Moral Reflection

Everyday in our lives we are force into making good decisions about anything under the sun. There are situations that make such process difficult, and in that respect are situations where the answer appears to be just right in front of our faces. I cogitate it would be difficult for anyone to decide on any ethical dilemma if he has no clear judgment of faith.Person everyy, I am aware that of at least two ethical principles that guide me in my common ethical decision-making. These are utilitarianism and Kantian moral philosophy. utilitarianism holds that a persons action would be considered virtuously right if it tends to promote happiness for the greatest number of people. Thus, utilitarianism as a moral philosophy places fierceness on the consequences of human action, rather than on the motives behind such action (West).On the other hand, Kantian moral philosophy, or more popularly known as the categorical imperative, is establish on notions of obligation, necessity and reas on. Kant believed that morality consists in the choosing and doing proper conduct, and the proper action is bring downd solely by rational considerations. Thus, Kant holds that innate considerations, including emotions, should not be considered in moral decision-making (The Internet encyclopedia of Philosophy).I believe in both these theories and I delectation them both when I decide everyday ethical dilemmas. There are times when. I believe purely rational considerations should prevail, just there are times that I also consider subjective factors like emotions. I believe that both theories guide my actions and decisions, and both allow me to weigh various considerations in my mind.Nevertheless, I believe that Kants method in determining the right conduct is a give way decision-making process, because Kant provded clear criteria for choosing. Kant provided this rule, thusSo act, that the rule on which thou actest would admit of being adopted as a law by all rational beings. ( Kant).This rule is easier to follow since it does not fluctuate weighing on my mood or subjective predilection, which could change in any day. It serves as a true north, which teaches all men how to think and decide moral dilemmas.One moral issue that deeply concerns me is euthanasia, or mercy killing. mercy killing is defined as an act characterized by the intentional ending of a patients life by a physician, usually by lethal injection (Religion Facts). Euthanasia is always being raised as an picking where a person is with a terminal illness and slim chances of recovering. It is an important issue for me because I could well imagine myself in the position of the sick persons family, and I could imagine subjective feelings that would dictate either euthanasia or maintaining life support. In these kinds of situations, utilitarianism could support either position, as the decision would depend on the consequences of an action. On the other hand, Kantian philosophy could provide a more definitive answer, but such answer would definitely not consider emotions, because these are subjective factors that are not based on reason.Works CitedKant, I. The Metaphysics of Ethics. 1886.MacDonald, Chris. Moral Decision Making An Analysis. 2002. 14 Feb. 2008. .Religion Facts. Facts and Statistics on Euthanasia. 14 Feb. 2008. http//www.religionfacts.com/euthanasia/stats.htm.The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Categorical Imperative. 2001. 14 Feb. 2008.http//www.nd.edu/rbarger/categorical-imperative.html.West, Henry R. Utilitarianism. Encyclopdia Britannica. 14 Feb. 2008. http//www.utilitarianism.com/utilitarianism.html.