Ethics

Assignment One

Jeff Moore

ETH 316

March 24, 2013

G. Fish

Assignment One

In today’s world, ethics is a topic that is less talked about amongst people in society. Television and movies display horrible acts of destruction that we view as entertainment but shed tears when a maniac shoots up another school. We characterize different acts according to character, moral good, and our moral obligations. In this essay, I will compare the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethic and how each addresses morality.

When making a moral decision, virtue ethics is the first theory that comes into play. Virtue ethics doesn’t rely upon society or culture influencing the individual but offers questions like “What kind of person do I want to be today?” It comes from basic human nature blended with our ego and developed throughout life in our character. Virtue ethics addresses morality by the individual acting in virtuous ways. I believe that doing small things like holding the door open or letting someone know they dropped money on the ground are acts founded in virtuous behavior which build character. What makes virtue theory different from other theories is that it relies too much upon personal opinion and emphasizes character to the point of self-centeredness. The other philosophies are based in moral judgment but are more interested in the greater good of the group.

Utilitarianism is the theory about right and wrong decisions. It is taking action that is morally correct for the greater good of the people. Usefulness is the root of the philosophy and happiness is what is generally useful to most people. There is an inherent problem with this theory however: It’s very difficult to predict the results of an action for the greater good. How do you predict the outcome of a situation? Utilitarianism is fundamentally used to create positive associations with actions for the good of society and negative...