Ethics

Ethics Study Guide Virtue ethics places an emphasis on who you are rather than what you do. Morality stems from the identity and/or character of the individual, rather than being a reflection of the actions of the individual. The basis of virtue ethics lies in the belief that in order to live a moral life one must begin by developing good character. We, therefore, ought to act in ways that exhibit virtues (such as courage or compassion), even if that means doing what might generally be seen as bad or bringing about undesirable consequences. For example, exercising the virtue of courage to be a whistleblower, even if it means losing one’s job or causing others to lose their jobs, is considered both virtuous and undesirable. Another example might be of someone exercising patience and restraint even if it means losing out on an opportunity. Deontological ethics comes from the Greek words for duty ( deon ) and science ( logos ). This “science of duty” approach focuses on the rightness or wrongness of motives. It is also described as duty, or obligation-based, ethics because deontologists believe that ethical rules bind you to your duty. These duties or obligations are usually determined by God; therefore, being moral is often a matter of obeying God. Divine command theory is an example of a deontological theory. It actually refers to a cluster of related theories that state an action is right if God has decreed that it is right. The basic tenet is that God’s will is the basis of morality. Teleological ethics derives its name from the Greek word for “purpose,” telos . This type of ethics focuses on the consequences that an action may have, and are often referred to as consequentialist moral systems. In teleological ethics, acts are justified by demonstrating that the moral behind the act fits into some larger purpose. To make correct moral choices, we must have some understanding of what will result from our choices. If our actions result in correct consequences, we are acting morally. If our actions result in incorrect consequences, we are acting immorally. The action is not the focus; rather, maximizing good results is the focus. Utilitarianism is one example of a consequentialist moral theory. At the core of utilitarianism is the principle of utility or the greatest happiness principle . An ethical decision is one that offers the greatest net utility: the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. 1.4 Non-Normative Ethics While normative ethics are based on evaluative judgments, deeming one thing better or more desirable than another, non-normative ethics, also known as descriptive ethics is based on objective judgments, made from quantifiable data. The factual investigation of the logic, language, and objectivity of moral systems, non-normative ethics often employs empirical and experimental data from other disciplines such as sociology, psychology, or history. While normative ethics deal with personal beliefs, non-normative ethics focuses on factual beliefs. “Spanking is (or is not) justified” is an example of a normative judgment. “Spanking does (or does not) modify behavior effectively,” is an example of a non-normative judgment. It is a descriptive statement (also known as an empirical judgment ) about the world that relies on experimental or empirical information. Comparative ethics is a type of descriptive ethics that studies people’s beliefs about morality. It describes how people behave and/or what sorts of moral standards they claim to follow. ©2018 Achieve Page 7 of 116