Comparing Utilitarianism, Virtue Theory, And Deontological Ethics

Overall, deontology is based upon not just by following universal rules or performing what is ought to do, but by respecting human beings as rational beings as well. Deontology judges the ethical motive of an action not by its consequences, merely by the reasoning behind it.

“Deontology is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations – such as the consequences of the action” (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). In many aspects deontology is contrasted with utilitarianism. Deontology is based upon principle and does not calculate the consequences (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). Deontology attracts those seeking a stronger moral attraction because it refers to commanding rather than commending and commanding is a stronger structure (Boylan, 2009, p. 172). The

Deontology is an ethical theory concerned with duties and rights. The founder of deontological ethics was a German philosopher named Immanuel Kant. Kant’s deontological perspective implies people are sensitive to moral duties that require or prohibit certain behaviors, irrespective of the consequences (Tanner, Medin, & Iliev, 2008). The main focus of deontology is duty: deontology is derived from the Greek word deon, meaning duty. A duty is morally mandated action, for instance, the duty never to lie and always to keep your word. Based on Kant, even when individuals do not want to act on duty they are ethically obligated to do so (Rich, 2008).

Virtue ethics is a theory of ethics in moral philosophy in which it emphasizes that the notion of virtue is key to a

The theories of virtue, utilitarianism, and deontology are similar in some aspects but for the most part are very different. Each of the theories will be explained to show their differences and the type of person that would gravitate towards that theory. Through the explanations one would also be able to consider where there morals or ethics may lie but can also see themselves in each theory.

Utilitarianism is the principle that the correct form of action be taken to benefit the greatest number of people. Deontology is defined as the area of ethics involving the responsibility, moral duty and commitment. Both utilitarianism and deontology deal with the ethics and consequences of one’s actions and behavior despite the outcome.

Under the three schools of ethical thought, Utilitarianism, Deontological and Virtue Ethics, you will find that there are varied and different views of how we come by our value systems and how we determine right and wrong. However, in all three of these schools of thought there is one underlying commonality: ethical relativism deems that a person’s values and judgments are based upon their cultural and societal influences and their personal feelings. (DesJardins, 2011)

The third ethical theory is virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is character-based, which mean virtue ethics shows how a person’s character matter above everything else. It focuses more on a person’s character rather than the action. Being virtuous mean that no matter the situation your character will depict how you respond to that situation. Which is why when determining if an act is morally good or bad it depends on the character and motive. For example, if someone is having a bad day and gets upset at you and start yelling at you, your response isn’t going to be getting mad at that person and yelling back at them. Instead of doing that a virtuous person would show kindness toward that person so that they can make him or she feels better. The moral excellence of a person or being a good person is a start to being virtuous.

Utilitarianism and Deontology are two very different ethical theories that have very little in common. They are similar in the sense that they share the same focus which is to determine which human actions are right and acceptable versus the actions that are wrong hence unacceptable. Beyond the primary focus of which actions are right or wrong, there seem to be no similarities. This is because both theories have different approaches to determine what is good and what is bad. Despite the fact that both theories have pros and cons, Utilitarianism seems to be the better moral theory.

The ethical theories of deontology and the branches of utilitarianism; act and rule, display similarities and differences within the meanings of both. Act utilitarianism theory is the focus on the outcome of an act. Rule utilitarianism is the method of an individual’s actions. The theories of deontology and utilitarianism both present moral rules and values. Deontology focuses on the motives of an action, whereas utilitarianism centers more on the end result. The Act utilitarianism theory is more effective by judging the morality of an action based on the consequences of its outcome.

Of the three approaches to determining a valid guideline for human behavior, utilitarianism, deontological, and virtue ethics, I feel that an individual should take all three approaches into consideration because I believe people, in general, can't live their lives dedicated to just one type of ethics. There are too many possible situations and outcomes that can occur.

In South Park, South Park illustrates normative ethics in society and people. The characters and scenarios are well scripted to categorize the three main theories of normative ethics; utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics. The show constantly displays the universal mindsets of multiple people within various situations and how one effects the other and the world. Majority of these scenarios, virtue ethics brings about the best results for those within the South Park community and the main characters. In the following, I will argue why virtue ethics is the most effective theory to always follow of all theories and how always following a utilitarianism and deontology approach can cause conflict within oneself and society.

Philosophybasics.com - Deontology, also known as “duty-bound” ethics, mainly focuses on the rightness or wrongness of an action, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequence of the action. In short, Deontology teaches that any act is ethical as long as it adheres to the moral

In this essay, I will present Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics, provide an objection to each, explain how an adherent would respond to both objections, and then evaluate why I believe that Utilitarianism is better at capturing the essence of mortality than Virtue Ethics.

What often varies in ethical belief held by different cultures and societies at different times is defined as ethical relativism. (Unknown, sce.edu, 1992)