Contextualism: Morality and Ethical Judgment

This paper is going to discuss Ethics and Ethical Theories. It will include an introduction to ethical theories, virtue ethics, and care ethics. There will be sections discussing absolutism versus relativism, consequentialism versus deontological ethics, and lastly, free will versus determinism. It will also include a discussion about the study of morality and identify which of the approaches (Scientific, Philosophical, or Theological/Religious) are closest to my own personal beliefs. There will be a discussion regarding the three sources of ethics

Garrett, Jan. "A Simple and Usable (Although Incomplete) Ethical Theory Based on the Ethics of W. D. Ross." A Simple and Usable (Although Incomplete) Ethical Theory Based on the Ethics of W. D. Ross. N.p., 10 Aug. 2004. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

Every day we are faced with certain situations that challenge us with how to act in an ethical manner. It can be human nature to feel unsure or conflicted with the correct moral choice. Some can say that one should know how to handle such dilemmas and others may say that there should be a reference of some sort to help guide through such conflicts. Sometimes we know the answers and sometimes we are unsure of how to handle certain situations. Most times we go through life wondering what we should do. As I become further educated on the different theories of ethics, I believe there are answers that are available in guiding one through an ethical dilemma and or judgment. I will discuss Vincent Ruggiero’s three basic criteria, Robert Kegan’s order of consciousness, the three schools of ethics and the correlation between all three.

Moral and ethics defines the nature of our society and culture today. They are both complimentary in nature but different in some ways. Moral determines person’s character when an individual interacts in social and personal relationship and Ethics are the philosophical study of morality or moral standards. Utilitarian theory, Virtue ethics, and Deontological are some of the examples of major ethical theories that covered in this essay. Collaboration on personal experiences added as well by explaining the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts.

15. Rachels, James. (2003) The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 4th edition. University of Alabama at Birmingham. (Page 100)

Sheehy, Paul. "Doing the Right Thing (Part II): Challenges to Utilitarianism." The Richmond Journal of Philosophy. Richmond Journal, Mar. 2008.

In the article, “Morality and Moral Philosophy,” the author, William K. Frankena, gives the reader an overview and definition of ethics. Frankena uses Plato’s dialogue as an example to illustrate “the sort of thinking” we ought to do when faced with a moral dilemma. The purpose of this article is to describe the nature of ethics or moral philosophy and to demonstrate the different approaches to thinking ethically in decision making. There are those who oppose the idea of thinking ethically about moral issues. One could argue that taking an ethical approach is not always the best answer to a particular problem. Ethics doesn’t always show the right answer to the problem. Others might say, however, that applying moral principles when making moral

Ethics is a study dealing with standards that prescribe rules on what people ought to do based on various criteria such as obligation, human rights, and virtue. More precisely, it is a development and establishment of one’s moral principle. And under the normative ethics, there are three categories of ethical frameworks: virtue ethics, consequentialism, and deontology. In this essay, I will more concentrate on consequentialism, especially utilitarianism, and deontology to make compare and contrast analysis of each other and how each case works differently and causes divergent result in the same scenario.

With the numerous ethical theories available, it can become difficult and overwhelming to decipher which one offers the best guidance. Some might seem to be too strict while others may not offer enough of a path to follow. W.D. Ross came up with a path that provides a median between some of the popular theories by introducing the concept of prima facia duties within the idea of ethical pluralism, a form of ethics in which there are at least two moral rules. Through explanation of what the prima facia duties are, comparing how Ross’s idea differs from Kantian ethics and utilitarianism, and by exploring some of the benefits of adhering to Ross’s idea, it becomes evident that one should be in favor of his approach to ethics.

The long-standing debate on ethics is far from being solved; however, two philosophers have formulated their own theories in determining whether an action is good or bad. John Stuart Mill focuses on a utilitarian perspective and utilizes the idea of consequentialism and on the other hand, Immanuel Kant avoids the consequentialist argument and supports a deontological perspective in analyzing morality and ethics. Both arguments, valid as they may be, strongly contradict one another, mostly on the basis that Kant and Mill look at very different parts of the equation. Both thinkers appeal to a sense of rationality in their reasoning to differentiate right from wrong; however while Mill’s consequentialist theories are valid under certain

There are a variety of different ethical systems that have developed of the course of millennia. However, even though the subject has been covered so thoroughly, it is still heavily debated. The varieties of ethical systems that are in existence look at various ethical problems from different perspectives and can be applied differently in different circumstances. Because of the subjective aspects to applying ethics, they can be as much an art as they are a science. Ethics are something that must be practiced and really cannot be perfected. In this way, studying ethics is a continual process that does not really stop. This paper will argue that ethics are the most important subject that an individual can pursue.

In our society today, we are mostly challenged by two questions: ‘is it right to do this or that? And ‘how should I be living in society?’(Bessant, 2009). Similar questions were greatly discussed in the history by our ancestors in their philosophical discussions. The most ancient and long-lasting literature on moral principles and ethics were described by Greek philosopher Aristotle. He had an excellent command on various subjects ranging from sciences to mathematics and philosophy. He was also a student of a famous philosopher. His most important study on ethics, personal morality and virtues is ‘The Nicomachean Ethics’, which has been greatly influencing works of literature in ethics and heavily read for centuries, is believed to be

Brown, C. (2001, April 16). Ethical Theories Compared. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from Trinity University, Introduction to Philosophy, Ethical Theories: http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/intro/ethical_theories.html

Situation ethics is a teleological ethical theory primarily based on the Ancient Greek concept of agape: unconditional and all-encompassing love to the point of self-sacrifice. It is a consequentialist ethic, yet differs from utilitarianism in that situation ethics focuses on producing the greatest amount of love in society. James Childress distinguishes between the two, stating that the “agapeistic calculus” favours human welfare over pleasure.

Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a subject of philosophy that engages itself in systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong. It investigates questions of right and wrong and of the best way of living for people. In this essay I am going to explain the differences between the ethical schools of consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics and argue that in my opinion deontology is the most reasonable theory of the three.