ethical theories

1. Common Ethical Theories
Prof. Daria Par-Hughes, rsw,mba
Professional Ethics and Values

2. OBJECTIVES:
1. Define the common ethical theories.
2. Discuss these ethical theories and its criticism.
3. What are the implication of these theories to the
society.

3. Ethical Theories
ETHICAL THEORIES

4. Following the law is not the same thing as
acting morally
 Laws can be immoral
 Laws can provide
insufficient direction
 Laws can be ambiguous
 Doing the moral minimum is doing what you are morally
obligated to do (not doing bad)
 Doing good: going beyond your obligations
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5. Deontology
Deontology – rightness depends at least in
part on a formal moral rule or principle
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6. A criticism of consequentialist theory is that it is so concerned with ends
that it may overlook the moral importance of means - the ways in which the
ends or goals are achieved. Deontological theory uses rules rather than
consequences to justify an action or policy. The best-known deontological
theory is that of Immanuel Kant in the 18th century. ‘Kantianism’ is a
modern term, referring to a Kant-like emphasis on duties and rules. Kant
defended rules such as ‘do not lie’, ‘keep promises’, ‘do not kill’ on what he
claimed were rational grounds. Rules should comply with the categorical
imperative.

7. The categorical imperative holds that:
• Moral rules should be universalisable i.e. applied to all rational, moral
members of the community rather than to just some
• All persons should be treated never simply as means but also always
as ends in themselves
• Members of the moral community should take a hand in making the
laws as well as living by them
Many modern Kantians, as opposed to Kant himself, are not absolutist
in their application of moral rules or laws, whilst nevertheless stressing
the importance of generally living by moral rules or laws.

8. Utilitarianism
“The greatest good for the greatest number”
The morally right act for an agent A at a time t is
that act available to A at t, that will maximize the
total amount of good in the world (that will have
the best consequences).
Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1831)
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9. Hedonistic Utilitarianism
What is good?
Pleasure and the absence of pain are good
Pleasure is any sensation you would rather have than no
sensation at all; and pain is any sensation you’d rather
not have than no sensation at all.
.
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10. What Bentham thinks are the advantages of
Utilitarianism
 Determinate in principle – in principle, you can use the hedonic
calculus to get an actual answer to the question of “what should I
do in this case?”.
 Neutralistic – treats everyone in the same way
 Realistic – it’s based on real psychology. It works with people as
it finds them and organizes society so that they being that way
actually has good consequences for everyone.
 Non-metaphysical – it doesn't make goodness/badness
right/wrongness some sort of weird qualities. What in the world
is “a natural right?”
 Non-elitist – it counts all sentient creatures. And all types of
pleasures equally
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11. Utilitarianism & business
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Market view – Free and unregulated markets would maximize the overall good
by most efficiently connecting supply with demand.
Administrative view – Policy experts manipulate the economy to attempt to
improve the outcome beyond the capacities of a purely free market.

12. Rights and duties
 One way to think of a right is as a trump against the
claims of the general welfare.
 Rights hook into correlative duties: if you have a right not to
be killed, then I have a duty not to kill you.
 Negative rights are rights to non-interference
 Positive rights are rights to aid – entitlements to be
provided with something
 Right to due process of law in the Philippines, to free
education, to healthcare coverage, etc.
 A right not to be killed, have your property stolen, raped, etc.
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13. Virtue Ethics
 Those that your “moral exemplars” poses
 Virtue ethic focuses on having a good character – tells you
what kind of person you ought to be
 It is action-guiding in the sense that it recommends that you
become the kind of person that will do what is right –
perhaps instinctively
 How do you become virtuous?
 Develop the sort of habits or instincts that a virtuous person
has through good upbringing, education, reflection,
experience, and effort
 What habits or instincts are these?
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14. Virtue Ethics – the virtues
 Rationality, intelligence, tenacity, capability, patience,
prudence, skillfulness, shrewdness, proficiency, etc.
 Moral Virtues
 Practical/non-moral virtues
 Benevolence, compassion, honesty, charity, sincerity,
sympathy, respect consideration, kindness, thoughtfulness,
loyalty, fairness, etc.
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15. Criticisms of Virtue Ethics
(1) Different cultural groups have had different,
sometimes conflicting, opinions on what constitutes a
virtue. If Virtue Ethics has no universal basis, it leads
to an undesirable cultural relativism.
(2) Virtue Ethics may praise certain character traits,
but this provides us with no or insufficient practical
guidance about which specific actions to perform
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