GEET 304 Ethical Decision Making

Homework Assignment: Case Study on Ethical Decision Making

Seyyide Betül Duman

20160609125

A) Is there any ethical problem in this case according to virtue ethics? Please evaluate the case
in the light of Aristotle’s understanding of justice as fairness.

Yes, there is an ethical problemin this case according to virtue ethics, because in the light of
Aristotle's understanding of justice as fairness, to put a high price on a necessity is not fair because
we are living in a place where there are poor and rich people living together, not a place where there
are only rich ones. Thus, there will be so many people who can not affort to high prices and will
suffer because of it. To let them suffer or die is not fair at all, the goverment should think about its
people because how the thing about bee is to make honey, the thing about goverment is to protect
and develop its people and in this case like that is examining right now nothing is true with the
goverment's attitude.

B) Please evaluate the arguments of Thomas Sowell and Jeff Jacoby with reference to
utilitarianism (of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill).

Here we have two different people, one of them is Thomas Sowell who is an economist and
indicates that being emotional in this situation is only waste of money and this is very meaninless
for economically, on the other hand we have Jeff Jacoby who is also an economist and as I'll quote
his words he says “Demonizing vendors won’t speed Florida’s recovery. Letting them go about their
business will.” Now, when we think about Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill's utilitarian views,
it can be say that Thomas's argument seems good for a short term but Jeff's one provides a better
society in the long term. It is better to be happy later, if the other option is to be happy immediately
but then to lose everything that made you happy from the beginning. So, Jeff's arguments might not
be seem nice economically in the beginning but, in the ending it will work and let the city and the
govertment win.

C) Is it ethically permissible to raise the prices under these circumstances according to

Immanuel Kant? Please discuss with reference to different formulations of categorical
imperative.

Immanuel Kant is the one who cares about the reason everytime, there is no extarnal good but only
intricsic good, results are not important. This is unlikely from Aristotle and Utilitarianism. Kant
would never think about raising prices, hence he only cares about everybody's happiness. The
goverment should help the people.