Ethical Theory
Despite the fact that codes of conduct and belief systems permeate everyone's life on an everyday basis, developing a universally acceptable concept of ethics or moral philosophy remains a seemingly impossible task that has plagued philosophers and the world's great thinkers since the beginning of time. Over time a great number of different philosophical theories have arise. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses and each has enjoyed its own period of popularity but, strangely, due to the fact that some of the world's greatest minds have spent their lives formulating other theories, the theory that seemingly has the greatest degree of validity is one of that has enjoyed the longest history: virtue ethics.

Virtue ethics were developed as a theory by the ancient Greek philosophers. Aristotle and Plato in developing their views toward ethics placed little importance on the rules that people should obey or follow and, instead, they…...

So long as the employees are aware of the potential on-the-job dangers, which they must be simply by having been hired, they have the right to choose whether or not to work long hours or to wear protective gear. A person who enters an automobile does so knowing that highway accidents are common; a bicycle rider who does not wear a helmet makes s similar choice. To deny the rights of individuals insults their intelligence
In fact, the rules and regulations that strangle personal freedoms also squelch the individual's intellect because when told what to do, a person is likely to follow the rules blindly without investigating the real risks involved. Mandating protective gear might, in fact, lead to a false sense of security among workers who believe that their hard hats will protect them in any situation when in fact, they will not. Libertarianism respects the rights and abilities…...

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice developed as a cohesive field in the late twentieth century, with the establishment of the Ethical Theory and Moral Practice Journal, in 1998. The theory therefore represents a culmination of scholarly thought and analysis in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and psychology. As a cross-disciplinary theory, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice reveals the increasing hybridization of fields that relate to normative ethics.
Because Ethical Theory and Moral Practice is a relatively new field of scholastic inquiry, the field is currently "undergoing change," ("Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: How do they relate?" 2008). Changes reflect shifting social, economic, and political realities. Without falling pray to the traps of ethical relativism, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice remains heterogeneous and diverse.

The roots of the theory are difficult to trace because of the "disciplinary cross-pollination" that has occurred ("Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: How do they relate?" 2008). Major topics…...

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References

"Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: How do they relate?" (2008). Conference 2008. Retrieved online:  

Ethical Theory or System
Other names for theory

eal World example

Workplace example

Consequence-based ethics

This approach prioritizes the value attached to results of actions. Consequence based approach points at the results of one's action on the others and the fact that other people tend to play a leading role in ethical decision-making.

One needs to evaluate the potential positive and negative effect of the available options in a situation and use the evaluation as a basis of decision making.

Consequentialist Theories

teleological, from the Greek telos

I believe people should be able to eat sand if they want to because they are free to make the decision themselves

Organization prohibits conduct that is dishonest because this will affect the firm's accreditation. The organization has instituted stringent policy that ensures that honesty is upheld more so in dealing with stakeholders, more so the customers.

ights-based ethics

This theory attributes value to one's human or legal rights. Contractarianism among moral and political theories…...

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References

Beauchamp, T.L. (2001). Philosophical Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy. Mcgraw-Hill.

McShea, J.R. (1979). Human Nature Ethical Theory. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 386-401.

Ethical Theory & Moral Practice
Debates about theory and practice are ancient. Each generation considers the dynamics that surround issues about the interdependency of theory and praxis to be uniquely challenging. Complexity is a variable closely linked with knowledge. As science has added layer upon layer of knowledge, decision-making dilemmas have been confounded by new and staggering concomitant factors. In concert, theoretical frameworks for social science disciplines have been adapted to accept newly identified moral imperatives and ethical considerations.

This paper offers a discussion about the nexus of epistemology, ethics / morality, and praxis. An examination of the historical development of the paradigm and the assumptions of post-positivism is presented as an introductory foundation for the discussion. Next, is a discussion about ethical theory, followed by an exploration of the increasing division between philosophical frameworks and evolving modern science. Particular note is made of the theory-practice gap in healthcare, which stands in…...

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References

Beauchamp, T.L. (2007). Does Ethical Theory Have a Future in Bioethics? The Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. 32(2): 209-217.

"Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: How do they relate?" (2008). Conference 2008. Retrieved online:   / special_links5/special_links5_conference.shtmlhttp://www.bezinningscentrum.nl/links 

Fieser, J. (2009). Ethics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved online:  http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/#H3 

Gastmans, C. (1998). Nursing Considered as Moral Practice: A Philosophical-Ethical Interpretation of Nursing. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 8(1): 43-69.

