A moral action is right or wrong depending on the consequence the act has on a large number of people. An action could produce good or bad effects. According to Act utilitarianism ethical theory and deontological view, I should reveal that the grade school teacher has been prescribed for antipsychotic medication for control of the schizophrenia disease. The teacher has authority over the children and if left to continue with the job, this posts a detrimental risk on the lives of the children. Even though my job calls on me to observe patient confidentiality, this decision will result in greatest utility, and hence the greatest amount of good to the school children. Schizophrenia disease is a chronic brain illness which is characterized by cognitive difficulties such as hallucinations and delusions. The teacher will develop concentration and cognitive challenges. Here, the teacher will have problems with organizing and connecting thoughts logically and will be unable to understand information together with making viable decisions.
The teacher will showcase the change in the psychotic behavior which will lead to loss of touch with the reality and tend to be confused. The teacher will see, smell, feel and hear things which no other person can and influence logic. Tsuang et al. (2014) ascertain that voices are particularly common for a patient who hallucinates. Notably, my action will maximize utility as the total benefits of telling the truth will reduce the negative consequences. This is because according to utilitarianism theory, something is good when it does more good than harm to a large number of people.
Deontology theoretical framework postulates that a person has to make the right judgment and partake actions which are morally upright. This theoretical model consists of sets of ethical systems which judges the morality of any act to determine if it is good or bad (Gren, 2004). A deontologist has to make decisions which benefit every person in the society. A deontologist will thus understand that it is right to speak out the reality about the teacher’s condition and the damaging impact the teacher will have to the children.
Mill’s argument on moral actions alludes that it must benefit many people. Mill in his argument of rule utilitarian, an “action is morally justified if it conforms to a justified moral rule” (Mill, 2011). Again, Mill postulates “a moral rule is justified if its inclusion into our moral code would create more utility than other possible rules” (Mill, 2011). Besides, act utilitarianism rejects the system that encompasses commands, rules, and taboos based on the traditions, customs, and orders. Thus, through this theory, it can be argued that even though workplace rules call on me to respect the rule of patient confidentiality, the act utilitarian theory allows me to disclose the situation at hand. What makes an action morally justifiable or true is the positive contribution it has to the human life. Mill and Bentham assert that a given action could be considered to the ethically good or bad depending on the effect it has on the society (Bentham, 1996).
Act of utilitarian rejects the rigid based rules that identify an action as right or wrong (Mill. 2011). In fact, morality focuses on the effect of every action and not as classes. In view of this, this act of utilitarianism elucidates that the stipulated rules such as that of confidentiality should be violated if the action results in more good than harm. Thus there is no reason for obeying rules when greatest benefit could be achieved by violating it. Moral judgment according to normative theory is justifiable. The move will produce the greatest happiness in the society (Robson, 2006). The purpose of morality in life is to “increase the number of good things (such as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decrease the number of bad things (such as pain and unhappiness)” (Mill, 2011). Thus, the more every individual is happy and free, the more significant the amount of the total happiness that is attainable in society.
In justifying my position, I agree that a moral action, ought to result in the greatest happiness of majority of the individuals. For this reasons, the actions will not only be judged from their results but also from the effect of the condition and the deeds made on the society. Considerations have to be made on the direct and the indirect benefits and costs that result from the available courses of actions be stipulated. A carrying out a cost-benefit analysis of the teacher’s impact has to be assessed and define the net outcome.
Conclusion
The act of utilitarian alludes that, in determining what to do in a certain situation, the person should choose the act that results in the maximum net utility and thus produce the best overall results and well-being. The utilitarian view is a consequentialist theoretical framework of good and bad. Actions that are considered to be right are the ones which are associated with the highest or greatest net benefits. Also, the actions have the lowest net cost. Therefore it is wise to let people know what the teacher is suffering from.
References
Bentham, Jeremy. (1996). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
Gren Jonas. (2004). Applying Utilitarianism. The Problem of Practical Action-guidance. Sweden by Intellecta DocuSys, Göteborg 2004. Retrieved on January 16, 2018 from https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/4565/1/gupea_2077_4565_1.pdf
Mill, John Stuart. (2011). Utilitarianism. Peterborough, Ont., Broadview Press.
Robson John M. (2006). John Stuart Mill, the Collected Works of John Stuart Mill, Volume X - Essays on Ethics, Religion, and Society (Utilitarianism) [1833].
Online Library of Liberty. Retrieved on January 16, 2018 from. http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/mill-the-collected-works-of-john-stuart-mill-volume-x-essays-on-ethics-religion-and-society.
Tsuang, M., Faraone, S., " Glatt, S. (2014). Schizophrenia (1st ed.). Oxford: OUP Oxford.
