On the other hand is Mill who is more concerned with the outcome of the decision than the process of choosing. Mill would approach the issue of euthanasia by focusing on the utility that could be produced if such a decision is made. He would put more emphasis on the patient’s suffering and how close to death he or she was. For Mill if the patient is able to stop their severe suffering and go into death peacefully, he would most likely support euthanasia. According to his theory, euthanasia in this situation would produce the greatest good for everyone. The decision to be assisted in dying would end the patient’s suffering and would lessen the pain of his or her family and friends. It is difficult to deal with a death of a loved one, but it is even harder to see them experience so much pain. Mill’s utility theory would definitely support the issue of euthanasia because it seems to produce the greatest good.

However, one similarity between the two philosophers is that they both recognize that selfishness cannot play a part in their theories. Since Mill’s theory is about producing good for the world and not the self, it is obvious that a selfish person can never be moral according to the utilitarian. Mill also shows the importance of the quantity of good that is produced. He recognizes that the quality of the good is important, but realizes it is difficult to measure because a good that is valuable to one person may not be valuable to another. In order to show the quantity and quality of a good that is produced, Mill attempts this question scientifically or through experiment. Mill’s experiment consists of taking a group of people who have had the same two experiences. The experience that is more preferable to the group is the one that, to Mill and common sense, has greater quality. In short, since the quantity of people find one experience more pleasurable or important it evidently consists of a greater quality. It seems that Kant would agree with Mill on this point of quantity and quality. This agreement can be shown by Kant’s emphasis on universality. For something to be universal it must be good for all, therefore, the quantity of people being affected is enormous. One would think that Mill would be pleased with the stress that Kant places on universality.

Now that both ethical theories of Kant and Mill have been closely examined a contemporary ethical issue can be applied. By showing their differences, one can assume that how they approach the issue will be quite opposite. The issue at hand is euthanasia which has previously been discussed. The goal now is to see which philosopher, if either, will find euthanasia to be moral. In deciding if Kant finds euthanasia ethical, one must answer the questions of his categorical and practical imperatives. The first question of Kant’s categorical imperatives is whether one’s maxim could be a universal law. In the case of euthanasia, the answer would be yes. Having the decision to be killed when in severe pain or close to death can most definitely be made into a universal law, therefore, the first step in Kant’s process is completed. Since euthanasia can be a universal law, then one must ask themselves the second question of the categorical imperative. This question asks whether one would still will it if it was a universal law. It seems that if euthanasia was a universal law one would no longer will it. If it became universal it would become a common practice which does not seem right. For if it was common, the case may be that too many people would lose hope, especially in miracles. There are times when death seems near and pain is so unbearable but some people remain strong and survive. They may overcome their sickness and live to see better days. With euthanasia becoming a common practice, people may give up on their struggle too early and never know if they could have fought through desperate times. According to Kant’s t

Some topics in this essay:
According Kant, Mill Kant, Kant Mill’s, Kant Mill, According Kant’s, Kant’s Mill, Stuart Mill, Happiness Principle, Mill’s Kant’s, , universal law, categorical imperatives, kant mill’s, kant’s theory, ethical issue, hypothetical imperatives, contemporary ethical issue, issue euthanasia, people treated, mill kant, live according, kant mill’s ethical, question universal law, john stuart mill, universal law euthanasia,