Kant v. Utilitarianism
The two theories of utilitarian vs Kantian ethics seem to take opposite viewpoints of how
we as people should live our lives morally and ethically. Does this mean that one is better than
the other? For us to decide that, let us explore the two theories first and then decide. Both Kant
and Mill try to create a set of ideas that tells us about the ethics and morality of any given
situation one may encounter. But this is where they differ… According to Immanuel Kant
consequences don’t matter, unlike utilitarianism where consequences do matter. The Kantian
view centers on the motivation behind an act with total disregard for the consequences. In
opposition to this, utilitarianism makes decisions about the morality of an act based the
consequences that the action brings. For a person who believes in the Kantian theory, they think
that the only pure good is human reason, or the motive of the person performing the action,
without any regard to the consequences. As opposed to the utilitarian view, that states that the
