MORAL THEORIES
Consequentialism

Acts are deemed to be morally right solely on the
basis of consequences. For instance, most people
would agree that lying is wrong. But if telling a lie
would help save a person’s life, consequentialism
says it’s the right thing to do.

Consequentialism is based on two principles:
1.
Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on
the results of the act.
2.
The better consequences an act produces, the
better or more right that act.
Moral Subjectivism
 Right
and wrong is determined by what
you, the subject, just happens to think or
‘feel’ is right or wrong. In essence, ‘right’
and ‘wrong’ lose their meaning because so
long as someone thinks or feels that some
action is ‘right’, there are no grounds for
criticism.
Different Types of Moral Subjectivism
1.
Simple Subjectivism
 Ethical
statements reflect sentiments, personal
preferences and feeling rather than objective
facts.
2.
Individualist Subjectivism
A
form of Egoism, which means that every
human being ought to pursue what is in his or
her self-interest exclusively.
3.
Moral Relativism (Ethical Relativism)
 Different
things are right for people in different
societies and different periods in history.
Different Types of Moral Subjectivism
4. Ideal Observer Theory
 What
is right is determined by the attitudes that
a hypothetical ideal observer would have.
5. Ethical Egoism
 It
is immoral to act contrary to your self-interest
6. Utilitarianism
 The
best way to make moral decision is to look at
the potential consequences of each available
choice, and then pick the option that either does
most to increase happiness or does least to
increase suffering.
Different Types of Moral Subjectivism
7. Deontology
 What
make a choice right is its conformity
with moral norm: Right takes priority over
good.
8. Virtue Ethics
 Emphasizes
an individual’s character as the
key element of ethical thinking, rather than
rules about the acts themselves or their
consequences.
Three Elements of Virtue Ethics
1. Eudemonism
 It
holds that the proper goal of human life is
eudemonia (‘happiness’, ‘well-being’ or ‘the
good life’), and that this goal can be achieved
by a lifetime of practicing “arête” (the virtues)
in one’s everyday activities, subject to the
exercise of “phronesis” (practical wisdom) to
resolve any conflicts or dilemmas which might
arise.
Three Elements of Virtue Ethics
2. Ethics of Care
a
feminist approach to ethics. It
challenges traditional moral theories as
male-centric and problematic to the
extent they omit or downplay values and
virtues usually culturally associated with
women or with roles that are often cast
as ‘feminine’.
The most basic human law of nature is the
preservation of mankind. Individuals have
both a right and duty to preserve their own
lives. Individuals should be free to make
choices about how to conduct their own lives
as long as they do not interfere with the
liberty of other. Liberty should be farreaching.
- Locke
Three Elements of Virtue Ethics
3. Moral Relativism
 Person’s
moral code is shaped by the
society in which he is raised, and that no
society is inherently better or worse that
any other.
Activity
Compare
and contrast the
following: utilitarianism,
deontology, and consequentialism.
What are their weaknesses?