Health Canada's Argument Analysis
In this paper, I will evaluate Health Canada’s argument to the Ministry of Health that coalmining in Dunsmuir Coalmine, Belleville NS needs to be shut down as a moral good to the miners, in consideration of their health. I will argue, using virtue theory and utilitarian philosophy, that coalmining in the town should not be shut down, as shutting it down would not be ultimately beneficial to the miners and their families, and therefore would not be a moral good. Firstly, I will summarise Health Canada’s argument for the shutting down of the mines. I will then explicate the main points of virtue theory. Following that, I will argue that the tenets of virtue theory instead works in favor of letting the miners keep their job. As well, I will explain the utilitarian theory, and follow that by arguing that utilitarianism, as well, would favor the continued operation of the coalmines. Health Canada argues that coalmines in Belleville, Nova Scotia, need to be closed down as it has extremely harmful effects on its workers. The former states that working in mines leads to an increased chance of
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I will first explicate on the theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory which states that that which is right is what brings the greatest amount of happiness to the greatest maximum number of people. The act that manages to fulfill this criteria is the act that is then morally right. As a result, whenever we consider what is a morally right action to do, we have to keep in mind that the action that would make it so that the accumulated level of happiness in the majority would be higher than the accumulated number of unhappiness in a majority. As well, utilitarianism is bias-free, in that the happiness levels of your close friends and family do not take priority over the happiness levels of the neighbors next door, or of people in countries that you have never visited and will never
I will first explicate on the theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory which states that that which is right is what brings the greatest amount of happiness to the greatest maximum number of people. The act that manages to fulfill this criteria is the act that is then morally right. As a result, whenever we consider what is a morally right action to do, we have to keep in mind that the action that would make it so that the accumulated level of happiness in the majority would be higher than the accumulated number of unhappiness in a majority. As well, utilitarianism is bias-free, in that the happiness levels of your close friends and family do not take priority over the happiness levels of the neighbors next door, or of people in countries that you have never visited and will never