The Use Of The Internet Essay Research

The Use Of The Internet Essay, Research Paper The use of the Internet has caused one’s authenticity to decrease in the past years. Authenticity may be perceived as one’s genuine nature and true identity. For many human beings it has also grown to be an important tool by allowing them to communicate more efficiently and comfortably with others across the nation. The Internet can be used in both moral and immoral manners. For example, when chatting with friends and family to whom it is difficult to speak with on the telephone, one is able to use the Internet for no extra charge, would be considered a morally good purpose. Where as, if not used with caution the Internet can be a very dangerous place. People have committed crimes, resulting in murder, rape, exploitative

pornography, and many more immoral acts. The growth of technology is “progress”, as the moral good and everything therefore must have a “means-end” conclusion. George Ritzer best describes this in his book “McDonaldization”. Ritzer introduces the rubber cage of rationality where the bars of society are bendable therefore the wonderful world of cyberspace is escapable. The effectual growth of technology on one’s authenticity may be viewed by two different theories, one being, Utilitarianism, by John Stewart Mill and the other as Kantianism, by Immanuel Kant. Utilitarianism, or the “Greatest Happiness Principle”, is the theory that one must act to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number. It is an action, which is morally right if the consequences of that

action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. He also states ” .that actions are right in proportion, as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Mill, 11). Happiness is then interpreted as the absence of pain; conversely, unhappiness is interpreted as the presence of pain and the lack of pleasure. Mills’ famous essay Utilitarianism reaffirms hedonism however Mill argues pleasure is not quantitatively equal, but in fact is measurable. He defends the creed of utility by stating that social benefit is the standard of right. Kantianism is the notion that one’s mind must be able to determine objects of understanding, called metaphysics, be capable of thinking rationally and by thinking rationally, one develops morals.

Comprehensively the world conforms to the operations of the mind. As a result, the mind imposes certain categories of thought, which deal with how experiences are synthesized. These concepts are quantity, quality, relation, and modality. Moral categories are as universal as those described above, applying to all rational beings. These conditions are a priori, or prior to experience and are principles that help lead to behavior one can call moral (Kant, 22:411). “Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will,” (Kant, 14:402). His point is the essence of a morally good act is the principle that a person affirms when he or she wills an act. This also implies a person needs to utilize the

good will despite inclination or self-interest. Kant believes that a rational being strives to do what ought to be done for the sake of moral law as opposed to possible outcomes. Kant makes a distinction between a good without qualification and conditional good (Kant, 38-39:432). This can be seen as, an action based upon conditional goods, which are contingent upon prediction and are unsuitable for a system of moral guidance. It is important to Kant, for one to consume so much energy into an act not out of duty, or perhaps evil, but out of rationality. The freedom exercised is the equal to which is assumed while exercising the good will. Freedom is a regulative idea, which cannot be proven by experience, yet must be assumed to fulfill moral obligation. The categorical imperatives