Week 3-Assignment-DeMario Joyner
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SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Same-Sex Marriage DeMario Joyner PHI 208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Prof. Jean Suplizio December 6, 2021
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Part 1: Ethical Question Is it moral for legal marriage to be available to couples of the same sex? Part 2: Introduction Same-sex marriage is a topic for us all, and it is not going away anytime soon. So, it is not a question of if same-sex marriage is legal because a historic ruling in the 2015 case Obergefell v. Hodges made it legal for two people of the same sex to marry one another nationwide (Thames, B., 2018). It is instead a question of if same-sex marriage is morally for two members of the same sex to marry legally. We know this is very important and controversial
because, as we know, not long ago, this was not allowed nor accepted. However, the view on same-sex marriage has seemed to change over time with only 27% of Americans that supported this issue and 68% opposing it, but by 2016 to 61% were in support versus 37% that opposed (Thames, B. 2018, sec 10.3). On one end, supporters believe that everyone, regardless of sex, is entitled to the right to marry legally. However, on the other end, some question and feel that same-sex marriage is morally wrong because two people of the same sex can raise a child together effectively. Tradition and the term definitional argument are other reasons for opposing same-sex marriage, which we will examine later. Equality is one of the main reasons for supporting same-sex marriage. We will look at both sides of the argument from an objective point of view.
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Part 3: Explanation of the Ethical Theory The two moral theories I will be focusing on are utilitarianism and deontology. Let us start with utilitarianism which is “the theory that morally right actions, laws, or policies are those
whose consequences have the greatest positive value and least negative value compared to available alternatives” (Thames, 2018, sec 3.1). Alternatively, if the good outweighs the bad, it is
the correct decision and focuses on the consequences. The founder of utilitarianism was Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher who sums this term as being the action that produces the greatest overall value is the morally right action. However, the most well-known philosopher of this theory was John Stuart Mill, who simplified utilitarianism into a more straightforward form. Mill believed “gaining pleasure and avoiding pain is the ultimate purpose of everything we do” (Thames, 2018, sec 3.1). An example of utilitarianism is a spouse cheating on their partner because they are not happy and base their decision on whether the positives might outweigh the negatives. Next, we will discuss deontology which focuses on the action itself. Deontologist holds that the moral value of our decisions—whether a choice is morally right or wrong—lies in something other than good and bad consequences; this means that when a particular consequence
conflicts with a specific duty, it is more important to respect the duty” (Thames, 2018, sec 4.1). The founder of deontology was Immanuel Kant, who coined the term “goodwill,” which describes doing something good just because it is the right thing to do without the purpose of
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gaining something in return or trying to avoid punishment. Kant also talked about willing a maxim to be universal law which means to cause something to be the case as if everyone acted the way he is proposing. An example of the deontology perspective would be racial profiling; though it may keep the community safe, it is wrong to do it. Part 4: Application of the Ethical Theory In conclusion, same-sex marriages are morally legal and acceptable for two people of the same sex to marry one another. I have come to this conclusion because if I use a utilitarian point of view, then same-sex marriage is a good one because the overall greater overall happiness that same-sex marriage would to these couples outweigh the negatives of those stuck in traditions. If I
were to use a deontology perspective, it would also be morally right to allow members of the same gender to marry one another because same-sex marriage does not violate any duties. I am aware that deontology adheres to established rules and laws. However, they recognize that there are higher duties than those prescribed by civil laws, which are moral duties or duties of justice (Thames, 2018, sec 4.1). Same-sex marriages are legal, and therefore they should be afforded the same moral rights and benefits as a heterosexual marriage. Also, accepting someone’s desire to marry regardless of the gender of the parties legally is just the right thing to do, whether we agree with it or not. Realistically, same-sex marriage does not affect any more than a traditional marriage
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besides the personal or religious feelings that we may have. When I see same-sex marriage, it does not bother me; I am just delighted that they are happy with their marriage. References Thames, B. (2018). How should one live? An introduction to ethics and moral reasoning (3rd ed.). Bridgepoint Education.