even when subscribing to what is believed to be the best possible choice in.
one culture it still may be seen as another by irrelevant or unnecessary. By.
exploring a variety of ethical theories knowledge is gained about what.
motivates a person and where they find justification.
Philosophers have come up with a number of logical systems in attempt to.
deduce what is or is not ethical. One belief is that the rightness or.
wrongness of an action depends entirely on the consequences, this is called.
consequentialism (Fieser). Basically by appealing to certain human instincts.
correct moral conduct is determined solely by a "cost-benefit analysis" of.
an action's consequences. Therefore if something is highly beneficial and.
comes at a low cost it is the right thing to do. For instance if doing.
homework helped to get a good grade on the test and because of the good grade.
there is a reward of getting to use the car all weekend then studying for the.
test would be the right choice. In this way the system works but in this.
case cheating could have the same effect as studying, as long as the good.
grade is achieved. So in following the system lying, stealing or cheating.
could be considered "right" as long as the person profited or did not get.
caught and this does not match with what is widely considered to be ethical.
in many cultures.
A subsection of consequentialism is Ethical Egotism; this urges one to.
mold an ethics system on what is best for oneself. One can see how this.
system could be at first glance appealing, but then a question of basic human.
nature is introduced. Are humans intrinsically motivated to help others, or.
only themselves? Certainly one of the things that is evident in almost all.
species is the innate capacity to care for others and.
a part of this is knowing that it is morally inadequate only think of.
oneself. If one only helped others they would leave themselves totally.
deprived and dependent so it is certainly not wrong to be concerned with.