Ethical Theories Overview

Consequentialism

• Determines rightness/wrongness of actions based on consequences.
• "Right" action produces the most good.
• Utilitarians define "good" as happiness and follow the greatest happiness principle.
• Actions aim to maximize overall happiness.

Divine Command Ethics

• Actions are morally right/wrong based on God's commands.
• Right if not forbidden, obligatory if commanded.
• Common in Judeo-Christian tradition.

Deontological Ethics

• Actions are right/wrong regardless of consequences.
• Rightness determined by reason, not divine commands.
• Immanuel Kant emphasized reason, duty, and motives as the basis of goodwill.

Rights Ethics

• Originated in Roman law, protecting personal interests.
• Expanded to moral rights, inspired by documents like the Declaration of Independence.
• Kant's duty-based ethics:
  • Imperfect duties: Not obligatory, can be fulfilled in various ways (e.g., occasional aid).
  • Perfect duties: Obligatory, requiring specific actions (e.g., keeping promises).

Virtue Ethics

• Originated with the Greeks, defining right actions based on virtuous behavior.
• Achieving happiness, fulfillment, and success requires practicing virtues.
• Intellectual virtue: Wisdom.
• Moral virtues: Courage, temperance, justice.
• Christian thinkers added faith, hope, and love as virtues.

Casuistry

• Case-based moral analysis, bridging theory and practice.
• Historically linked to confession and penance in Christianity.
• Modernized in 1988 by Albert Jonsen and Stephen Toulmin to resolve contemporary ethical problems.
• Involves collecting case details, comparing similar cases, and deriving principles.

Ethics of Care

• Feminist perspective introduced by Carol Gilligan in 1982.
• Women approach ethics through nurturing and relationships, contrasting men's focus on justice, rights, and duties.
• Moral decisions stem from the characteristics of caring relationships.

Principlism

• Popular in health professions.
• Introduced in Principles of Biomedical Ethics (1979) by Tom J. Beauchamp and James F. Childress.
• Based on a shared common morality with four principles in medicine:
  • Autonomy: Respecting patient decisions.
  • Beneficence: Promoting well-being.
  • Non-maleficence: Avoiding harm.
  • Justice: Fair distribution of resources and treatments.

Explore the key concepts of consequentialism, divine command ethics, deontological ethics, and rights ethics. This quiz will help you understand how different ethical frameworks determine rightness and wrongness of actions based on various criteria. Perfect for students of philosophy or anyone interested in ethical discussions.