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 ...
The primary ethical theories are utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Each theory places emphasis on a different aspect of an issue; the emphasis is dependent on which theory is applied, and is placed on one of the following: consequences, actions, and actors. In addition, because each theory has a different focus, different facets of morality must be applied for each theory; those being values, norms, and virtues. Values are “lasting convictions or matters that people feel should be strived for in general,” and are often formed through a person’s upbringing and experiences (Poel and Royakkers 72). Norms are “rules and agreements about how people are supposed to treat each other,” and typically are formed based on specific values (Poel and Royakkers 74). Virtues are parts of a person’s character that are “manifested in how that person acts toward himself/herself and others,” and can be described as a “mean between two extremes” (Rahmoeller 32). By using the main ethical theories to analyze the consequences...
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.
The Duty Based Theory was made widely popular by German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who is extensively considered to be one of the most central figures of modern philosophy, though criticized for his influence on German philosophical views on moral patients during World War Two. Rather than focusing on the morality of “being”, as the Virtue Theory does, the Duty Based Theory focuses on the morality of “doing”. This aims to increase happiness to its most intense, maximum level, which is also seen in Utilitarianism as well. It focuses less on what one actually is (i.e., their internal moral character) and more on what they act on (i.e., following
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”.
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...
While we all struggle between what is right and what is wrong we each go about it a different way. That struggle is the foundation to our decisions, morality is merely a guideline for our decisions. Ethical theory is used, everyday by everyone, but it is merely an out-of-tune hum compared to a virtuoso like Bennett, MacIntyre, and Midgley.
There are two sub-categories of the deontological theory. The “monistic” sub-category bases morality solely on one virtue. Examples of the monistic category of ethical theories are hedonism and Kant’s duty theory. In the theory of hedonism, pleasure is the only good, and in Kant’s theory on ethics, one’s duty or moral obligation is the sole virtue or value of goodness. The “multiple” sub-category of ethical theories has a minimum of two values of goodness, such as a woman marrying an intelligent and handsome man. The multiple values of goodness ...
Pojman, L. (2002). 6: Utilitarianism. Ethics: discovering right and wrong (pp. 104-113). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
The contemporary study of ethics has many associations in philosophy itself and other disciplines such as psychology, medicine, sociology, politics, and neurobiology. They are an analysis of diverse normative ethical theories including deontology, consequentialism, Role Ethics, virtue ethics, the ethics of care, and Pragmatic Ethics, along with applying them to current moral issues. There are divergences about what exactly gives an act, regulation, or disposition its moral value. Generally speaking, there are three assessments on how moral problems should be solved: Normative Ethics, Meta-ethics, and Applied Ethics.