Verified Document

Virtue, Kantian And Utilitarianism Ethics Differentiated Essay

Virtue Ethics This ethical philosophy draws back from the thought and work of the ancient and great Greek philosopher Aristotle (Brown, 2001; SPI, n.d.; Fahey, 2010). The philosophy centers on persons who are moral agents themselves, rather than from their actions or their consequences. A person lives an ethical or the good life if he possesses a right character, also know as virtues. As such he possesses a moral character, according to the philosophy. These character traits or virtues include courage, temperance, justice, wisdom, patience, generosity and compassion. By observing or living by this philosophy, a person develops good habits that build and make up his character. Because of such a character, he is naturally disposed to act in a certain moral or virtuous way towards situations and persons. He or she does not possess undesirable or vicious traits of character (Brown, SPI. Fahey).

The main objections to this philosophy are the difficulty of ascertaining what traits should be considered virtues and at arriving at a normative standard for living a moral life (Brown, 2001; sPI, n.d.; Fahey, 2010).

Kantian Ethics

Immanuel Kant advocated deontological ethics, based on concrete duties or obligations, whereby certain actions are intrinsically...

This means that an act is right or wrong in itself whatever the consequences. An act is right or wrong according to a moral norm by which a person is bound by duty to act. Parents, for example, are obligated to care for their children for their own good and not because of some potential or calculated benefit to the parents, such as the expectation of support from them in old age or need. It is this philosophy, which underscores the tenet that the end does not justify the means (DSCCOCCIA, Joshua).
Kant's ethics states that one must act in pursuit of an end and never in consideration of its means ( DSCCOCCIA, n.d.; Joshua, 2011). Its moral basis is a standard of rationality he calls a categorical imperative. This covers all rational duties (DSCCOCCIA, Joshua).

Objections to this philosophy include those of John Rawls on the matters of justice as fairness.

Utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill were the main advocates of this classical ethical philosophy (DSCOCCIA, n.d.) (Joshua, 2011)) (Brown, 2001). It argues that an action is morally right if it maximizes what is good or minimizes the bad or evil. They seem to equate good with pleasure or well-being…

Sources used in this document:
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, C. (2001). Ethical theories compared. Rosalind Hursthouse: Trinity University.

Retrieved on August 16, 2015 from http://www.trinity.edu/cbrow/intro/ethical-theories.html

DSCOCCIA (n.d.). utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, natural rights theories, and religious ethics.

New Mexico State University. Retrieved on August 16, 2015 from http://web.nmsu.edu/~docococcia/321web/32ethicstheory.pdf
Farley, T. (2010). Ethics theories: utilitarianism, deontology virtue ethics, Hobbes' social contract. Tony Fahey. Retrieved on August 16, 2015 from http://tonyfahey.com/2010/ethical-theories-utilitarianism.html
Joshua (2011). Difference between utilitarianism and deontology. Difference Between. Retrieved on August 16, 2015 from http://www.differecebetween.net/science/health/difference-between-utilitarianism-and-deontology
Retrieved on August 16, 2015 from http://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/morality-101//moral-traditional
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ethics in the Workplace
Words: 2655 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Ethics in the Workplace Organizational ethics is an area that is gaining increased importance in formal professional education. Ethics are moral rules that guide the behavior and conduct of an individual. Since ethics are shaped by personal factors like religion, family, society, law and culture, it is unlikely that two people share the same ethical standards or viewpoints (Weiss 2008, p. 116). This frequently gives rise to ethical conflicts or internal

Ethics Surrounding the Wayne Case Study
Words: 2850 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

Ethics is a grey area in many instances within the medical community. Ethical codes help by providing guidance that allow for professional judgment or discretion and the idiosyncratic nature surrounding ethical dilemmas. As mentioned in the first lecture concerning ethics, ethics is mostly observed as being a serious reflective activity essentially concerned with a methodical inspection of the ethical life (Callaghan & Ryan, 2012). It is intended to illuminate what

Kantian Ethics And Utilitarian Ethics Regarding Death Penalty
Words: 4657 Length: 15 Document Type: Research Paper

Powell points to the fact that "in Georgia, for example, the time between the date of the murder and the murderer's execution (if it occurs) averages close to I0 years 25 Although the average lapsed time in Georgia may be the highest, the same situation generally prevails in a number of other states. No one would suggest that this is satisfactory." (Powell, 1038) Indeed, according to Calvert (1993) it demonstrates

Defend the Ethics of Your
Words: 991 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

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

Can One Apply the Principles of Duty Ethics in Public Safety
Words: 1235 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Ethics in Public SafetyIntroductionEthics support the right functioning of public safety, as they can define both the goals and the proper or moral ways to achieving those goals. This paper discusses the �big� three primary ethical frameworks: Deontological, Teleological, and Virtue Ethics. The focus of this paper is on their premises, the philosophical proponents of each, how they have been refined by philosophers over time, the criticisms each has faced,

Moral Philosophy
Words: 2861 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

Moral Philosophy Can desires and feelings be in accordance with or contrary to reason? Are they under the control of, or guided by, reason? Compare, contrast, and critically evaluate the answers of Aristotle and Hume to these questions and their arguments in support of those answers. David Hume is one of the most significant philosophers of the 18th Century. Hume is skeptical about moral truths, and he ascertains that ethics comes from

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now