An application of the ethics of John Mills and Immanuel Kant to the chemical industry.
This paper examines how the application of ethical theory is an essential part of many industries and how the industrial, engineering, and chemical industries (among others) must include rigorous applications of ethical standards in order to insure public safety. It looks at how John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant are two philosophers who have made the greatest contributions to the understanding of ethical behavior in Western society and how, although they have significant differences, one can apply their respective theories to specific industrial scenarios and come to interesting conclusions.
“Unlike the “utilitarianism” system, Kant believed that the individual is as important as the group?that the greater good is not an excuse for immoral means. Therefore, because one would presumably not want disregard of human life in order to save others to become “universal law”, then the chemical plant worker must disclose the actions of the plant. The greater good is not a factor. Of course, like in Mill’s philosophy, there are complications. Whereas in Mill’s philosophy, the rights of the individuals can be greatly jeopardized by ideas of the “greater good”, in Kant’s philosophy, the greater good tends to be disregarded perhaps a problem in itself.”