Kant’s Ethical Theory
Strengths
Autonomous ends – Kant’s theory respects the dignity
and rationality of all people.
Example: Saviour Siblings, My Sister’s Keeper
Kant’s theory could be used to argue against ‘saviour
siblings’, even though it seems a pragmatic solution to a
child’s illness. The book and film My Sister’s Keeper
shows how unfair it is to create a new child to act as a
donor for an existing sick child. It leads to them being
used – Anna in the film screams at her mum, “I’m
important too, mum.”
Weaknesses
Inflexible, unrealistic laws that ignore real world
situations and the consequences – Kant’s laws may
sound right in theory, but in practice you sometimes
need to break the rules because of the consequences.
Example: Euthanasia, Dax Cowart
Objective, universal laws that support equality & justice
– Kant’s theory gives moral laws like the Declaration of
Human Rights that protect people everywhere.
Conflicting rules that aren’t really absolute – It is
impossible to form absolute rules when you have
conflicting duties.
Example: Torture, Water-boarding
Example: Abortion, Mother’s life at risk (CofE)
Utilitarianism
Strengths
Pragmatic solutions that prevent harm and bring about
the greater good – Utilitarianism is a practical, flexible
response that makes the world a better place
Weaknesses
Consequences are unpredictable, immeasurable and
incalculable – You can’t know what’s going to happen,
there would be too many consequences to add up, and
you couldn’t put a number on them anyway.
Example: Abortion, Back-street abortions
Example: Nuclear weapons, Hiroshima
Easy to use approach that provides objective criteria
that everyone can use – People use a ‘cost-benefit’ type
of approach to choose the right course of action in a
wide range of different fields.
Example: Pharming, aTryn
Unfair, leading to wrong moral choices – Looking at the
‘greater good’ leads to injustice and bad actions
Example: Frozen embryos and consent, Natallie Evans
Natural Law
Strengths
Objective, absolute laws that protect human dignity –
Natural law is based on observable human nature, giving
absolute laws that value every individual
Weaknesses
Impractical, outdated system – Natural law is an
inflexible approach that prevents people doing the right
thing in individual cases
Example: Involuntary euthanasia, Barbara Salisbury
Example: PGD
Universal laws that provide a structure for society –
Natural law is in line with our basic instincts and human
rationality, giving authority to rules we all recognise
Puts rules before people and ignores consequences –
Natural law ignores human suffering and needs, leading
to unhelpful and damaging rules
Example: Just War Theory
Example: Therapeutic cloning, US
Situation Ethics
Strengths
Personalist, relativist theory based on love – Situation
Ethics puts people first, allowing you to break rules in
individual circumstances
Weaknesses
An irrational, baseless theory that has no standards –
Situation Ethics allows everything, and humans can’t be
trusted with no rules (‘we’re no angels’ – Barclay)
Example: Abortion, 9 year old Nicaraguan
Example: Human cloning, replacing a dead child
Autonomy and social justice – Situation Ethics values
human dignity, taking account of suffering and needs
Unjust, allowing exploitation – Situation Ethics
undermines traditional notions of justice and provides no
structure for society
Example: Euthanasia, Tony Nicklinson
Example: Commercial Surrogacy, India