Moral Theory
Moral Theory Overview
- Moral theory deals with the principles, judgements and attitudes that people use to decide what is right or wrong behaviour.
- It also scrutinises how these principles should guide human decision-making and conduct.
Types of Moral Theory
Deontological Ethics
- Deontological ethics holds that the morality of an action is determined by its adherence to rules or duties.
- The famous philosopher Immanuel Kant developed a form of deontological moral theory, known as Kantianism, which proposes that right action is determined by a rational obligation, or 'categorical imperative'.
Consequential Ethics
- Consequential ethics (also known as consequentialism) concludes that the correct course of action is the one that produces the best overall consequences.
- A well-known type is utilitarianism, put forward by philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. They argued that the best action is the one that maximises utility, or the overall 'happiness' quotient.
Virtue Ethics
- Virtue ethics emphasises the role of character and virtues in moral philosophy, rather than either doing one's duty or acting to bring about good consequences.
- Virtue ethics focuses more on 'being' rather than 'doing'. It highlights the idea that cultivating moral virtues will empower people to make the right decisions.
- Examples of virtues include justice, courage, generosity, and prudence.
Applying Moral Theory to Global Ethics
- These moral theories can be applied to complex global issues such as climate change, poverty, war and terrorism, human rights, animal rights and globalization.
- For example, a deontologist may approach the issue of climate change by emphasizing the duty of individuals and societies to adhere to environmental regulations, regardless of their consequences.
- A consequentialist, on the other hand, may stress on the importance of actions which lead to the best environmental outcomes, such as reduction in global temperature averages.
- A virtue ethicist may highlight the importance of cultivating virtues such as respect for the natural world and intergenerational justice to tackle environmental issues.