Exploring Ethical Theories: From Egoism to Virtue Ethics

1. Chapter 3 A Search for a Basis for Ethics

2. Ethics related to the person • Ethical Egoism • One should attempt to maximize one’s own happiness • One should always act to promote his/her best interest (individual and universal) • Pleasure and Pain-based Theories • Epicurus developed a theory that said good is pleasure and need to maximize pleasure and minimize pain

3. Ethics related to people continued • Utilitarianism • Jeremy Bentham defined the greatest good as the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people • John Stuart Mill believed some pleasures were higher and thus, better than others – he created the principal of Utility – greatest good for the greatest number (called a teleological theory – concern with consequences of actions)

4. Ethics related continued • Updated Utilitarianism • If based solely on pleasure and pain – it is hedonistic • Can have Ideal Utilitarianism – maximized good – knowledge, friendship, health, aesthetic awareness • Act Utilitarianism – choose the act that will create the greatest happiness/pleasure for the greatest number

5. Ethics related continued • Rule Utilitarianism – make a choice bsed on following a rule that has been justified by the principle of utility – greatest good for the greatest number

6. Intentions, Freedom & Universality • If we emphasize the intentions of someone we are using Deontological theories • Stocism – rational guide to difficult times – what is right or wrong is your intention • Immanuel Kant – wanted same certainty for ethical systems as in mathematics – only thing that is good without qualification is a Good Will – a human action is good only if it is done from a sense of duty

7. Intentions continued • Imperatives – a rational agent is one who has the power to act and choose in accordance with a concept of law; imperfect rational agents have subjective principles or not at all; all imperatives include the word “ought” • Concept of Freedom – your will is exercised by rational beings – a rational will is free if it can cause something without itself being caused to do so by some external cause (must have laws)

8. Virtue Ethics • Aristotle’s original plan • Intellectual virtue can be taught • Moral virtue is a matter of habit • For an act to be virtuous – you must • Know that what you are doing is virtuous • Choose the act • Do that act for its own sate • Act according to a fixed, unchanging principle

9. Form of the Good • Plato • Believed in the existence of the eternal Forms or Ideas of Truth, Beauty, the Good, Knowledge, Justice and the like – standards • Socrates • Says virtue and knowledge are closely connected, virtue might be knowledge but can’t be taught • To be moral, we must come to understand the good

10. Indefinability of the Good • G.E. Moore • Philosopher of common sense • The good is too fundamental to be defined in terms of other things • You are a rational human being and can figure it out for yourself

11. Order of Goods • Butchvarov • Good can be properties of many things • Both goods and evils in the world • Cases where good is not good for humans (drugs can produce pleasure but can kill) • An action can be right, but not good (choosing the best of several evils)