Reference no: EM133277961
Assignment:
Think about one small action someone might have done at some point in recent or past history -buying a new shirt, going fishing, buying a tomato, taking mom out to dinner, or whatever. follow out the consequences of the action: what are (were) the immediate consequences of the action? What followed from those consequences? Try to make the analysis as expansive as possible (geographically, chronologically, relationally, etc.). go past the obvious and immediate consequence of their action to consider it in some depth. Specifically, the analysis must go at least five degrees out in any "direction." Then, assign an overall point value to their action: is it positive? Negative? Justify why it is that point value. Is the action morally permissible
1.) Briefly describe the action that is analyzed. Then, identify what our everyday, intuitive sense of the morality of this action is. Good action? Bad action? Neutral action?
2.) Before proceeding, consider utilitarianism: what would utilitarianism say about this action? Good action? Bad action? Neutral action? Very briefly say why.
3.) Now, think about the consequences of the action identified in 1. What were/are the consequences of this action? (Remember: it must get past the obvious and go at minimum five degrees out.) Identify a point value (positive or negative) for each consequence. Keep point values consistent: you should not assign +10 for a small pleasure for one person but -500 for a small pain for one person, and similarly pleasure for one person should be less than the same pleasure for a whole bunch of people.
4.) Add up all the point values from 3. What overall point value does the action have? Be sure to specify whether positive or negative.
5.) Consider answer for 4: does this assessment fit with intuitive sense of the morality of the action? For instance, if it was said the total value was negative, would someone actually regret this action? Or, if the number doesn't match intuitive sense, it is because your scale for assigning point values is off?