad in relation to achieving something that is either good or bad. Voluntary: person is of sound mind and consents. Results in 0 net happiness for the patient. No euthanasia would result in negative net happiness. Morally right action is in accordance of god"s wishes. Human life is a gift of god, therefore should be preserved. God wishes that others do not take lives. God wishes actions to be done because they are morally right. What makes an action morally right = god"s wishes.
