Ethics Essay

612 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Contrast deontological and utilitarianism

Human beings are confronted with numerous issues throughout his or her lifetime that would require him or her to examine the best action to take to avoid the damaging consequences. In most cases, individuals restrain his or her action to take into consideration the consequences that may lead to the right or wrong behavior. One’s ethical and moral standards are first learned at an early age from his or her culture, how he or she is raised, religious background, and social system. Scientifically, there are various ethical theories, such as the virtue theory, deontological ethics, and utilitarianism (Boylan, 2009). By understanding these theories one can compare, contrast and uncover the reasoning behind his or her ethical and moral standards. Virtue theory defines what it takes to be a good person and above all else one’s character matters most (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2014). This theory focuses on the person’s moral character rather than duties. A virtuous person is someone who acts just in situations throughout his or her lifetime because of their good character (Boylan, 2009, p. 133-139). An example of a virtuous person would be a priest. A virtuous person does not act to gain favors, but only to do their duty. Individuals who practice virtue theory ponders questions like; how should one live, what is a good life or what are proper social and family values. The deontological ethics approach accentuates one’s duty to rules (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2014, para. 1). The morality of an action is based on following rules. The “rules” help guide individuals morally in decision making. Therefore, the person should make a moral choice as long as he or she sticks to the guidelines. The third approach is the utilitarianism,... ... middle of paper ... ... theory because I knew my friend needed immediate medical attention. The fear of breaking the law by getting a ticket was no longer an issue because the outcome was for the greater of good. Virtue theory, deontological ethics and utilitarianism addresses ethics and morality. Each theory has different views and also many similarities. When an individual is faced with a choice to make a right or wrong decision, they must rely on these theories to make the proper choice. Works Cited Boylan, M. (2009). Basic ethics: Basic ethics in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2014). Deontological ethics. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/158162/deontological-ethics Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2014). Virtue ethics. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1162994/virtue-ethics

Show More
Related

  • Virtue Ethics: Deontological and Eudaimonist

    4530 Words  | 10 Pages

    There are two basic types of ethical judgments: deontological judgements that focus on duty and obligation and eudaimonist judgements that focus on human excellence and the nature of the good life. I contend that we must carefully distinguish these two types of judgement and not try to understand one as a special case of the other. Ethical theories may be usefully divided into two main kinds, deontological or eudaimonist, on the basis of whether they take one of the other of these types of judgement as primary. A second important contention, which this paper supports but does not attempt to justify fully, is that neither type of theory trumps the other, nor should we subsume them under some more encompassing ethical synthesis.

    Read More

  • Climate Change, Hybrids and Applied Ethics: An Explorative Guide to Setting Policy

    2957 Words  | 6 Pages

    Normative ethics is a central part of the philosophical exploration of ethical theories and is the study of what is right and wrong (Encyclopedia Britannica). Its study is a powerful tool in determining the basis and course of moral actions as it explores moral choices rather than the language or origins of morality; for this reason it falls under the category of applied ethics. While normative ethics is a broad term that encompasses many schools of thought, it is generally thought to be broken down into three categories: the school of virtue ethics, deontology and teleology (or consequentialism). Virtue ethics is exemplified by Aristotle’s view of ethics and can be briefly summarized as pointing to moral character and virtuous living as the right thing to do. This delineates it from the deontological schools (e.g.; Kant’s Categorical Imperative) which emphasize certain rules or obligations which are necessarily moral for reasons separated from people and consequences. Consequentialism focuses on the consequences of the actions to judge moral value; utilitarianism is an example of this school and states that the right thing to do is what maximizes overall utility (Hursthouse, Rosalind, Stanford Encylopedia). These different branches are often philosophically challenged in discourse and also in real life examples of moral dilemmas. Their distinct approaches to judging morality in our world make them mutually exclusive theories. However, in application, our world presents us with moral situations that are often so convoluted that strictly adhering to one of these theories can create serious moral dilemmas. An important case is how humans should approach the problem of global climate change. Evidence points to the majority ...

    Read More

  • Is Feminism a Harmful Ideology

    1518 Words  | 4 Pages

    Normative ethics is a branch of ethics which attempts to illuminate how humans should live their lives, and more specifically how to make moral decisions concerning oneself and others, according to c...

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas In Health Care Essay

    589 Words  | 2 Pages

    The healthcare professionals in the hospital acted without the patient’s approval and coerced the family into allowing the resuscitation. Since the doctor and the nurses did not follow the patient’s wishes, they ignored the ethical principal of autonomy. Perry (2016) states that autonomy is the individual’s “right to determine their own actions and the freedom to make their own decisions” (p. 134). The nurses did not respect the patient’s right to refuse treatment. Instead, they practiced paternalism, restricting the authority of others in the idea of supposed benefit. It is questionable as to why the professionals believed that the patient will be grateful. In addition, they did not practice knowledge and self-thought. Instead of blindly following

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Decision Making

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    Decision-making is one of the hardest tasks individuals have to endure. Deciphering between whether or not the decision you make will benefit you, if it will hurt someone else, what are the pros, the cons, and if the decision you make is eleven moral in itself. When decision-making the study of ethics plays a major role as to which decision you ultimately decide on. Ethics evaluates the morality of actions based on principles set by theories, individuals or in some instances cultures. Morality is an enormous part of decision=making which comes into play every single day in human life. Ethicists create theories based on the morality that exists in our lives in regards to certain situations. In particular, the utilitarian theory is well known

