The principle of utility deals with promoting happiness and minimizing pain.
Gun Control
By: ***
Gun Control
Gun control
Utilitarian
The principle of utility deals with promoting happiness and minimizing pain.
When looking at gun control through the lens of Utilitarianism, it can be understood that supporting gun control is the Utilitarian way.
Restricting access to guns, as evidence by other countries with strict gun control laws, would lessen the amount of gun related deaths, maximizing everyone’s utility.
Gun control
Aristotle
“Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of arms” Aristotle.
According to Aristotle, he did not think it possible to specify actions that are always right or always wrong.
The mean Aristotle advocated is something between too much and too little.
Aristotle had an interest in a culture in which violence (unjustified or tyrannical force) is minimal.
Gun control
Kant
Do the right because it is right, not because it brings happiness for the greatest number of people.
Why would people want to own a gun? To feel safe or duty to act?
Acting from duty means acting from reason and that our reason for acting could apply to everyone.
“Act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will a universal law of nature.” Kant
Discussion
Are you in favor of gun control?
Would requiring stricter mental health screenings and background checks be enough to solve the problem?
Resources
“Ask philosephers”. http :// www.askphilosophers.org/question/5112 (ON APRIL 5, 2013)
Kant’s Moral Philosophy. https ://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral / (First published Mon Feb 23, 2004; substantive revision Thu Jul 7, 2016).