Utilitarianism is most often used by healthcare organizations like insurance companies: to keep costs down for the many, a potentially valuable treatment may be denied to the individual because it is deemed experimental or unnecessarily costly. As unpalatable as the idea may be, no patient can be tested for every single conceivable illness he or she might contract. There must be some prioritization of high-risk groups. During his or her duties, a nurse may often ration her time, prioritizing where it will do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, based upon the severity of their need. However, in other instances a nurse may need to deploy the categorical imperative and state that something is clearly wrong or right, regardless of a financial calculus. A nurse must care for all patients to the best of his or her ability and preserve patient autonomy and privacy unless the…...

Deontology and Consequentialism
An Analysis of "Rightness" from Deontological and Teleological Perspectives

Deontological ethics stems from the notion that one is obliged by duty to behave in a "moral" manner. There are a number of theories that range from moral absolutism to Divine Command theory that may be described as deontological, but each differs in its approach to "morality" even though each recognizes an "obligation" to attend to a set of rules. In contrast to deontological ethics are teleological ethics, which gauge the morality of one's actions by their consequences. A number of theories may be classified as teleological, such as utilitarianism, pragmatism and consequentialism. This paper will explore the ideas behind deontological and teleological ethics and show how an approach to "morality" must observe at least some objective standard, and that it is the objective standard that makes an action "right," and not the dutiful adherence to the standard or the…...

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Works Cited

Dreier, Jamie. "In defense of consequentializing."

Horgan, Terrry; Timmons, Mark. "Untying a Knot from the Inside Out: Reflections on the 'Paradox' of Supererogation."

Locke, John. "Essay Concerning Human Understanding." Bartleby. Web. 27 Nov

2012.

Ethics and Morals
Measures of validating morals and ethics

Comment by Sabina:

Measures of Validating Morals and Ethics

Ethics and morals are essential parts of our society. We rely on members of our society to practice and provide service with an adequate level of moral and ethical values. Ethics is the conviction within each individual that determines good or evil, it is not always a matter of legal or illegal, it is a matter of right and wrong. Morals is a set level of standard that we hold for ourselves, it helps us to make decisions about good and bad, right and wrong and helps us to differentiate the difference between right and wrong. Every different profession in today's world is governed by different ethical bodies that help to regulate professional ethics. Scholars and researches utilize different methods of validating ethics and morals in their profession. In this paper I will discuss some of…...

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References

Arnold, D.G., Audi, R. & Zwolinski, M. (2010). Recent work in ethical theory and its implications for business ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly. 20 (4) 559-581.

Bannigan, K., Watson, R. (2009). Reliability and validity in a nutshell. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18 (23) 3237-3243.

Fisher, C.B. (2003). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Shao, R., Aquino, K. & Freeman, D. (2008). Beyond moral reasoning: A review of moral identity research and its implications for business ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly. 18 (4) 513-540

Moral realism and the sceptical arguments from Disagreement and Queerness." The discussion which rink starts regards moral realism. He argues that J.L. Mackie who suggested that there are arguments which demonstrate that the concept of moral objectivism is intrinsically flawed. The arguments through which Mackie attempts to demonstrate this derive from disagreement and queerness. The present paper shows how rink demonstrates that the categories which Mackie uses in order to support his thesis fail to achieve this goal.
rink starts by explaining what moral realism is. He states that it represents a particular case of global realism. ut what are we dealing with when dealing with the latter one? We are dealing with a belief according to which there are some facts the moral dimension of which does not depend in any way of our beliefs regarding them. In other words there are things which are moral, regardless of our…...

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Bibliography:

Brink, D. 1994. "Moral realism and the sceptical arguments from Disagreement and Queerness." Australasian Journal of philosophy, Vol. 62, no. 2, pp.11.125

Devitt, Micharel. 1993," Dummett's anti-realism" Journal of philosophy, vol. 80, pp. 75/76

Morals and Ethical Theory
Morals & Ethical Theory

The objective of this study is to read pages 1 -- 26 of Stephen D. Hales work entitled "This Is Philosophy" and to answer the questions of:

(1) Is morality just what God tells me to do? (Divine Command Theory);

(2) Is morality just my own personal code? (Egoism); and (3) Is morality just how society says we should act? (Moral Relativism) This study will state one reason why each theory is agreed with and one reason why is theory is not agreed with.

