Description
Mill and Kant: Inherent moral worth
As we saw in class both Mill and Kant paint two very different pictures of morality and what constitutes moral action. This paper is going to ask you to spell out how each philosopher feels about an action having inherent moral worth. For this paper you’ll want to introduce this question- what does it mean for an action to have inherent moral worth?- as well as speak about various parts of Mill’s and Kant’s philosophy. For Utilitarianism be sure to discuss “the greatest happiness principle” and the relationship between the individual and the collective.. For Deontology be sure to discuss why morality is a struggle, the relationship between duty, law, and maxim, as well as why Kant believes the will is the only thing that is good without qualification. As you explain these parts of their philosophy be sure to connect it back to this question of inherent moral worth. Feel free to use an example to help illustrate this. Lastly, what do you believe– are some actions always right or wrong, why or why not? Spend one paragraph responding and again an example would be helpful here.
All papers should have an introduction laying out your paper as a whole, appropriate body paragraphs, as well as a conclusion wrapping up your paper. You will be graded on the extent to which you answer the questions of the assignment, your analysis, as well as formal features of writing which include spelling, grammar, paper structure, and the readability of your paper.
As you write, please keep in mind the following applies: -3 to 4 pages in length
-12” font
-Times New Roman (or a suitable substitute)
-1” Margins -Double Spaced
Being this isn’t a research paper there is no need to use materials outside of your notes and the assigned readings. In fact, do not refer to outside sources. However, you should reference the readings throughout your paper. You’ll need to quote relevant excerpts from the text and put Mill and Kant into your own words. Formal citations are not needed, instead just indicate the page number and the name of the text you’re quoting from. For example: (Utilitarianism, pg. 14).
