Reference no: EM133959343
Case Study: Philosophical Case
Lucas is facing an ethical dilemma. He was driving without insurance when he ran his vehicle into a very expensive parked car in his neighborhood, and he drove away without anyone noticing. Lucas knows that the expensive car belongs to his wealthy neighbor who can easily afford to repair it. Lucas does not have the money to fix it, and if the crash goes on his record, he will not be able to afford insurance for the conceivable future. But Lucas worries that it might be wrong to hide the accident. He knows his father will ask him how he damaged his car, and he worries that lying to his father might be wrong, too. Lucas asks his friends who have been studying philosophy in an Introduction to Ethics class for help. Get AI-free online assignment help from experienced academic experts.
Ana: "One ethical theory is called deontology. It says that, morally, you must do your duty regardless of the consequences. One moral duty is to tell the truth. Therefore, even though it will be very bad for you, you have to tell your father the truth about the accident. Also, hiding the accident could be a form of lying. It is always wrong to lie, so it is wrong to hide the accident. That's the theory, at least. And hey, lots of my friends say that deontology is the correct ethical theory, so you can be sure that it is!"
Barry: "Another ethical theory is called utilitarianism. It says that, morally, you have to do the action that causes the most happiness. It would make you very happy to hide the accident, and it sounds like it wouldn't cause your rich neighbor much unhappiness to fix their car. If you admitted the accident, then it would harm you a lot, and it wouldn't benefit your neighbor much. The action that would cause the most happiness is hiding the accident, so that is what you should do. I went to a meeting of the Fans of Utilitarianism Society, and most of them thought utilitarianism was the correct ethical theory. So that means that most people agree with that theory."