# Ethical Theories - General Observations of Ethical Theory - Moral Language, Knowledge, and Reality - Discussion of Important Ethical Notions

### Ethics (1/3) - **Normative ethics** tries to figure out true principles. How should I live? How do I resolve moral dilemmas? - Example: Profitable fraud versus costly integrity? - Example: Follow my family tradition or break out and innovate? - Example: Utilitarians say to *do whatever maximizes happiness.*

### Ethics (2/3) - **Metaethics** asks higher-order questions about what moral terms like ‘good’ mean, whether moral facts are real, how we know moral facts, why people morally disagree, etc. - **Applied ethics** tries to resolve difficult ethical questions using normative principles.

## Some Aspects of Ethical Theorizing 1. Moral Judgment (language) 2. Moral Facts (reality itself) 3. Moral Epistemology (theory of knowledge) 4. Moral Motivation (psychology) 5. Important Notions: Truth, Influence, Equality 6. Morality and Religion

### Moral Judgment

### Metaphysical Dimensions (Moral Facts)

### Epistemology

### Moral Motivation

## Important Notions - Veracity - Improper influence - Equality

## Ethics and Religion

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# Ethical Theories: Kant, Utilitarianism, Virtue

## Basic theories - Virtue ethics -- happiness (flourishing) - Deontology -- duty - Utilitarianism -- happiness (pleasure) - Commonsense intuition

## Virtue: Excellence is a habit 1. Virtue ethics originated with Aristotle. 5. The highest good is happiness. 6. Happiness is "an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue." 3. There are moral and intellectual virtues. 4. There are individual virtues (such as moderation) and social virtues (such as justice). 6. Ethics is not just about actions but about the whole of life. 7. Applying virtues takes practical wisdom. 8. The "function" of humanity has to do with our rationality. 9. Friendship is a virtue. 10. Objections: Not everyone can know what is right; not practical; virtues can conflict; objective goodness of "living well"?

## Kantianism: Do your duty 1. Kantianism is the thesis that "The good will obeys the moral law for morality's sake." 2. Kantianism is sometimes known as "duty-based" ethics or "deontology." 3. It's named after Immanuel Kant. 4. It has ancient roots in the Stoics. 5. The only good thing is the good will. 6. The moral law is "the categorical imperative." 7. The categorical imperative can be formulated in several ways: 8. Do only what you can will to be a universal law. 9. Always treat humans as ends in themselves, not means to an end. 10. Many good wills together form the kingdom of ends.

### Utilitarianism: Maximizing pleasure  1. Utilitarianism is the thesis that “the best moral action is one that maximizes ‘utility’ — pleasure, well-being.” (definition) 2. Utilitarianism is a theory of normative ethics, a theory of what to do. 3. Utilitarianism was founded by Jeremy Bentham 4. Utilitarianism was updated by John Stuart Mill 5. Utilitarianism has ancient roots in Epicurus 6. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, where right and wrong are determined by the consequences of one’s action or character, not the action or character itself. 7. Utilitarianism has several modern forms 8. Utilitarianism is criticized for being unjust, impractical, or amoral.

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