Ethics Overview Cheat Sheet

1. Meta Ethics:

• Definition: Examines the nature of ethical language, concepts, and propositions.

• Focus:
• Addresses questions about the meaning of ethical terms.
• Investigates the nature of ethical judgments and their objectivity.

2. Normative Ethics:

• Definition: Concerned with establishing the norms or standards for conduct.

• Focus:
• Provides guidelines for determining what is morally right or wrong.
• Addresses the principles that govern ethical behavior.

3. Applied Ethics:

• Definition: Applies ethical theories to real-world situations and issues.

• Focus:
• Examines specific ethical dilemmas in various fields (medicine, business,
technology, etc.).
• Seeks practical solutions based on ethical principles.

4. Virtue Ethics:

• Definition: Focuses on the development of moral character and virtues.

• Key Concepts:
• Emphasizes the importance of virtues (integrity, courage) in ethical
decision-making.
• Stresses the cultivation of good character over rule-based ethics.

5. Aristotle Ethics:

• Philosopher: Aristotle
• Key Ideas:
• Virtue ethics originator.
• Believed in cultivating virtues for eudaimonia (flourishing).
• Emphasized the "golden mean" – finding balance in virtues.
6. Thomas Aquinas Ethics:

• Philosopher: Thomas Aquinas

• Key Ideas:
• Influential in natural law theory.
• Merged Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy.
• Emphasized reason's role in ethical decision-making.

7. Kantian Ethics:

• Philosopher: Immanuel Kant

• Key Ideas:
• Deontological ethics – based on duty and universal principles.
• Emphasized the importance of goodwill and the categorical imperative.

8. Right Theory:

• Definition: Examines the nature of rights and justifies their existence.

• Key Concepts:
• Focuses on individual rights and freedoms.
• Considers the moral and legal dimensions of rights.

9. Legal Vs. Moral Rights:

• Legal Rights:
• Granted by legal systems and enforced by laws.
• May not always align with moral principles.
• Moral Rights:
• Based on ethical considerations and principles.
• May transcend or differ from legal rights.