Consequences Of Being Good People Essay - 1371 Words

Consequences of Being Good People Prior to 1973, abortion was legal in some of the 50 United States, usually with restrictions. In 1973, in its Roe v. Wade decision, the United States Supreme Court, ruled that a woman has a right to an abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, the states still have the power to regulate abortion during the second trimester and prohibit it during the third trimester. Since that time, abortion has become one of the most controversial and divisive issues within society. In David Foster Wallace’s short story, â€Å"Good People† a young Christian couple experience an unexpected pregnancy and contemplates the morality of having the child out of wedlock versus aborting the child. Lane and Sherri’s religious values restrict them from seeking advice from other â€Å"good people.† How does Wallace’s â€Å"Good People† reflect political controversy and the obvious question what defines good people? This is a very touchy subject in today ’s news cycle and when researching I found a lot of unfitting information for my specific question, but because this is such a relevant topic I felt it was important to ask the question and how this specific story can alter the opinions of â€Å"good people.† I wanted to find different Christian perspectives because the two main characters are obviously Christian and I decided the best way to do that is to study the Bible. While researching, I have found that as a society Christians are divided on the issue of abortion andShow MoreRelatedTeleological Theory On The End Consequences936 Words   |  4 PagesTeleological theory attempts to answer the question â€Å"what is right?† teleological theory focuses on the end consequences. Lying or being deceiving is not being a bad person if it means to achieve a good consequence in the end of a situation. Telos in Greek means end, goal, purpose, and result. An example of this would be if Nancy asked Chuck if her hair wa s pretty when it was originally blonde and then dyed to jet-black. Chuck would have to say, â€Å"Yes honey, you look beautiful.† Yes, Chuck did lieRead MoreCase of the Ford Pinto1565 Words   |  7 Pagesproduction anyway to compete with foreign compact cars being developed by the Japanese during that time period. Only after the vehicle was made available to the public was the vehicle tested. The Ford Pinto ended up failing the rear safety test, due to the fact that it was susceptible to fire from rear end collisions. Ford engineers determined that the problem could be resolved by installing a baffle, which protected the gas tank from being punctured during rear-end collisions. The part wouldRead MoreUtilitarianism Essay957 Words   |  4 Pagesis the greatest good of the greatest number. It takes the view that an action is right if it is likely to produce the best consequences compared to all the other possible actions. The best consequences are those which involve the maximization of what is good and the minimization of what is bad. The worst consequences are which involve the maximization of what is bad and the minimization of what is good. The basic premise is the idea that the greatest good comes from creatingRead MoreEssay about Consequentialism: The Global Poor1203 Words   |  5 Pagestogether. Consequentialism refers to the idea that what is morally good or bad is all based on the consequences of one’s actions. It is derived from the Theory of Right Action which is a part of Utilitarianism (Sinnott-Armstrong). Peter Singer is a notable Utilitarian philosopher and a strong supporter of the idea of Consequentialism. When it comes to the issue of the global poor, his consequentialist view is that people should help the poor. 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Kant starts by stating that â€Å"By identifying a good will as the only unconditional good, he denies that the principles of good willing can be fixed by reference to an objective good or telos at which they aim.† This ties into Kants next part of his work because it describes two shopkeepers that decided to act in the same way towards their customers, but are motivatedRead MoreThe Decision Based On Intention1404 Words   |  6 PagesBy consequences or intentions? In this essay, I will argue that we should make our decision based on intention. I will first examine the exposition and criticism of whether actions should be judged by consequence and intention respectively. I will then provide an assessment of which one we should base on and make the final conclusion on we should base our judgment on both consequences and intentions. Theories relating to actions should be judged by intentions are much and I would focus on Foot’sRead MoreUtilitarianism Can Not Be Defended Against The Injustice Objection1162 Words   |  5 Pagesbe defended against the injustice objection. Utilitarians may be able to reply to the injustice objection in some cases by invoking one of two replies, the ‘Long term consequences’ reply, in which utilitarians will avoid unjust actions that increase short-term utility because in the long-term they will not lead to the greatest good. The other reply that may help utilitarianism avoid injustice in some cases is the ‘Secondary principles’ reply, where some rule-based principles such as not murderingRead MoreUtilatarian, Deontology and Virtue Ethics1618 Words   |  7 PagesUtilitarianism is defined as ethic based on consequences. An act, either it is morally wrong or good is acceptable as long as the end outcome is greater. In this essay on utilitarianism, I would argue Peter Singer’s calculus preferences, equality is for all living being but sacrificing one for greater good is plausible. Counter argument of Immanuel Kant’s moral deontology claim, it is immoral to consider a human being as a means to an end. John Mills’ actions are right as long they promote happinessRead MoreUtilitarianism : A Ethical Theory1381 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluating the consequences of actions, thus utilitarianism is a breed of consequentialism. Consequences determine whether an act is right or wrong, so one ought to act to produce the best results. The best result is the one that maximizes utility, or produces the largest amount of good. Utilitarians define good as pleasure or happiness, since it is the only thing that is intrinsically good. This is not to say that utilitarians deny that there are other goods, but that those goods, such as friends