Comparing ethical theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing ethical theories - Assignment Example He stated that an individual experiences the state of happiness by performing actions that they deem as being good. He further added that the good behavior that becomes highly desirable without any reason being associated with it is considered as an ethical act. He further added that the good that is assigned the highest status is the state of happiness (Timmons 215). He stated that an individual can perform various virtues acts that can result in the achievement of happiness. He did not narrowly define what he meant by virtue because virtue for different individuals is defined differently. He even stated that happiness cannot be attained by simply performing a virtuous act for one time; a person needs to carry out those acts throughout their life to attain the state of happiness. Kant was of the idea that an act or opinion can only be considered as an ethical one if the reason for performing that particular act was that the person who is caring out that act was ready to accept the same act being conducted against him in the same situation in which he was making a decision or any other situation (Gensler 294). This means that while performing an act an if an individual makes up his mind for accepting the same act being carried out against him in any situation, then only the act will be recognized as an ethical one. The motive that is drives a particular act was regarded by Kant as maxim which is the reason for carrying out an act (Höffe 263). Kant believed in the principle of universality which means that acts that are considered ethical are considered good throughout the world and there is no difference between how different cultures define the same act while making ethical decisions. The main strengths of Aristotle’s theory are that it emphasizes on the importance of pleasure of an individual. It does not consider