Question

How would a kantian and a utilitarian evaluate the morality of someone in desperate financial need who steals money from someone who is wealthy-knowing the wealthy person will never even miss, let alone need, the money?

Answer 1

Utilitarian principle of morality is based on maximum goodness for maximum numbet of people. They favor those actions that brings more goodness or pleasure to more number of people. Here, in this scenario the Utilitarians would not favor the action of the individual for stealing money from the wealthy because it involves the happiness of a single person, and, moreover stealing is considered as intrinsically wrong by the Utilitarians.

For Kantians stealing money is morally wrong, whether, the money was taken with some reason or without any reason. Any act of stealing, no matter what the situations, is always condemnable by the Kantian. For kantian morality is not based on consequences, that is, how much good it produces,but in the action itself.