Depending on the situation, different ethical actions may be required. "The greatest number" is said to include all who are "affected by the action in question with each to count as one, and no one as more than one" (Kay, 1997, Notes on utilitarianism)
Depending on the situation, different ethical actions may be required. "The greatest number" is said to include all who are "affected by the action in question with each to count as one, and no one as more than one" (Kay, 1997, Notes on utilitarianism)
This is commensurate with Jeremy Bentham's principle of doing 'the greatest good for the greatest number.' "Consequentialists thus must specify initially the states of affairs that are intrinsically valuable -- the Good" (Alexander & Moore 2007)
Virtue Ethics: The Good and the Bad About Virtue Ethics The philosophy of virtue ethics holds that being a 'good person' or what one might call 'character' is the most important determinant of moral action. Virtue ethics is considered to be one of the major philosophical orientations in the field of normative ethics, along with consequentialism and deontology (Hursthouse 2010)
Objections to virtue ethics Virtue ethics has come under scrutiny ever since was conceptualization in the mind of great thinkers like the Greek philosopher Aristotle. "Aristotle argued that our distinctive function is reasoning, and so the life 'worth living' is one in which we reason well" (Athanassoulis, 2010)
Where deontology and consequentialism concern themselves with the right action, virtue ethics is concerned with the good life and what kinds of persons we should be" (Athanassoulis, 2010). However, philosophers who argue against a principle of moral relativism would state that this is not necessarily a 'bad thing' (Midgley 1981)
Many have seen this as a kind of self-centered justification to virtue ethics -- it over-emphasizes the personal benefits of giving to the giver. The focus, they argue, should be upon the effects of the receiver, or upon society at large, depending on whether they are deontological or utilitarian (respectively) in their focus Another objection, one which is most vehemently articulated by philosopher Peter Singer, is that emphasizing the character of the moral actor places too much weight upon the emotions of society such as guilt: "for a utilitarian philosopher like myself -- that is, one who judges whether acts are right or wrong by their consequences -- if the upshot of the American's failure to donate the money [to a charity] is that one more kid dies on the streets of a Brazilian city, then it is, in some sense, just as bad as selling the kid to the organ peddlers" (Singer 1999, p
. failure to cultivate his virtue" was the cause for him of great concern (Lau)
Some moral scholars, teachers and writers consider it as a superior acumen to rule theories in professional and other business setups. Some common rule theories this theory contrasts with include utilitarianism, Kantianism and intuitionism (Audi 273)
This approach was popularised towards the middle of the 20th century although its roots are traced back to the teachings of Aristotle; the philosopher. Virtue ethics is one of the three major methods in normative ethics (Boss 389)
This is in contrast to the method that focuses on rules or duties (deontology), or even the one that focuses on the effect/consequences of actions (consequentialism). What if it is obvious that someone in need must be helped? In the utilitarian perspective, the judgement depends on consequences of helping such a person will enhance well-being to the maximum (Hursthouse para1-4)
The concepts highlighted in Kant's theory are not exactly notions of morality in terms of wrongness and righteousness. They involve notions as vice and virtue or admirable/deplorable (Slote 5)