Is Morality Just hat God Tells Me To Do?

(Divine Command Theory)

According to Hales, morality could be based on an authority who commands individuals on their moral duties and who serves as an enforcer of these principles since the individual "without a lawgiver, a rulers to lay down the moral law" is simply "adrift with no deeper connection to right and wrong than our…...

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Works Cited

Dobrin, A. (2012) Moral Relativism: Its Limit. Am I Right? How to Live Ethically. Psychology Today. Retrieved from:  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/am-i-right/201204/moral-relativism-its-limit 

Ethical Egoism (nd) Drury Education. Retrieved from: http://www2.drury.edu/cpanza/egoism.pdf

Kreeft, P. A Refutation of Moral Relativism -- Transcription. (nd) Retrieved from:  http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/05_relativism/relativism_transcription.htm#3 

Rachels, J. (n.d.) Egoism and Moral Scepticism. In: Exploring Ethics. An Introductory Anthology. (ed) Steven M. Cahn. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from:  http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195342000/student_resources/partone/chapter7/

Ethical Theories
The three basic ethical theories share a number of similarities, because they each attempt to describe and explicate the ethical decisions made by humans as well as the logic (or illogic) that is used to inform any particular behavior. Utilitarianism offers what is perhaps the most sound ethical theory due to the way it chooses for itself the goal of its efforts, but it is hampered by disagreement regarding the precise execution of the theory. A deontological theory of ethics may be useful for formulating general rules regarding proper behavior, and as such is popular is the workplace, but these rules are not universally applicable and in some cases can actually lead to unethical behavior if followed without fail. Finally, while virtues-based ethics purports to offer individuals instruction for the cultivation of ideal behavioral traits, by definition it cannot offer a universal ethical norm, as it is based on…...

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References

Begley, A.M. (2005). Practising virtue: A challenge to the view that a virtue centred approach to ethics lacks practical content. Nursing Ethics, 12(6), 622-37.

Broad, C. (1930). Five types of ethical theory. New York: Routledge.

Darwall (Ed.). (2003). Virtue ethics. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

DeConinck, J.B., & Lewis, W.F. (1997). The influence of deontological and teleological considerations and ethical climate on sales managers intentions to reward or punish sales force behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 16(5), 497-506.

Ethical Theories
Describe in detail

Teleological, deontological, and virtue ethics: A comparison

Teleological ethics are also called consequence-based ethics. Teleological ethical systems emphasize the results of ethical decisions, versus the moral principles behind such decisions. Utilitarianism is an excellent example of teleological ethics. The stress in utilitarianism is doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people, versus setting a precedent for all ethical actions. "It denies that moral rightness depends directly on anything other than consequences, such as whether the agent promised in the past to do the act now" (Armstrong 2011). What is good for the greatest number of people one day may not be the case several years from now, or even to morrow.

For example, no one would state that as an abstract moral principle, having to fire competent employees is a 'good thing.' However, bosses are often forced to do so, because of the financial limitations they are…...

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References

Alexander, Larry & Michael Moore. (2007). Deontological ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia

of Philosophy. Retrieved:  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/ 

Armstrong, Walter. (2011). Consequentialism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Retrieved:  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/

Utilitarian Abortion Considerations:

The utilitarian perspective applied to the abortion issue would focus on whether

permitting or prohibiting elective abortion would contribute more positively the interests of society Mill, 2003 p160). The principal difference between the utilitarian and deontological perspectives is that utilitarianism is wholly unconcerned with the underlying motivation for decisions. Whereas deontological formalism values the state of mind of the individual, utilitarianism focuses on the ultimate consequences of the act, irrespective of motivation Russell, 2002 p 99).

Within the utilitarian ethical perspective, rule utilitarianism would promote the choice associated with the overall benefit to others and to society if it were adhered to religiously in all circumstances, irrespective of isolated cases in which the rule produced a negative result Russell, 2002 p101-2). For example, in a society where relative birth and death rates were such that the continuation of society were in jeopardy, the utilitarian perspective might require a prohibition of…...

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(Dershowitz, 2002 p112).

