Consequentialism, Deontology And Virtue Analysis

The modern theory of utilitarianism is a type of consequentialism--"the view that normative properties depend only on consequences;" that is to say, in other words,

Consequentialism, also referred to as utilitarianism, seems simple enough to understand as the word “consequence” is evident. Consequentialist ethics refers to the idea that the correct moral response is always going to be

Consequentialism is defined as a philosophy that if the consequence of a certain behaviour or objective is morally correct then any means in achieving that goal are acceptable. Therefore,regardless of the method the consequence of the behaviour should be morally right (Kreps and Monin,

Under all three theories – deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics, providing my customers all information that I was aware of should be the most appropriate course of action that I should perform. In this situation, I chose to do so, but I did not have an openly communication with my manager about my ethical dilemma.

Consequentialism is primarily based on two principles. One is whether an act is right or wrong only depends on the result from that act. Also the more positive the consequences an act turns out, the better or more right that act is. “For a particular decision or action to be morally appropriate, then it must on balance generate better consequences than all other available courses of action” (William & Arrigo, 2012). If morality does depend upon that we bring about good consequences through action, we need to first acknowledge what things are “good” or possibly the things we value the most. People should be able to live to maximises the good consequences. Therefore, when people are faced with a moral dilemma, there should be a guidance where a person should choose the action that maximises the better consequences.

‘Virtue ethics’, is an agent-centred approach in normative ethics that stresses the importance of moral characters and virtues, which is unlike the two other major approaches in the field (Hursthouse, 2013) . Deontology rather emphasises the use of duties and rules, and utilitarianism emphasises the importance of consequences of one’s actions (Hursthouse, 2001). Aristotle’s (2009) theory of virtue ethics is the most widely recognised, he believes that the virtuous person is one who exhibits desirable character traits, these traits are stipulated in the four main character virtues which underpin virtue ethics.

For this Unit 2 assignment I have chosen the the ethical type Consequentialism. This is defined as “Consequentialism: An action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable.”(ref 1)

Aristotle’s view of ethics is unique to many other branches of ethical theory in a variety of ways. To understand what Aristotle considers to be a morally virtuous life, one must first evaluate what virtue means in the given context. Aristotle’s understanding of ethics is centered on the idea of personal character. This type of ethical reasoning has come to be known as, “virtue ethics”. Virtue ethics places emphasis on the character of the individual who is acting. Virtue ethics deems certain personality traits and behaviors as “virtuous” and then evaluates human behavior based off virtuosity. Virtuous behaviors are considered the in-between points of two opposite traits or behaviors. For example, the character trait of courage is between rashness, on

It comprises of two kinds: consequentialist and nonconsequentialist (Hartman & Desjardin, 2008). Based on consequentialist theory, whether an action is right or wrong is solely determined by the results. An action is regarded as right only if the result is good, adversely, an action is said to be wrong when the consequence is bad (Shaw, Barry, Issa, & Catley, 2013).

Aristotle’s virtue theory states that the point of ethics should be to build a good and moral character with the virtues of generosity, self-control, patience, etc. It states that the golden midway of virtues are the building blocks to a good character, capable of making moral and just decisions. Aristotles claims that human naturally follows the vices of deficiency and excess, and one must use self-control and will power to overcome

When looking at the three ethical approaches of consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics, I will look at how each would approach the scenario of handling a reporter who has come forward to with wanting to know more knowledge on a case about your client, who is a celebrity, which would give you free advertising and national exposure.

Initially, my understanding of ethics was merely to determine what is right and wrong in certain situations. Although, after learning about Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics, I have realized that certain characteristics of each play a role in determining what ethics truly are. Utilitarianism characterizes the definition of ethics, by making all choices have the greatest positive impact, while minimizing the risk. Deontology on the other hand would rather we not get involved because there is never a justifiable means to an end. Finally, there is virtue ethics, which would have us aspires to have certain characteristics that we hold above all others.

Profit maximization as a company goal has generally been contacted with doubt in the article on business morality, being identified as either amoral or immoral. It is contended here that this business should be judged according to rule-consequentialist ethics, but added with aspect that are more of a deontological ethical type. When observe from this point of dimension, profit maximization may be identified as ethical. This requires, however, some institutional and other conditions are completed.

Ethics is a system of moral principles. Ethics affect how people make decisions and lead their lives. Furthermore, ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also described as moral philosophy. Likewise, ethics are also essential for the values of the argument to understand Dicey’s concept of Rule of Law. According to Hunt and Vitell (1986), ethical judgments are determined through consequentialism (Teleology) and non-consequentialism (Deontology). Such theories are important in decision making processes of Law Enforcement Agencies such as Department of Immigration and Emigration (DoIE).

Consequentialism is a philosophical theory which centers on leaving the world, or state of affairs, in the best state possible. Consequentialism embodies the saying, “does the end justify the means.” Consequentialists believe that a person should not worry about the actions, which they must partake in as long as the consequences of those actions lead to the best possible outcome available to them. The theory does not stop at individual actions, it goes further to include the actions of others, when those actions could have been avoided through your own, as being under your control and responsibility. As consequentialism develops as a theory, the practicality of its implementation is questioned, critics tending to entrench themselves using integrity and its role as a central part of their stance. One of the main scholars opposing consequentialism is Bernard Williams, who brings up many interesting points in his work, Consequentialism and Integrity.