Case study 1: Plagiarism
 Was Carla’s action morally justifiable?
KANTIAN THEORY
According to Kantian (1st Formula)
Act only from moral rules that you
can at the same time will to be
universal moral laws.
(Reverse the role)
 Carla may use the work of
someone else as her own.
But, if universalized this rule
and every student perform
the same. It makes professors
hard to believe in any
student’s Report.
 The Rule is break.
 It’s invalid action of Carla to
purchase a report and make
it her own.
According to Kantian (2nd Formula)
Act so that you treat both yourself
and other people as ends in
themselves and never only as a
means to an end.
(don’t use other human as Product)
• Carla purchased another
person’s work.
• She cheated her professor.
• She used her professor as a
mean or product to achieve
what she wants.
• Carla’s action was immoral
according to Kantian theory.
PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY
According to Jeremy Bentham and John
Stuart Mill
An action is right (or wrong) to the
extent that it increases (or
decreases) the total happiness of
the affected parties.
(Maximum pleasure for maximum number
of people)
 As consequences decide
whether the action is good
or bad. Carla’s action
consequently benefits
number of things. First party
Carla: it benefits her career,
graduation and child.
 Second affected party is
company which sells papers as
Carla’s action benefits the
company’s sell.
 Third affected party is
professor he demands report
on time if he receive it he will
be satisfied.
 Comprehensively and
practically what Carla did
was right.
 Carla’s action is providing
maximum pleasure to
maximum number of people
and focusing on happiness.
Its justified according to
Utilitarianism
VIRTUE ETHICS
According to Aristotle
"Moral virtue is ... a mean between
two vices, one of excess and the
other of deficiency, and ... it aims at
hitting the mean in emotions and
actions."
(Virtue as the Mean Between Two Extreme
States)
 Carla’s use of the work of
someone else as her own
makes her deceiver.
 Virtue ethics emphasize on
Roles therefore Carla’s role is
not justifiable.
 No focus on particular
principles or their
consequences therefore who
will benefit from her action is
not favorable.
 Virtue ethics prioritize what is
virtuous, she betrayed her
professor thus it isn’t a
virtuous action.
 “Virtue as the Mean between
Two Extreme States” as Carla
choose to be a deceiver but
virtue is to be genuine which a
mean between cowardice and
difficultness.