Five Major Ethical Theories
by johnataylor · 39 things on NewTwos
- Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena, often referred to as moral philosophy. It investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Ethics is concerned with defining what is good for individuals and society, examining obligations, rights, and virtues that guide human conduct. The term "ethics" originates from the Greek word *ethos*, meaning 'character' and 'personal disposition'.
Ethics is divided into three main branches:
Normative Ethics: Focuses on finding general principles that govern how people should act. It includes theories like consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.
Applied Ethics: Examines concrete ethical problems in real-life situations, such as abortion, animal treatment, and business practices.
Metaethics: Explores the underlying assumptions and concepts of ethics, questioning whether there are objective moral facts and how moral judgments are formed.
Ethics also involves the study and development of ethical standards, ensuring that these standards are reasonable and well-founded. It plays a crucial role in guiding decisions and promoting good character in various aspects of life, including personal, professional, and societal contexts[1][2][3][4].
- Source Citations on Ethics:
- Major Ethical Theories
- Ethical Fundamentalism
- A theory of ethics in which a person looks to an outside source for ethical rules or commands (e.g. the Bible, the Koran, Karl Marx)
- Criticisms:
- Ethical Fundamentalism does not permit people to determine right and wrong for themselves;
- Ethical Fundamentalism can be take to an extreme: For example, a literal interpretation of the maxim "an eye for an eye" would permit retaliation.
- Utilitarianism
- A theory of ethics stating that people must choose the action or follow the rule that provides the greatest good to society
- Originated in the works of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
- Criticisms:
- It is difficult to estimate the "good" that will result from different actions;
- It is difficult to apply in an imperfect world;
- It treats morality as if it were a mathematical calculation.
- Kantian Ethics
- A theory of ethics stating that people owe moral duties that are based on universal rules (such as the categorical imperative "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.")
- Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was the chief proponent of Kantian Ethics which is also known as Duty Ethics or Deontological Ethics
- Kantian Ethics is defined by two important priniciples or universal rules:
- Consistency - all cases are treated alike without exception;
- Reversibility - the actor must abide by the rule he or she uses to judeg the morality of others. If one is going to make an exception for oneself, then that exception becomes a universal rule that applies to all others.
- Criticism:
- It is difficult to reach consensus on what the universal rules are or should be.
- Rawl's Social Justice Theory
- A theory of ethics asserting that fairness is the essence of justice. Social Justice Theory says that each person is presumed to have entered into a social contract with all others in society to obey moral rules that are necessary for people to live in peace and harmony
- Originated in the Social Contract Theory of morality proposed by John Locke (1632-1704) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
- The leading proponent of the modern Justice Theory was philosopher and Harvard professor John Rawls (1921-2002)
- Rawls Social Justice Theory is also called the Social Contract Theory, and stresses that fairness is the essence of justice, and that the least advantaged in society must receive special assistance to realize their potential
- It might be summed up this way: "I will follow the rules if everyone else does."
- Criticisms:
- Establishing the blind "original position" required by this theory for choosing moral principles is impossible in real-world situations;
- Many individuals in society will choose not to maximize benefit to the least advantaged persons in society (again demonstrated by real-world experience).
- Ethical Relativism
- A theory of ethics stating that individuals must decide what is ethical based on their own feelings about what is right and wrong
- Many philosophers believe that Ethical Relativism is a deeply flawed approach, and in reality not acceptable as a moral theory
- Criticisms:
- There are no universal ethical rules to guide a person's conduct;
- Actions that are commonly viewed by society as unethical cannot be deemed such if the person committing the acts believes that they were in fact ethical (e.g. committing fraud; serial murder).