Five Ethical Theories
Egoism - the self and its needs
Utilitarianism -overall pleasure and pain for all concerned
Deontology - duty
Care Ethics - relationships, vulnerability, and empathy
Virtue Ethics -character
Ethical Theory 1: Egoism
Famous Proponents: Ayn Rand, Adam Smith
What makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it satisfies
one’s desires, or meets one’s needs
Basic Principle: Self-interest of person doing, considering, or affected by
the action
One should choose the action which most realizes or conduces to one’s
own self-interest
Important Variation: should the person look simply to self-interest, or to
enlightened or rational self-interest?
Conception of Rational Self-Interest is basic component of capitalist
economy and business models
Invoke principle of self-interest or something like it
what makes an action right is that it conforms to self-interest of person
doing, considering, or affected by the action (notice: can conflict with
others)
Be able to pick out what choice (or set of likely) consequences is in the
person’s best self-interest
This will probably entail invoking a principle of enlightened or rational
self interest
Ethical Theory 2: Utilitarianism
Famous Proponents: Jeremy Bentham, J.S. Mill
What makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it produces
the greatest amount of pleasure (or lack of pain) for the greatest
number of people
Basic Principle: “Greatest Happiness Principle”
Maximizing positive outcomes for the largest number of people,
negative outcomes for lowest number of people
One should choose the action which will lead to the greatest happiness
(i.e. pleasure, lack of pain) overall
One’s own pleasure and pain only count as much as any other person’s
affected
Important Variation: Quantitative Utilitarianism vs. Qualitative
Utilitarianism
Invoke Greatest Happiness principle or something like it:
what makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it produces
the greatest amount of pleasure (or lack of pain) for the greatest
number of people
Another key aspect: no person’s pain or pleasure counts as more or less
valuable than another person’s. Only quantity or intensity counts.
Be able to pick out what choice (or set of likely) consequences is likely to
bring about greatest happiness overall for all concerned
This will probably entail some sort of tallying or calculation of likely pains
and pleasures for stakeholders
Ethical Theory 3: Deontology
Famous Proponents: Immanuel Kant, W.D. Ross
What makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it conforms
to some (rational) duty
Basic Principle: Fulfilling duties towards self or other persons
One should chose the action which best conforms to one’s recognized
duties
Important Variation: are these duties discovered and understood
primarily by using reason (Kantian Deontology), or by healthy common
sense (Rossian Intuitionist Deontology
Invoke duty as a principle or something like it:
What makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it conforms
to a duty discoverable by reason
Not enough to simply say that a person has a duty to do X
Student has to be able to identify what the duty is in general
For Kantian, explain which formulation of categorical imperative
For Rossian, which prima facie duty or duties
Be able to explain how the particular actions would correspond to the
general duty or go against it
Notice: actions either in conformity with duty or against it.
Ethical Theory 4: Care Ethics
Famous Proponents: Carol Gilligan, Virginia Held, Michael Slote
(developed as feminist response to other ethics –those reflective of
experience of men, not women)
What makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it involves
caring for another, and supports relationship with other people
Basic Principle: action which is caring towards those who are vulnerable
or need support
One should chose the action which supports or nurtures other people,
particularly those who are most vulnerable (e.g. children, workers)
Note: often viewed as supplement to other ethical theories, rather than
as comprehensive theory in own right
Invoke principle of care or something like it: what makes an action good
is that
It supports, maintains, or furthers existing relationships
It involves caring for or nurturing another
It is reflective of empathy, particularly towards those who are vulnerable
Be able to explain how particular action fits one of these general
emphases
May include discussion of how consequences would affect those being
cared for or not being cared for
Ethical Theory 5: Virtue ethics
Famous Proponents: Aristotle, Confucius
What makes something good or bad, right or wrong, is that it actually
embodies or promotes traits culturally acknowledged as good or bad
(e.g. courage, justice)
These in turn lead to greater or lesser realization of potential for fully
human lives (“flourishing”
Basic Principle: actions reflective or productive of good or bad character,
embodied in developed and lasting traits or habits
Important Variation(s): different traditions and theorists develop
different lists of virtues and vices
Invoke principle of virtue or something like it
what makes an action right or wrong, is that it reflects or leads to virtue
or vice
Be able to identify relevant virtue(s) and vice(s)
Be able to explain how the particular actions would reflect or lead to
virtue(s) or vice(s)
May look at consequence of action as providing model for others, how it
affects the general culture or individuals