    Read More

  • Values and Ethics: Pillars of Cultural Diversity

    1855 Words  | 4 Pages

    No matter what, there will always be right and wrong behavior patterns in life as well with fighting good and evil; there is just not a single right way of deciding on how to get to the conclusion of doing the right thing. Some individuals may base their beliefs and decision-making skills on determining the action that creates the most happiness for the majority of the people. Rosenstand (2012) classifies this type of decision-making style as the theory of Utilitarianism. While others act upon excellence in all that they are doing regardless of how disturbing the situation may be for them. This behavior is defined as the virtues in life and was favored by the Greek virtue theorists such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. All of these theorists constantly question and even challenged the laws of the

    Read More

  • Why Torture is Morally Wrong

    2139 Words  | 5 Pages

    Pojman, L. (2002). 6: Utilitarianism. Ethics: discovering right and wrong (pp. 104-113). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    Read More

  • Virtue Ethics Vs Utilitarianism

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Utilitarianism and virtue ethics both provide aid to making moral decisions, but the two are not perfect. Whilst utilitarianism focuses more on the consequences of our actions, virtue ethics focuses on the character of the person. In this essay, I will elaborate more on the core concepts of both utilitarianism and virtue ethics. Then, I will introduce a scenario that will be used to compare the two ethical frameworks side by side based on their suggestion. Finally, I will argue that between virtue ethics and utilitarianism, they each could provide a morally preferable answer, depending on the situation.

    Read More

  • The Concept Of Virtue Ethics

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    When I think of Virtue Ethics I think of all the things my mother told me that would make me a “good” person. Of the normative ethics I believe Virtue is the simplest because it is a very bottom line concept. For example, your behaviors are good or bad, right or wrong, or courageous or cowardice. Unlike Utilitarianism there is no thought of potential consequences. When one’s ethical actions are based on virtues, I believe the assumption is “there are not any consequences” because in virtue ethics one always does “the right thing”.

    Read More

  • Code Of Ethics Essay

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout my entire life, I have come across many different types of people and experience new things that shape my ethics. Yet I personally think that religion and my parents had the most impact on me for shaping my ethics over the time. My parents taught me very important core values since I was young. If I had made any mistakes, my parents would tell me what I have done wrong and expected me not to repeat my mistakes. They guide me towards a way that I should be a good member of society. In addition, religion taught me that I should live my life as a better person. I may not be a perfect follower, but religion has answered many life questions, which I had. My parents and religion were the two main cores that shape me as a person.

    Read More

  • Personal Ethics Essay

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    I will try to paper the importance of personal ethics in leadership and how ethics produce effective leaders in organizations. The importance of understanding ethics, motivation to act as a role model and developing a plan of action for an organization are discussed because of their importance regarding development of good leadership. These key points suggest personal ethics positively affect leadership and when made a priority for leaders will produce ethical and effective leadership. With so many definitions of leadership, the question evolved from “what is the definition of leadership?” to “what is good leadership” (Ciulla, 2004, p. 13). To develop a system of values one must compile a list of the most important instrumental values and

    Read More

  • Essay On Character And Character

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ethics involves interaction between ourselves and with the world around us. How we should comport ourselves towards others and our surroundings (Kohák, 2000). For ethics to decide what is a morally just way to be, think, and behave, it is helpful to break up the human experience in to logically defined sections. There are three prominent components of the person studied in ethics which provide insight to how ethical behaviour is devised - character, knowledge, and action. These three ideas can each be associated with three schools of ethics - character with virtue ethics, knowledge with deontology, and acting with utilitarianism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2013). This is a complex and dynamic relationship which ultimately helps

    Read More

  • Moral Ethics Essay

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moral ethics is the belief that all human beings are born to know right from wrong. We come into this world as good people, but the temptations and challenges in life influence our mind set to as it will. Every person on Earth chooses if they’re to follow through with their life of good or go down the path of bad. “A person’s moral ethics” (unknown.)

    Read More

  • Explain The Modern Virtue Theory

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Virtue Theory was made popular by Greek philosopher Aristotle and is still often followed today. Aristotle strongly believed in the morality of “being” (rather than the contrasting morality of “doing”) which aims for a substantial moral character. As a result of this thinking, the Virtue Theory is based solely on one’s individual character. It stresses the significance of one’s character as a fundamental component of their ethical and moral thought process.

    Read More

  • Sanctity of Life

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anthony Weston has taught ethics for 25 years and currently is a professor of ethics at Elon University. He has written numerous books regarding ethics and the employment of them. This book is a guide discovering ethics, their morality, and application. He utilizes vivid excerpts from renowned authors and philosophers to impart information effectively. While reading this book, one discovers new concepts about the world around one and oneself. Weston credits collaborative professors of similar studies, with helping produce this book in the beginning of the text. Information taken from Weston’s book was crucial for understanding ethics, especially the excerpt from Kant’s Grounding for the Metaphysics Morals.

    Read More

More about Ethics Essay

Open Document