Teleological
Teleological focuses on the consequences and result in which any action might have
Deontological
In deontological ethics the rightness and wrongness is intrinsic to the act. Ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions.
Utilitarianism
Comes from the Greek word âusefullnessâ
Hedonic calculus
A method of working out the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act, and thus the total value of its consequences
Act utilitarianism
This form of utilitarianism considers the consequences of each individual action
Rule utilitarianism
This form of utilitarianism considers the consequences of past actions to form a rule to guide the present action. We can produce more beneficial results by following rules than by always performing individual actions whose results are as beneficial as possible
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was one of the founders of utilitarianism. For Bentham, happiness was the supreme ethical value or what he called the âsovereign goodâ
John Stuart Mill
A follower of Bentham who rejected the quantitative approach to pleasure
Quantity of pleasure
The amount of pleasure that can be calculated when making a moral decision
Quality of pleasure
The standard of pleasure. In other words, not how much pleasure, but how good is the pleasure
Higher pleasures
These are pleasures of the mind such as art, education, and literature
Lower pleasures
These are the pleasures of the body such as food, sex, sleep
The principle of utility
The use of the significant concept of utility (seeking the greatest balance of good or evil, or pleasure over pain) in teleological or relativist approaches to ethics