Ethics and Moral Philosophy: Key Concepts and Theories

Ethics

How to live + treat others

Moral code

Rules for behaviour

Normative ethics

How we should act

Metaethics

Meaning of right/wrong

Applied ethics

Real-life situations

Deontology

Focus on rules / duty

Categorical imperative

********* everyone should do it; treat people with respect

Teleology

Focus on results

Utilitarianism

Max happiness (quantity); 'Greatest good for greatest number'

Bentham

Proponent of utilitarianism, focusing on quantity of happiness

Mill

Quality > quantity; mental > physical pleasure

Virtue Ethics

Focus on character; ethics = habit; goal = happiness

Golden Mean

Balance in virtue ethics

Altruism

Focus on others

Egoism

Focus on self

Hedonism

Pleasure = good

Epicureanism

Moderate pleasure, avoid long-term pain

Cynicism

Reject wealth, live simply

Stoicism

Accept fate, control reactions

Socrates

Knowledge = virtue; people do wrong due to ignorance

Plato

Truth is absolute; Fable of Gyges → people act selfishly if no consequences

Aristotle

Ethics = habit + practice; Golden Mean

Confucius

Ethics = relationships + respect; social harmony = goal

Moses

Ethics from God's laws (Ten Commandments)

Absolute ethics

Universal principles

Relativism

Depends on culture

Determinism

No free will

Existentialism

Freedom + responsibility

Hobbes

Humans = naturally selfish + violent; need government (social contract)

John Locke

Mind = blank slate (tabula rasa); knowledge comes from experience

Nietzsche

Rejects traditional morality; believes people should create their own values

Kierkegaard

Focus on individual choice + faith; ethics is personal

Sartre

Humans are completely free; 'Existence precedes essence'

Ibn Rushd (Averroës)

Combines reason + religion; ethics leads to true happiness through knowledge

Al-Kindi

Avoid sadness by not attaching to material things

Kohlberg

Moral development happens in stages: avoid punishment, follow rules, develop personal ethics

Ayn Rand

Promotes ethical egoism; self-interest is morally right

Pragmatism

What's right = what works in practice; focus on real results

Instrumental value

Useful to humans

Intrinsic value

Valuable itself

Just War Theory

War is just if: just cause, right intention, last resort, follows rules

Buddhism

Enlightenment, no self

Hinduism

Karma

Judaism

Laws of life

Nihilism

Nothing is right/wrong

Moral agent

Makes choices

Moral patient

Affected by choices

Virtues

Positive traits

Moral

Right

Immoral

Wrong

Amoral

No moral sense

Kant

Focus on rules

Scenario Thinking

Kill 1 save 5?

Kant's view on scenario

NO

Bentham's view on scenario

YES

Mill's view on scenario

Depends

Aristotle's view on scenario

Character

Confucius' view on scenario

Relationships