Similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics ETH316 Saloman Chavira, MBA . What I have come to realize by reading these chapters are that virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology theories try to establish a moral standard that a virtuous person can live and act upon and by. With these types of approaches to ethics, you have similarities and differences that always will be judged and taken apart piece by piece and evaluated. Just one of the similarities between these theories are that they set a standard by which a good and moral human being can live by within a community or even as a loner or someone that lives outside of a community with family. It is said that virtue ethics measures a person by his or her character and moral standing within a community in determination of his or her good.
The Similarities and Differences of Ethical Theories Mike Dyer ETH/316 November 18, 2013 Michelle Clark-Washington The Similarities and Differences of Ethical Theories There are many types of theories that coincide with virtues, values, and moral concepts to help one decide on what is right and wrong. I will be discussing the similarities and differences between three types of theories and how each theory addresses ethics and morality. These theories are virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. Similarities Society, and we as individuals, want to achieve a common goal with ethics and morality. That goal is to do what is morally right, if it be through pleasure to avoid pain.
Ethical egoism contrasts with ethical altruism, which holds that moral agents have an obligation to help others. Egoism and altruism both contrast with ethical utilitarianism, which holds that a moral agent should treat one's self with no higher regard than one has for others as egoism does, by elevating self-interests and the self to a status not granted to others, but that one also should not as altruism does sacrifice one's own interests to help others' interests, so long as one's own interests (i.e. one's own desires or well-being) are substantially equivalent to the others' interests and well-being. Egoism, utilitarianism, and altruism are all forms of consequentialism, but egoism and altruism contrast with utilitarianism, in that egoism and altruism are both agent-focused forms of consequentialism (i.e. subject-focused or subjective), but utilitarianism is called agent-neutral (i.e.
Ethics Awareness Inventory . Ethics Awareness Inventory Ethics awareness inventory is an opportunity for individuals to learn about themselves as well as how others approach ethical decision making (The Williams Institute for Ethics and Management, 2012). “Ethics awareness inventory is designed to assist individuals with achieving specific objectives enabling an individual to understand and care about what is right or good, compare, and decide alternatives, form opinions about actions morally appropriate to take, and acquire the skills to justify decisions or ethical grounds” (The Williams Institute for Ethics and Management, 2012, p. 1). Understanding the importance of an individual’s own personal ethical perspective is an important area that individuals should be aware of and understand as well, the relationship between personal and professional ethics are also areas important to be aware of and understand. The ethics awareness inventory consists of four categories of ethical thoughts used to determine the profile of an individual, which should reflect the individual’s beliefs.
The code of conduct plays an important role in ethic principals and professional psychology. However, ethics can be applied to a professional organization in terms of impacting individuals personally, spiritually, and socially. Personal Ethics in Psychology, Principles and Code of Conduct The ethics awareness inventory provides detail information pertaining to the role and the importance of personal ethics in professional psychology. Personal ethics are applied in the field to ensure that individuals characteristic are developed in terms of moral and ethical responsibilities, as well as understanding an individual’s moral views and behavior. This can impact the psychological principles as well as personal spiritual, social and organizational issues.
Next on the basis of James Rachel’s argument against ethical egoism will try to answer the question posed. This essay will also discuss the common sense view is the most appropriate way to act in most of the cases. Ethical Egoism is a normative theory, a theory which states how one should behave. It states that promotion of one’s own good is in accordance with morality. In other way we can state that it is always moral to promote self-interest and it is not moral not to promote it.
This is an idea which is absolute and according to Kant, the way we decide the morality of an action. Kantian ethics explains that for something to be good, the only true motivation behind it would be Good Will, with desire or instinct considered and the only purpose being to fulfil your duty and act morally. These moral principles are thought to be categorical imperatives which everyone should abide by even if they are of no benefit to them, There are three principles of the categorical imperative, the first being the universal law. It was believed that you should only act on a maxim, which is a personal law or rule. If you would not want the rule to be universalised, you should not be completing the action.
The Distinction of Virtue Ethics from other normative ethical theories In this essay, I will focus on a particular trait of Virtue ethics, which is “it has No Rules, or Too General Rules”. I will argue that this trait is the one of the main distinctions among other theories, and that this feature is an advantage to the theory. Virtue ethics is a normative theory where in the west, has its roots from the ancient work of Aristotle. The theory puts a strong emphasis on virtues and/or moral character, explaining that ethical behavior of a person is strongly related to the role and virtues of his/her character, in contrast the ways of deontology and consequentialism. Where in deontology the emphasis is on duties or rules, and in consequentialism it focuses on the concequences of one’s actions.
Comparison between deontological and utilitarian ethics Deontological ethics Deontology is a normative theory attributed to Immanuel Kant, which focuses on the concept of the duty. It is concerned on fulfilling what is believed to be a moral duty without considering its impact to other people. It takes the stand that the duty defines the right actions regardless of the consequences. The hold of deontological ethics is that doing right is what conform the moral laws. According to Kant, right actions are not done by following inclinations, impulses or obeying the principle of greatest happiness but are done simply and purely from the sense of duty.
2. Examples: a) ”the notion of duty” A good will is a will that is for duty and what you do is only moral if it is done for duty. Doing something with duty being your only reason to act is morally right, and it does not have to be enjoyable only morally right. b) ”I would express thus, Duty is the necessity of acting from respect for the law. I may have an inclination for an object as the effect of my proposed action, but I cannot have respect for it, just for this reason, that it is an effect and not an energy of will.