Morality Principles and Ethical Theories: Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics

What are the five traits central to moral principles?

Prescriptivity, Universalizability, Overridingness, Publicity, Practicability.

What is the practical nature of morality?

Moral principles are action-guiding, intended to advise and influence actions, appraise behavior, and produce feelings of satisfaction or guilt.

How must moral principles apply to people?

They must apply to all people in relevantly similar situations, exemplified by the Golden Rule.

What authority do moral principles hold?

They have predominant authority and override other principles, including aesthetic, prudential, and legal ones.

Why must moral principles be public?

They need to be public to effectively guide actions, prescribe behavior, and assign praise and blame.

What is the requirement for a moral principle to be workable?

It must take human limitations into account to prevent moral despair and ineffective action.

What domains does ethical analysis typically fall into?

Action, Consequences, Character, Motive.

What does the term 'right' signify in moral actions?

'Right' can mean either obligatory (required) or permissible (allowed).

What distinguishes an obligatory act from an optional act?

An obligatory act is required by morality, while an optional act is not a duty.

What defines a wrong act in moral terms?

A wrong act is one that one has an obligation to refrain from doing; it is not permissible.

What are supererogatory acts?

Acts that exceed what morality requires and go beyond the call of duty.

What is the categorical imperative?

A principle of moral duty defended by Kant, asserting that we have an inherent duty to perform right actions and avoid wrong ones.

What are deontological theories focused on?

They emphasize an inherent duty to perform right actions and avoid bad actions.

What is teleological ethics?

Ethical theories that focus on the consequences of actions to determine moral rightness or wrongness.

What is utilitarianism?

The most famous teleological ethical theory that requires actions likely to have the best consequences.

What do virtue theories emphasize?

They emphasize character and the development of virtuous traits as essential for habitual right action.

What are virtues and vices?

Good character traits are virtues, while bad character traits are vices.

Why are motives important in ethical assessment?

They are crucial for a full assessment of actions, as seemingly identical acts may differ morally based on motives.