Major ethical frameworks including consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics with their core claims and a representative philosopher.
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- What is consequentialism?
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An ethical theory judging actions as moral based solely on their outcomes or consequences- Define the principle of utility
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Actions are morally right if they maximize overall happiness and well-being- What is utilitarianism?
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An ethical theory holding that actions are right in proportion as they promote happiness and wrong as they produce unhappiness- What is the difference between act and rule utilitarianism?
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Act utilitarianism judges individual actions; rule utilitarianism evaluates rules that maximize happiness if generally followed- What is hedonism in ethical theory?
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The view that pleasure is the only intrinsic good and pain the only intrinsic evil- What is deontology?
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An ethical theory judging actions as moral based on adherence to duties or rules, regardless of consequences- What is a categorical imperative according to Kant?
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An absolute moral rule that applies universally and unconditionally to all rational beings- State Kant's first formulation of the categorical imperative
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Act only according to maxims you can will to become universal law- State Kant's second formulation of the categorical imperative
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Treat humanity in yourself and others as an end in itself, never merely as a means- What is the difference between perfect and imperfect duties?
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Perfect duties always prohibit certain actions; imperfect duties require pursuing ends but allow flexibility in how or when- What is virtue ethics?
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An ethical theory emphasizing development of virtuous character traits rather than following rules or calculating consequences- Define eudaimonia
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Human flourishing or the highest human good, understood as the end goal of virtuous living- What is the doctrine of the mean?
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Virtues represent a middle ground between two extreme vices, such as courage between cowardice and recklessness- List the four cardinal virtues
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Prudence, temperance, courage, and justice- What was Jeremy Bentham's major contribution to ethics?
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He founded utilitarianism and proposed that pleasure and pain are the fundamental measures of right and wrong
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