The document summarizes several major ethical theories: - Plato believed happiness is found through virtue and reflecting the Idea of the Good. Aristotle saw happiness in contemplation achieved through cultivating human nature with temperance. Thomas Aquinas placed ultimate happiness in the beatific vision of God attainable through supernatural grace. - Other theories discussed include Islam prioritizing surrender to Allah through its Five Pillars, Buddhism seeking liberation from suffering by eliminating desires, Utilitarianism maximizing the greatest happiness for the greatest number, Communism pursuing absolute equality and collective labor, and Christianity defining the greatest value as Love based on God's nature.

1. Ethical Theories
Ethical Systems

2. Some of the Most Significant
Ethical Theories
 Plato’s Ethical Theory
 Plato believed that man is free. Thus, man
deserves to be punished for the sins he freely
commits.
 Plato believed that Happiness is not found in the
things that merely serve man’s use nor in the
pleasures of earthly life but in making the soul like
to God by reflecting the Idea of the Good and by
the exercise of virtues.

3.  Aristotle’s Ethical Theory
 Aristotle believed that man threefold nature:
vegetal, animal and rational.
 Man must realize his nature by cultivating all his
natural tendencies.
 The Highest Good is the tendency of the soul. But
man needs likewise to fulfill his basic biological
and sensual needs, guided by temperance.
 The Happiness of man contemplation made
possible by the practice of virtues.

4.  St. Thomas Aquinas’ Ethical Theory
 He believed that the Highest Good or the Summum
Bonum consists in the “beatific vision” of God.
 No earthly good can fully satisfy human desires.
Man , because of his rational appetites of intellect
and freewill, can only be completely happy in God
Himself.
 This happiness is possible only with God’s help
through the infusion of supernatural grace. This is
supernatural happiness, achievable only in the next
life.

5. The Ethical Systems
 Islamism
 Islam is a philosophy of life, a complete system of
living, based on the Word of Allah revealed to
Mohammed.
 Islam teaches that the Greatest Value is one’s
surrender to Allah. This consists the in the
fulfillment of the Five Pillars:
 Confession of Creed: “There is no God but Allah, and
Mohammed is his prophet.
 Prayer brings man in the right relationship with Allah.
 Charity

6.  Observance of the Ramadan.
 Pilgrimage to Mecca.
 Buddhism
 The Greatest Value according to Buddha is the
liberation of man from suffering through the
egoistic desires. The Four Truths of Buddhism
are:
 Life is the root of all sufferings;
 Suffering are caused by desires;
 Desires can be eliminated by negating life;
 Elimination of desires can be achieved by
accumulating karma or deeds that eventually free
the individual.

7.  Utilitarianism
 According to Jeremy Bentham, the Greatest Value
is pleasure. But man, being a sociable animal, must
conduct his affairs in a way that would benefit
others.
 Thus, the Greatest moral good is that “which gives
the greatest happiness to the greatest number of
people.
 Communism
 This is based on the teachings of Karl Marx. The
Greatest Good is absolute equality.

8.  The mission of the system is the production of
material wealth by means of collective labor, so
that the good of this world might be enjoyed in a
paradise where each would give according to his
powers and would receive according to his needs.
Communism aims to build a classless society. Until
such goal is attained, the State shall rule absolutely.
 Christianism
 This is based on the teaching and life of Jesus
Christ.
 Christ taught that the greatest Value is Love.

9.  God is Love (1 John 4:8)
 Christian morality is essentially based on love
which embraces even the enemy.

10. Thank You!