Theory About Basic Principles What is considered Theorist/s Conflicting Theories

Ethical
1. Teleology - Teleology = study of - Human conduct = - The reason of one’s Aristotle = A full explanation of Deontology =
ends or purposes ends or goals action: The reason of anything must consider its final Perspectives that are
(Telos) pursued or one’s action will be cause. concerned with the
- Aka alleged to be the determinant of process that leads to
Consequentialism pursued judging and Jeremy Bentham = Influential results and see the duty
- Focuses on outcome - A full explanation interpreting actions proponent of utilitarianism ; A to act in a particular way
- Result-oriented of anything must whether or not would good or moral act would result in
approach that consider its final be deemed as the “greatest happiness of the Summary = Deontology
defines ethical cause as well as ethical or not. greatest number of people” guides us to be fair and
behavior as good or its efficient, - How people unselfish while
bad material, and interpret the Utilitarianism = also concerned teleological suggests
formal causes situation: This theory with the consequences of ethical that as long as you
- Any means is suggests that one decisions. achieve the intended
justified if it thing that is right for result, whatever you do
produces others, may be or did to a person is
happiness and wrong for the others acceptable
negligible pain.
2. Deontology - Deontology = is a - Kant's theory - to respect the dignity Immanuel Kant = German Utilitarianism = is a
duty-based approach revolves around 3 of patients in philosopher during the theory which says we
to moral decision- concepts: providing care that is Enlightenment era. He is the have an obligation to
making. goodwill, duty and focused and driven central figure in modern take the course of action
- Non-consequentialist autonomy. by their needs philosophy and is deemed as that achieves the most
theory of ethics: You - Categorical - to protect the privacy the archetypal deontologist. positive outcome or
do the right action Imperative = “Act and confidentiality of consequence. Another
not because of what only in patients "In man (as the only rational theory that comes in
you may achieve by accordance with - to give accurate creature on earth) those natural conflict with the theory of
it but because it is that maxim information and to capacities which are directed to deontology is
the right thing to do – through which communicate the use of his reason are to be consequentialism.
it is what your duty you can at the honestly with fully developed only in the race,
demands. same time will patients about their not in the individual." Consequentialism =
that it become a condition and tells us we need to take
universal law” potential treatment Morals come from human's into account the final
- Practical options ability to reason - rationality. We consequence of our
Imperative = “Act - to uphold the have a universal rational duty to action, even if the act
so that you use autonomy of patients respect one another. Because itself is not morally good.
humanity, as and to seek their we have reason, we are
much in your own informed consent obligated to think for others, not Basically, these theories
person as in the - to acknowledge that just for our own sake. suggest that it is
person of every patients can acceptable to do actions
other, always at establish 'ends' that are not morally
 the same time as regarding their good, as long as they
end and never health care achieve the good
merely as means” consequences or their
goal. While in
deontology, only morally
good actions are
permitted.
3. Virtue - Virtue ethics = - An action is only - Being honest, loyal, - Plato = a virtue-based - Consequentialism
Ethics approach that has a right if it is an courageous, eudemonistic conception of = focuses on the
focus on character. It action that a generous and fair ethics. Happiness or well- consequences of an
focuses on the virtuous person are considered being (eudaimonia) is the action
character of the actor would carry out in ethical under the highest aim of moral thought - Deontology =
or agent. the same theory. and conduct, and the virtues focuses on duties,
- Aka agent-based circumstances. are the requisite skills and morality of a person
ethics. - A virtuous person dispositions needed to attain is dependent on how
is a person who it. His main concern is to well he fulfills his
acts virtuously challenge the views most duties and
- A person acts people have about obligations
virtuously if they goodness, for it is here that
"possess and live they go disastrously wrong Both theories are
the virtues" in trying to live happy lives. inflexible, they are
- A virtue is a moral - Aristotle, by honing virtuous classified under
characteristic that habits, people will likely ethics of conduct.
a person needs to make the right choice when Virtue ethics is
live well. faced with ethical different from both
challenges. He regards the theories, as it
ethical virtues (justice, concentrates
courage, temperance, and completely on
so on) as complex rational, virtues and ideals. It
emotional, and social skills. does not consider
Aristotle's search for the following the laws
good is a search for the when performing an
highest good, and he action, nor does it
assumes that the highest consider the results
good, whatever it turns out of the action.
to be, has three
characteristics: it is desirable
for itself, it is not desirable
for the sake of some other
good, and all other goods
are desirable for its sake.
4. Divine Divine Command Theory
Command = view on morality that
what is good is what God
commands and that
moral obligation consists
in obedience to God’s
commands.
5. Objectivism - Objectivism = theory
that moral truths exist
& that they do so
independently of
what individuals or
societies think of
them
According to Pollock - GOD commands - William of Ockham = is very - Euthyphro
(2007), there are 4 GOOD concerned with preserving Dilemma =
assumptions of divine - GOD forbids BAD God’s omnipotence. He questions the nature
command theory: - GOD gives a NEW believed that God could of the Divine
1. There is a God. COMMAND, then revoke virtually any moral Command Theory
2. God commands NEW COMMAND is law he wanted. He argues which is based on
and forbids GOOD that if God had commanded morality being
certain acts. - ANY ACT AT ALL murder, then murder would arbitrary to God.
3. An action is right can be good if GOD indeed - Utilitarianism =
if God commands OCMMANDS it!!! - John Duns Scotus = He would say that an
it. believed that God has a action is right if it
4. People ascertain genuinely free will in the results in the
what God sense that God could have happiness of the
commands or willed things differently than greatest number of
forbids. he actually did. God has people in a society
absolute power in the sense or a group.
