What is Ethical Reasoning? What Are Ethical Egoism and Utilitarianism?
There are many kinds of ethical reasoning theories, like those of utilitarianism, egoism, deontology, relativism, or justice theories. While all of these (except relativism) believe that there are morals that do not change, individuals decide what to do in very different ways. Utilitarianism, founded by John Stuart Mill, basically promotes the idea that actions are judged right or wrong according to the amount of happiness that comes from those decisions. However, happiness is not defined in terms of the person making the decision. Happiness means for the good of all, which is not necessarily the way many people define it today. Using Utilitarianism, an individual would make decisions according to which one would provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Of course, there are criticisms. One is that this theory may force an individual to do something against his/her own morals. For example, if a man is a victim in a bank robbery and has a gun, he should shoot the robb
