Download Moral Theory - Academic Resources at Missouri Western

Normative Ethical Theory
Jim Okapal
Asst. Professor of Philosophy
Missouri Western State University
Moral Theories
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Morality is concerned with social practices
defining right and wrong; it consists of what
persons ought to do in order to conform to
society’s norms

Ethical Theory concerns the philosophical
reasons for and against aspects of the morality
Normative Ethical Theories

Substantive proposals concerning how to
act, how to live, or what kind of person to be
that are usually expressed in principles or
rules that are meant to guide our action, life,
or character development
Consequentialism
The moral worth of an action is
determined by its consequences

(consequences could be objective states of
affairs such as gross national product; they
could be internal states of affairs like
feelings of pleasure or happiness)
Consequentialism
General Principle of Action
Perform that act which will promote the good for X
(Each underlined term must be defined)
Consequentialism
Perform that act which will promote the good for X

Maximizing View: you maximize the amount
of the type of good identified by the theory
Perform that act which will maximize the good for X
Consequentialism
Perform that act which will promote the good for X

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Hedonism: good = pleasure
Eudaimonism: good = happiness
Preference Satisfaction: good= utility
Ideal Goods: good equals a list of things like
pleasure, health, beauty, justice, truth, etc
Perform that act which will maximize pleasure for x
Consequentialism
Perform that act which will promote the good for X

Egoism: x = only me

Utilitarianism: x = the greatest number of people (including me)

Altruism: x = the greatest number of people excluding me
Perform that act which will maximize pleasure for the greatest number of
people
This is the principle of action for hedonistic utilitarianism
Consequentialism

What is the principle of action for..
–
A Eudimonistic egoist?
–
An ideal goods altruist who believes justice and
integrity are the only intrinsically valuable things?
Deontology
The moral worth of an action is dependent
upon whether the action is derived from an
intrinsically right characteristic
Different theories have different tests to determine
intrinsically right characteristics
Deontology
Kantianism
Moral worth of an action depends on the will of the
person performing the action, i.e., what is the reason
that one is performing the action?

Universal: Act only on that maxim that you can will to be a
universal law

Respect: Act such that you treat others as an end and not merely
as a means
Maxim: a subjective principle of volition (a principle upon which you act).
Deontology
Rights-Based Ethics
the moral worth of an action is dependent upon its
relationship to a set of natural rights based in the facts of
humanity and the world in which it inhabits

Perform that act which will protect the rights of those
individuals affected by the action
Sample rights: life, liberty, property, happiness, speech, etc.
Deontology
Contractarianism
the moral worth of an action is dependent upon the
construction of a hypothetical bargaining situation and
the resulting decision of worth

Perform that action that hypothetical agents would mutually
agree to for the benefit of the worst off

Perform that action that hypothetical agents would mutually
agree to for mutual benefit
Deontology
Common Morality Theories
moral worth of an action is determined by the set of
norms that make communal life not only possible,
but helps it flourish

Perform that action that prescribed by the moral
rules
(No unified theoretical basis for the norms)
Virtue Ethics
moral worth is fundamentally about the
development of a character that has virtuous
characteristics

Perform that action which will develop virtuous
characteristics

Perform that action which the virtuous person would
perform
Virtue Ethics

Virtue: a disposition to act (where having a mental state
can possibly be considered an action) from an innate
capacity properly trained and exercised

Substantive virtues: those necessarily connected with the
good; e.g. justice, compassion, truthfulness

Executive virtues: those character traits not necessarily
connected with the good; e.g., diligence, perseverance
competitiveness, toughness
Feminist Ethics
Ethics of Care
moral worth is fundamentally about the features
of personal relationships

perform that action which will strengthen the
bonds of personal relationships
sympathy, compassion, fidelity, love, friendship, etc., should
be developed in the character of individuals.