Submitted by ADefiniteDescription t3_zy84tz in philosophy
Ok_Recognition6972 t1_j2ba07b wrote
This is related to the difference between the morality of government and politics, as opposed to the morality of a person. A person can keep their hands clean - any evil others commit, it is on them, and anything we do personally is on us.
The government however has a different kind of thinking, as it is responsible for events under it's jurisdiction, while a person doesn't have such responsibility. Thus, governmental "ethics" aren't ethics at all - the government uses the rule of law to strike the hammer, not morality. It can be thus seen that utilitarianism is closer to how the governments thinks, while deontology is more of a personal ethic. It is only the government that has to choose the lesser evil to keep a modicum of order, not the citizen.
Of course, there are exceptions to this, for example when so many people's lives depend on a personal choice, that someone is pushed to choose the lesser evil. However, I would argue that at these times, that person acts as a representative of a governement, or humanity, and not as a person.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments