Chapter 9

Deontology
Consequentialism
(Hedonism, Utilitarianism, Egoism )

( Natural Rights Theories of Locke and

Thomas Hobbes, Devine Command
Theory , Kants categorical imperative )

Normative Ethics

Virtue Ethics
(eudiamonia; a right action leads to the
well being and can be attained through
the daily practice of virtue , agent based
theories, ethics of care )

Set of rules, norms, that govern human

action . How things Should be.

Meta-Ethics
There are objective moral values.
Statements can be true or false independent from ones own
believes.
Valid propositions that are valid are ethical sentences.

There are no such things as objective moral values

Descriptive Ethics
Does not provide guidance
Does not examine how reasonable a moral norm is
It compares ethical systems
It compares ones rule of conduct that explain an actual action with
the ethics that one says he believes in

Applied Ethics
Brings ethical theory into real-life situations and is often used in creating
public policy
Approaches that are very strict and based on principles can solve particular
problems
Can be applied universally
Explores questions like : are abortions immoral ? , what rights do animals
have ?

Maxims :Duty to Moral Laws

Kant was a deontologist , a person with an ethical perspective that
holds that holds that it is the principle of duty that determines the moral
values of actions .
Deontologists are intent on discovering the moral duties that all people
in all situations should follow .

Maxims :Duty to Moral Laws

For Kant fulfilling your potential as a moral person involves both :

Developing a clear understanding of the necessary and universal

moral laws that apply to all people in all circumstances
Developing the good will to actually follow these laws

Maxims :Duty to Moral Laws

Kant distinguishes two kinds of moral imperatives :

Maxims :Duty to Moral Laws

Golden rule

Maxims :Duty to Moral Laws

Kant , reels off three ways in which the Golden rule is conceptually inferior to the
categorical imperative :

The Golden Rule makes no mention of the duties we have towards ourselves
The Golden Rule does not ensure feelings of kindness, consideration , and
benevolence to others .
The Golden Rule has the potential for perverting what ought to be understood as
rationally based , clearly defined duties towards others .

Consequences : Utilitarianism
Jeremey Bentham
Bentham was a Hedonist , believing that humans are not only necessarily governed
by pleasure and pain ( psychological hedonism ) but also should be governed by
pleasure and pain (ethical hedonism ) .

Consequences : Utilitarianism
The principle of utility
Benthams priority was to effect social change by replacing the existing legal
system with more socially progressive laws.

Consequences : Utilitarianism
How do we calculate the the greatest happiness in applying the principle of utility ?
The Hedonistic Calculus

It takes into consideration the following circumstances :

Its intensity
Its duration
Its certainty or uncertainty
Its propinquity or remoteness
Its fecundity
Its purity
Its extent

Consequences : Utilitarianism
Higher pleasures have greater worth : Mill
Mill distinguishes between higher ( intellectual , aesthetic , contemplative ) pleasures and
lower (physical , sensual ) pleasures .

Consider The Interests of Animals : Singer

Consider the Interests of Animals : Singer

Just as most human beings are specialists in their readiness to cause pain to
animals when they would not cause a similar pain to humans for the same
reason , so most human beings are speciesits in their readiness to kill other
animals when they would not kill human beings

Authenticity : Existentialist Ethics