¶ … ethics, teleology refers to consequentialist ethics, in which the morality of an action is based on its consequences rather than on the nature of the act itself. Utilitarianism is a type of teleological ethics, because utilitarianism is based on creating the maximum amount of happiness (or some other predetermined desirable outcome such as prosperity or health) for the most people possible. Ethical egoism, the view that benefitting the self justifies an action, is also a type of teleology ("Deontological and Teleological Assumptions in Normative Ethics," n.d.). Deontological ethics are opposite to teleological ethics because the consequences are less important than the nature of the act itself. According to the deontological ethical framework, an act is categorically moral or immoral. It does not matter if an act produces happiness or any other result. Deontology espouses the view that the ends do not justify the means; whereas the teleologist believes that the ends can justify the means ("Teleological Ethics," n.d.). Whereas deontology is too rigid a viewpoint to be applied consistently, ethical teleology can also be problematic. For example, teleological ethics usually do not adequately account for the needs of minority groups....
It is best to integrate both deontological ethics and teleological ethics, to reduce the overreliance on categorical absolutes but without becoming too ambiguous. For example, the law usually permits acts of self-defense that result in the harm or even death of another human being. Murder is considered absolutely wrong, but killing another person is ethically permissible when the subject's life had been in danger and it was "either me or him." Another example of how teleology can be used in some occasions is the classic story of the little boy who steals a loaf of bread to feed his starving mother. Stealing is categorically wrong, but so is allowing someone to die of starvation. Teleological theories can better account for ethical ambiguity, which is more realistic than the assumption that decisions can be black-and-white. Moreover, deontology has a harder time making distinctions between two competing ethical choices such as between stealing as a wrong and allowing a woman to die. Some might argue that the boy should instead find legitimate methods of feeding his mother, such as by trying to find a job. Yet this line of thinking can ignore some of the nuances in the case as well as some of the structural problems that caused his mother…
Religion, Libertarianism and Virtue Ethics Religion is a social institution, which grows out of individuals' collective attempt to structure and understand the university (McGonigal, 2012). It is a natural consequence of human behavior and social groups. It endeavors to explain occurrences and social inequalities. In so doing, religion tends to justify inequalities, thus, provides a foundation for religious identification, which often breeds social conflict (McGonigal). Libertarianism is a political philosophy, which claims
Cultural Differences in Ethical Decision-Making Using Multidimensional Ethics Scale The objective of this study is to examine cultural differences in ethical decision-making using the multidimensional ethics scale. The Multidimensional Ethics Scale (MES) was developed originally by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990) and is one of the most often used measures in business ethics research. (Lin and Ho, 2008, p.1213) The MES is an instrument found to be useful in business
Defining Police EthicsAbstractOwing to the power and authority that law enforcement officers wield, it could be argued that honesty and integrity are some of the most crucial attributes of a police officer. This is more so the case given that failure to embrace the basic tenets of ethical behavior could result in abuse of power and loss of public trust and confidence in law enforcement. Indeed, to a large extent,
In 1997, numerous key educational institutions including the AASA (American Association of School Administrators); ASCD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), NAESP (the National Association of Elementary School Principals), and the NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) worked in the auspices of ISLLC, funded by the CCSSO (Council of Chief State School Officers), to increase educational management standards. The National Policy Board for Educational Administration used the ISLLC
If the leaders of our national financial institutions had asked 'are these moral actions right, ethically speaking, from the point-of-view of my profession' rather than 'will these moral actions make money,' the world financial crisis would never have occurred. Utilitarianism also tends to deemphasize minority rights -- but merely because a group is in the minority does not mean that it is engaged in a moral wrong. This can be
Acting in accordance with virtuous principles is a key to attaining happiness. In Book Three of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explains the difference between voluntary and involuntary action as well as total passivity. In the first chapter of the book, the philosopher explains the importance of free will and taking action in determining ethical behavior. Aristotle concludes that the only truly ethical acts are those that are chosen by
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