The Different Normative Ethical

Theories Commonly Used in Business

Decision Making

The Different Normative Ethical Theories

Norms Of Morality
Kantian Ethics
The Principles Of Machiavellian
The Principles Of Utility Or Utilitarianism
Legal Positivism
Divine Command Theory
Ethical Egoism (Ayn Rand)
Rand’s Arguments
Virtue Ethics
Hedonist
Pragmatism

Represented By: Group II

Kenneth Z. Baylon
Aira Mae Bantigue Andrade
Kristine Castor
Melrose Arevalo Almador
Normative Ethics
- is the study of ethical action. It is the branch of philosophical ethics
that investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how
one ought to act, morally speaking.
- it examines standards for the rightness and wrongness of actions

Normative Ethical Theories

- Normative ethical theories represent systematic attempts to describe
and explain moral or ethical phenomena.
- To be precise, in normative ethical theories it is possible to isolate a
tripartite structure that comprises a moral standard, general moral
principles and particular moral principles and judgments.
(tripartite) – consisting of three parts

Definition of Moral
- concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the
goodness or badness of human character.
Definition of Immoral
- not morally correct.
- not conforming to accepted standards of morality.
- badness of human character
Moral Standard
- it specifies what characteristics all moral actions must possesses.

“Actions are moral to the degree that their consequences produce the
most happiness.”

(Harris, 61-62.)
Retrieved from:
http://www2.onu.edu/~mdixon/handouts/ethical%20theories.html?fbclid=IwAR0IwIQIYXhiOG7K
AHCXSFKwuwNqdmLNBZHfH4uIqqu4a7HGzZObuiGRZo#Note2
General Moral Principle
- principles that focus on general action classes
- that claim that all actions in a certain class are either moral or
immoral.
“It is immoral to act with the direct intention to kill a human being”

Particular Moral Principles and Judgments

- These principles and judgment focus on more specific action classes
or on specific actions.
"Rape is immoral “
"Spousal abuse is immoral"

Normative Ethics vs Descriptive Ethics

Descriptive ethics is the study of how people do behave, and how
they think they should behave
Normative ethics - it examines standards for the rightness and
wrongness of actions

Let’s set an example:

Descriptive ethics would be concerned with determining what proportion of
people believe that killing is always wrong,
while Normative Ethics is concerned with whether it is correct to hold such a
belief.
Kantian Ethics
The difference between the Categorical and the Hypothetical
Imperatives
The various formulations of the Categorical Imperative
Kant's understanding of the universalization of maxims

Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804)

- one of the most influential philosophers in the
history of Western philosophy
- His contributions to metaphysics, epistemology,
ethics, and aesthetics have had a profound
impact on almost every philosophical movement
that followed him.
Three Major Works:
The Critique of Pure Reason
The Critique of Practical Reason
The Critique of Judgment

Difference between Categorical and Hypothetical Imperative

Hypothetical imperatives are a means to an end.
They claim that something is good for something else.
They are saying if you want to do X, you should do Y.
“A shovel is good for digging holes.”

The Categorical imperative on the other hand is claiming that some X

is good in itself, or morally good.
“Saving someone's life is good in itself.”
Categorical Imperative
- Act only according to that maxim by which you can, at the same
time, will that it become a universal law.
- You should not do anything which could not be universalized into a
law of nature.
Maxim - Proposed conduct
Universal Law - Everyone's doing it

Example:
Asking someone for money
and lying for giving it back
 I want 100 pesos, is it ok for me to ask someone for 100 pesos
and lie about paying it back.
Will I get my desired outcome?
 We all know that Lying is immoral conduct
 Once your maxim is universalized, even it is contradictory to your
end goal, then it is immoral.
 It's a lot of contradiction

Maxim: Asking someone for money and lying for giving it back
 In this case, if everyone is doing the same kind of conduct,
everyone is lying about paying back the money in order to get it.
 Well, then the very first person that I ask in the first place is also
doing the same thing.
 Then he/she will say "We all know that everyone ask for 100
pesos and lies to say that they’re going to pay it back.
The Desired outcome is different on actual outcome.
Maxim: Speeding in order to arrive quicker
Universal Law: Everyone's doing it
 Did you get your desired outcome?
Or
 Did you get to your destination quicker?

The answer is: No, you can get into an accident prior in a couple of
seconds.
Therefore, the maxim is immoral because it is contradictory to your
desired outcome.

Maxim: Lying in order to deceive

Universal Law: Everyone's doing it
 Do you get your desired outcome for deceiving someone?
- Absolutely not, because the moment you say something that's not
true, everyone in turn, knows it's not true, so they cannot believe you
in the first place, therefore, you are unable to deceive them.