Lesson 2: Moral Theories

Theory

- A theory is a structured set of statements user to explain or predict a set of facts or concepts.

Moral Theory

- Explains why a certain action is wrong or why we ought in certain ways.

Moral Theories

Consequentialism

- Consequentialist theories, unlike virtue and deontological theories, hold that only the
consequences, or outcomes, of actions matter morally.
- Is sometimes criticized because it can be difficult, or even impossible, to know what result of an
action will be ahead of time.

Consequentialism is based on two principles:

1. Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on the results of that act;
2. The better consequences an act produces, the better or more right the act.

Moral Subjectivism

- Right and wrong is determined by what you, the subject, just happens to think or ‘feel’ is right or
wrong.

Types of Moral Subjectivism:

1. Simple Subjectivism
- The view (largely as described above) that ethical statements reflect sentiments, personal
preferences and feelings rather than objective facts.
2. Individualist Subjectivism
- The view (originally put forward by Protagoras) that there are as many distinct scales of good and
evil as there are individuals in the world. It is effectively a form of Egoism, which maintains that
every human being ought to pursue what is in his or her self-interest exclusively.
3. Moral Relativism
- It is the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles. It’s a version of
morality that advocates “to each her own,” and those who follow it say, “Who am I to judge?”
4. Ideal Observer Theory
 - The view that what is right is determined by the attitudes that a hypothetical ideal observer (a
being who is perfectly rational, imaginative and informed) would have.
5. Ethical Egoism
- It is the normative ethical position that moral agents ought to act in their own self-interest.
6. Utilitarianism
- It is a theory that promotes actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the majority of a
population.
7. Deontology
- It is an ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from wrong. Deontology is often
associated with philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant believed that ethical actions follow universal
moral laws, such as “Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t cheat.”
8. Virtue Ethics
- It is a philosophy developed by Aristotle and other ancient Greeks. It is the quest to understand
and live a life of moral character. This character-based approach to morality assumes that we
acquire virtue through practice.

Three Main Elements of Virtue Ethics:

1. Eudaimonism
- It holds that the proper goal of human life is Eudamonia means 'happiness, well-being or good
life’.
- And this goal can be achieved by a lifetime practicing Arete (virtues) in one's everyday activities
to exercise phronesis (practical wisdom) to resolve conflict and dilemmas.
2. Ethics of Care
- It was motivated by the idea that men think in masculine terms such as justice and autonomy,
whereas women think in feminine term such as caring.

Agent-Based Theories

- It gives an account of virtue based on our commonsense intuitions about which character traits
are admirable which we can identify by looking at people we admire.

The Theory of Natural Rights

- Believe that every person is endowed with certain inalienable rights, such as the right to life, right
to own property, and right to liberty.
- The purpose of government. Locke wrote, is to secure and protect the God-given inalienable
natural rights of people.
3. Moral Relativism
- It is a theory which states that no one person’s moral is better or worse than any other.
Normative Moral Relativism

- Is an idea that all societies should accept each other's differing moral values, given that there is no
universal moral principle.