Barry describes that that God can bring about
understanding God’s anything that he wants, so
will is done in 3 ways: long as it does not involve a
1. Through logical contradiction.
individual
conscience
2. By religious
authorities
3. Through Holy
Scripture
• Muslim will
follow the
Qu’Ran
• Jews will
follow the
Torah
• Christians will
follow the
Bible
- Reality is an - A person's own life - Ayn Rand = theory called “a - Subjectivism = you
absolute, and happiness is the philosophy for living on gather pieces of
- reason is man’s ultimate good. To earth”. She was an information from
only means of achieve happiness American novelist and different
knowledge, man requires a morality of philosopher. perspectives of life,
has free will (the rational selfishness, - “My philosophy, in essence, depending on a will,
one that does not is the concept of man as a human or divine to
 - There is a moral
reality outside of your
moral perception - self-interest is
- There are universal
moral principles,
valid for all people,
all situations, and all - capitalism is
times.
- Reality is an - good art is crucial
absolute—that facts
are facts, regardless
of
anyone’s hopes,
fears, or desires.
There is a world
independent of our
minds to which our
thinking must
correspond if our
ideas are to be true
and therefore of
practical use in living
our lives, pursuing
our values, and
protecting our rights.
6. Cultural - Cultural relativism = - Judgments are
relativism the ability to
understand a culture
on its own terms.
What is considered
moral in one society
may be considered
immoral in another
and since no
universal standard of
morality exists, no
one has the right to
judge another.
- Any opinion on ethics
is subject to the
perspective of each
person within their
choice to think or give undeserved heroic being, with his own fabricate coincided
not), rewards to others happiness as the moral accord. While
and that does not purpose of his life, with objectivism is
moral, individual ask them for productive achievement as absolute.
rights are oneself. his noblest activity, and - Cultural relativism
absolute, reason as his only absolute.” = a person’s
perception of right or
moral, wrong depends or is
formed by his/her
to good living. own culture/society.
- Individual
relativism = what an
individual thinks of
right and wrong
regardless of the
dictations of
societies or others.
- Any opinion on - Heredotus = “If anyone, no - Ethnocentrism = is
based on ethics is subject to matter who was given the the idea that one's
experience, and the perspective of opportunity of choosing from own culture is the
experience is each person within amongst all the nations in main standard by
interpreted by their particular the world the set of beliefs which other cultures
each individual in culture. Hence, there which he thought best, he may be measured.
terms of his own is no right or wrong would inevitably—after
enculturation”. ethical system. careful considerations of
their relative merits—choose
that of his own country.
Everyone without exception
believes his own native
customs, and the religion he
was brought up in, to be the
best; and that being so, it is
unlikely that anyone but a
madman would mock such
 particular culture. things. There is abundant
Hence, there is no evidence that this is the
right or wrong ethical universal feeling about the
system. ancient customs of one's
- Judgments are country.”
based on experience, - Franz Uri Boas = A German-
and experience is American anthropologist, in
interpreted by each the early years of the 20th
individual in terms of century. He developed
his own cultural relativism as an
enculturation”. analytical tool that would
later be used as a response
to ethnocentrism. He did not
coin the term cultural
relativism. This idea was
subsequently popularized by
some of his students (Robert
Lowie & Alain Locke).
"Civilization is not something
absolute, but...is relative,
and...our ideas and
conceptions are true only so
far as our civilization goes.”
7. Situation - Situation ethics = “a 3 approaches to - Moral norm depends - Joseph Fletcher = Christian - Divine Command
Ethics teleological and morality: upon a given Episcopal priest Theory = it is
consequential theory 1. Legalism = situation, but - He believed that there is strongly expressed
of ethics concerned prescribes certain whatever this only one moral law for that the
with the outcome of general moral situation may be, everything and that the commandments of
an action....”. prescriptions, laws, or one must always act people must enter every God must be
- The right and wrong norms by which to in the name of situation with this law- the adhered or obeyed
depend upon the judge, determine, and Christian love law of agape to maintain one’s
situation settle the rightness morality or rightness.
and wrongness of 6 Fundamental Propositions: - Deontology = does
human judgments or 1. Only one thing is not depend on the
decisions. intrinsically good, consequence to
2. Antinomianism = namely love, nothing decide what to do
frees the Christian else but rather, they act
from the obligations 2. The ruling norm of accordingly to what’s
of the moral law in Christian decision right. This ethical
which case, there are making is love, nothing theory requires us to
no absolute precepts else follow ordains and
or moral principles by stick with our duty.
which to be guided in 3. Love and justice are the
making decisions. same, for justice is love
3. Situationism = A distributed, nothing else
situation in this 4. Love wills the neighbors
context refers to a good, whether we like
human condition or him or not.
any state of moral 5. Only the end justifies the
affairs and issues that means, nothing else
demand a moral 6. Love’s decisions are
judgment or action. made situationally, not
prescriptively.
4 working principles
of situationism:
1. Pragmatism = how
moral views might
play out in real-life
situations
2. Relativism = All
situations are always
relative; situational
ethicists try to avoid
such words as 'never'
and 'always
3. Positivism = The
whole of situational
ethics relies upon the
fact that the person
freely chooses to
believe in agape love
as described by
Christianity
4. Personalism = to
maximize love,
consider the “who” of
a situation. The
situational ethicist
believes that laws are
for the benefit of the
people.