Theories explaining how life should be lived are defied by the addicts, they device their new ways of living which are inconsistent with the societal rules and norms. Drugs change an individual’s ego making him/her to have desires and aspirations different from those of the society (Thiroux 5).
The addict develop new desires equivalent to those of other addicts, which act to destabilize the whole society. On the side of duties and obligations, the societal norms stipulate that individuals should be caring to other members of the society especially the children and the old. Able members need to be providing the basic needs to the unable ones such as the sick and elderly. A drug causes the able members to spend all resources on them at the expense of those in need in the society (Warner 1).
Every society has its own rules and norms that guide the conduct and behavior of individuals, it is expected that at all times the society will continue to exist peacefully. The addicts introduce other forms of conducts to the society consequently changing the social structure of the society. It is observed that the society experiences changes in social roles and positions, results to playing of reversed roles (Zalta 3).
Utilitarianism as a theory argue that before people think of the consequences of their behavior, they always weigh whether the action is right or wrong, others consider the pain and pleasure of a particular action before concluding on the action. To members of society, it is evident that some consideration is given to an action before acting. For the addicts, this is not the case because they have no business in societal norms and rules (Zalta 1).
The universal law of Kant says that people act in their best very ever and wish that other people could also act in the same way as they do. The challenge is whether people will accept to follow the rules of nature that they participated in making them. The theorist further argues that while the universal laws are made, people should not be forced to accept some that are not within their maxim.
Some universal laws such as those associated with human rights were made basing on this theory. People in various states agree that some of the most pressing needs are the basic ones that include shelter, food, clothing and security. It becomes the role of the governments and other humanitarian institutions to guarantee the basic needs to every one worldwide.
Conclusion
When making decisions, it is necessary that a combination of theories be marshaled to explain particular phenomena effectively. Theories in the modern world are never applied singly because they will only give narrow understanding of problems. Without proper application, theories will not have attained their function of widening understanding on world issue.
Works Cited
Thiroux, Jacques. Ethics Theory and Practice. 9 Ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2007. pp. 406-428.
Warner, Keith. Using Ethical Principles in Moral Reasoning about the Environment. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. 2009. Web.
Zalta, Edward. Introduction: The Challenge of Environmental Ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Metaphysics Research Lab Center for the Study of Languages and Information. 2009. Web.
Zalta, Edward. Traditional Ethical Theories and Contemporary Environmental Ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Metaphysics Research Lab Center for the Study of Languages and Information. 2009. Web.