Utilitarianism is a principle that is involved in guiding an individual to decide that its outcome will bring happiness. Utilitarian decisions are based on the results or consequences of the arrangements. This paper analyzes the morals in practical and social contract theories in the case study option, one that involves euthanasia.
As a nurse, patients request me to end their lives, which might release some beds and eliminate their suffering. The upright to do is to ignore the request that patients and avoid killing. In “The Elements of Moral Philosophy," Rachels states that all ethical decisions should be based on God’s Laws, which he termed the Devine Command Theory. An individual should focus on divine laws rather than any personal will (Rachels, 2011) . God’s Law commands one not to take life , which is why I uphold this moral decision.
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Utilitarianism is based on happiness as a desirable outcome of the ethical decision. In the practical approach, the moral thing to do in euthanasia is to exercise the will of a patient. As a nurse, I should inject a patient on request to end their lives to create more space for other patients. The reason why utilitarianism suggests the killing is that they believe that any right action taken should result in happiness for many people (Singer, 2003) . When euthanasia is conducted to several patients, other patients will be admitted on the free beds, therefore maximizing the happiness of the hospital and other patients.
Social contract theory is based on an agreement that states that moral actions should be done in a condition that other people accept. In the issue of euthanasia, social contract theory argues that it should be done under the circumstances of an agreement (Rachels, 2019). If a nurse does not agree, then it should not be done. In contrast, utilitarianism is based on happiness, a desirable outcome of a moral decision (Mulgan, 2014) . Therefore euthanasia should be done if the actions please and favor a large number of people. However, both approaches have similarities on the consequences of the moral decision. Both believe that before making any decision, people should first understand the implications of the decision.
References
Mulgan, T. (2014). Understanding Utilitarianism: Understanding Movements in Modern Thought (Revised ed.). Routledge.
Rachels, J. (2011). The Elements of Moral Philosophy (7 ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Singer, P. (2003). Voluntary Euthanasia: A Utilitarian Perspective. Bioethics, 17 (5-6), 526-541. doi:10.1111/1467-8519.00366