Therefore, the contemporary utilitarian approach to morality in human life is to consider other definitions of "goodness" and "benefit" rather than equating morality with the interests of the greatest number. In many respects, that is the perspective exemplified by the modern American justice system (Dershowitz, 2002 p112). Under that view, the moral rightness or wrongness of elective abortion would seek to weigh the manner in which permitting abortions might benefit society and how that decision would affect all of the individuals directly involved in specific situations. If the initial assumption is that society is benefited by the respect for the autonomous rights of individuals to make personal decisions about abortion without interference from the state, utilitarianism would support the freedom to make that decision.

Under the act utilitarianism perspective, therefore, certain types of abortions (such as in cases of rape, incest, or medical necessity for the life of the mother)

For example, and employee might decide they will never be late for a meeting, which will appear to be a noble duty, but there might be a hidden reason towards this action. Maybe the employee prefers to sit in a particular place or sit. Another negative attribute of the deontology theory is the fact that it is mostly concerned with the individual's welfare and not others.
Utilitarianism theory

This theory deals with the individual's ability to foresee the consequences of their actions. A person will have to analyze the choice they make to ensure that they benefit more people Weymark, 2005.

Using this theory a person can compare similar past solutions, and develop a system that determines which choice will be most beneficial for a majority of people.

For a large corporation, this theory would be beneficial because employees will endeavor to perform their duties while analyzing the consequences of their actions. These…...

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References

Ronzoni, M. (2010). Teleology, Deontology, and the Priority of the Right: On Some Unappreciated Distinctions. [Article]. Ethical Theory & Moral Practice, 13(4), 453-472. doi: 10.1007/s10677-009-9209-z

Weymark, J.A. (2005). Measurement theory and the foundations of utilitarianism. [Article]. Social Choice & Welfare, 25(2/3), 527-555. doi: 10.1007/s00355-005-0017-7

These are ethics that know no cultural bounds. hat is perceived as ethical in one society as well as any other is an example of a natural law. These are typically based on the human desire for equality as well as the desire to do good ("hat is Natural Law?"). Furthermore, natural rights evolve legally from natural laws often. They also often see an intertwining of religious beliefs, although they can also be expressed as more an intertwining of moral beliefs that are then supported by religion. The primary weakness of natural law theory is that it is sometimes difficult to determine if a belief is truly universal, or simply cultural.
Virtue Ethics:

Virtue ethics determines whether an action is right or wrong by the virtue of the action.

Virtue ethics is currently one of three major approaches in normative ethics. It may, initially, be identified as the one that emphasizes the…...

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Works Cited

"Kant's Moral Philosophy." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., 23 Feb. 2004. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

MacKinnon, Barbara. Ethics: theory and contemporary issues. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co., 1995. Print.

"Virtue Ethics." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., 18 July 2007. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

"What is Ethical Relativism?" Philosophy - AllAboutPhilosophy.org. N.p., 2011. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

The practice of nursing is strongly guided by ethical theories and principles, because nurses are charged with the duty of taking proper care of patients and ensuring that they do no harm to them. The principles, values, and morals they must adhere to are based on what is needed for them to provide the maximum benefit and level of care to the largest number of patients on a daily basis. The values and morals they hold may differ from those of the patients they care for, and they must be careful to avoid putting down on or otherwise dismissing what....

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1. The Essence of Thomas Aquinas's Natural Law Theory: An Exploration of Its Foundations and Implications

Discuss the metaphysical and ethical principles that underpin Aquinas's natural law theory.
Analyze the concept of the eternal law and its relationship to the natural law.
Examine the role of human reason in discerning the precepts of natural law and their binding force.

2. The Harmony of Faith and Reason in Aquinas's Summa Theologica: A Critical Examination

Trace the development of Aquinas's understanding of the relationship between faith and reason.
Explore the arguments Aquinas presents for the compatibility of faith and reason.
Evaluate the strengths....

Crafting an Impactful Thesis Statement on Divine Command Theory

Divine command theory, a prominent ethical theory, posits that the sole basis for morality lies in the commands of a divine being. This theory holds that actions are inherently right or wrong solely because God wills them to be so. Crafting a thesis statement on divine command theory requires a clear and concise articulation of its central tenets and the main argument or perspective you intend to present.

Steps to Craft an Impactful Thesis Statement

1. State the Central Idea: Begin with a concise statement summarizing the key concept of divine command theory, namely,....