Normative
Ethics
Moral theories are majorly concerned with the way of
dealing with the questions regarding life; nature of good and bad, right or
wrong. There are four major ethical theories whose orientations are different .
Their contribution in human life cannot be taken for granted.
Firstly, there is the virtue ethics. Philosophers such as
Plato, stoics and Aristotle, St.Thomas Aquinas among others, developed this
theory. From their point of approach, culture is held to bear an upper hand and
is the determining factor of what constitutes good or bad. It is a teliologist
theory, which contends that the results of an action are very imperative in
determining their worth. The theory also holds the view that our characters
must be developed in a way that helps us to live good lives. They are not
rule-based theories (Ridley, 1998). They do not hold that one must follow
specific rules to be virtuous. It is therefore a particularistic theory.
Secondly, there is the Kantian theory, generally referred
to us the deontology. This type of ethical theory opposes teleological
theories. According to their view, the result of an action does not determine
their moral worthiness. It is the intent behind the action that determines
their moral worthiness (Slowther et al, 2004). The decision rule is therefore
the intention of the individual in performing a certain activity. One must
follow specific laid out rules in order to be moral. It is therefore a
non-particularistic theory.
Thirdly, there is the utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham
first developed it. John Stuart Mill also propounded it. According to the view
of the utilitarian’s, the actions are deemed good if the results are good. To
them, what defines a good action is its ability to bring happiness. Happiness
is equated to pleasure and is the decision rule. On the other hand, unhappiness
is taken to be pain. The theory is also referred to as the ‘greatest happiness
principle’. From this perspective, one should be able to create the greatest
happiness for the masses(Ridley,1998). It is a particularistic theory by the
fact that there are no rules to govern the actions. Different people attain
happiness in different ways.
Fourthly, there is the contractarianism. It is also
referred to as the ‘morals by agreement’. According to this theory, the idea of
right or wrong is judged within a framework of social structures. For instance,
the decision rule is based on the agreement of the people who are held by the
stipulated rules. Sometimes, even if people are to agree whether a certain rule
is right or wrong, it does not necessarily mean that it is so. There is no
scientific proof that it is true. Thomas Hobbes, Locke among others, generally
held this position (Ridley, 1998). Contractarianism is a particularistic theory
that demands people to act in a specific way to attain harmony and minimize
conflicts.
The best theory among the four is the Kantian
theory. Firstly, according to the ideas held by utilitarian’s, happiness is
morality, which might not hold in all situations. Sometimes one can harm others
to be happy which does not portray the rationality in human beings. From
contractarianists, it does not always hold that agreements between people will
always be rational in nature. Therefore, virtue ethics is the best. People
should build good characters that portray that they are rational beings. Virtue
ethics holds that all actions of well-behaved people are moral, which is not
always true. The best theory is the Kantian theory, which advocates for the use
of rationality.
References
Slowther .A.et.al.
(2004). A practical guide for clinical
ethics support. The Ethox Centre. Section
C: Ethical Frameworks.
Ridley, A. 1998.
Beginning ethics. New York: St. Martin's Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment