Section: Philosphical Note
...Subsection: Optional Philosophical Exercises/Problems for Discussion

1. Ethical naturalism isn't the only ethical theory that philosophers have come up with. Two others are Kantianism and utilitarianism. According to Immanuel Kant (1724--1804), we should act only according to those maxims (principles) which we can will to be universally practiced. For example, I should not tell a lie to avoid some embarrassment, because the maxim "It is okay to tell a lie to avoid embarrassment" is one that I cannot wish everyone would follow. Comment on violating copyright law from the Kantian perspective.

2. According to the utilitarian theory, morally right actions are those that maximize the total utility, or balance of pleasure over pain, for the entire community. For example, murder would be wrong because the pain inflicted on the victim and those who loved him outweighs whatever pleasure the killer gets. Comment on violating copyright law from the utilitarian perspective.