Three Moral Theories | Normative Ethics

Summary

This video script introduces the three main families of moral theories in normative ethics: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Consequentialism focuses on maximizing favorable outcomes, with utilitarianism being its most common form. Deontology emphasizes duties and rules, with Kantianism as a prominent example. Virtue ethics prioritizes moral character, advocating for virtues over vices. The script promises future detailed explorations of each theory, inviting viewers to engage with the content.

Takeaways

• 📚 Normative ethics is one of the three main areas of moral philosophy, focusing on moral relations with others and providing general principles to determine moral rightness.
• 🧩 Moral theories within normative ethics aim to assess competing theories using rational argumentation and can be categorized into three main camps: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.
• 🌱 Consequentialism emphasizes the importance of the consequences of actions, advocating for the maximization of favorable outcomes as the primary moral consideration.
• 🔄 Ethical egoism and altruism are versions of consequentialism, with the former focusing on personal benefit and the latter on benefiting others.
• 🌟 Utilitarianism is the most common form of consequentialism, incorporating the principle of utility, which seeks to maximize overall favorable consequences for everyone involved.
• 📜 Deontology, or duty-based ethics, prioritizes the motives, intentions, and adherence to rules or norms before or during an action as the key aspect of moral assessment.
• 🔑 Kantianism is a prominent version of deontology, based on the categorical imperative, which requires actions to be based on universalizable maxims and the respect of individuals as ends in themselves.
• 🌿 Virtue ethics is the oldest of the three theories and focuses on human character, suggesting that moral actions stem from possessing and embodying virtues rather than following rules.
• 💭 The Virtuous Agent Principle from virtue ethics posits that one should act as a virtuous person with all virtues would, highlighting the importance of practical wisdom in moral decision-making.
• 👤 Key figures in virtue ethics include Rosalind Hursthouse, Thomas Aquinas, Plato, and Aristotle, who have contributed significantly to the development of this ethical approach.
• 🔄 The script introduces these theories as a starting point for further detailed exploration in future videos, emphasizing the complexity and depth of moral philosophical inquiry.

Q & A

What is normative ethics and how does it relate to moral philosophy?

Normative ethics is a branch of moral philosophy that focuses on examining our moral relations with one another. It is one of the three main areas of moral philosophy, alongside value theory and metaethics. Normative ethics seeks to provide general principles that determine what is morally right in various situations.

What are the three main families of moral theories within normative ethics?

The three main families of moral theories within normative ethics are consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Each of these theories focuses on different aspects of actions to determine their moral rightness.

How does consequentialism define the rightness of an action?

Consequentialism defines the rightness of an action based on its consequences. It asserts that the right course of action is the one that produces the best overall value or consequences.

What are the different versions of consequentialism mentioned in the script?

The script mentions ethical egoism, which focuses on maximizing favorable consequences for oneself, ethical altruism, which emphasizes maximizing consequences for others, and utilitarianism, which includes both oneself and others in ethical calculations, with the principle of utility at its foundation.

Who are some key figures associated with utilitarianism?

Key figures associated with utilitarianism include John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham, and contemporary thinkers such as Peter Singer and Will MacAskill.

What is deontology and how does it differ from consequentialism?

Deontology, also known as duty theories, focuses on the motives, intentions, or reasons for action rather than the consequences. It emphasizes following certain norms or rules, in contrast to consequentialism, which is solely focused on outcomes.

Can you provide an example of a deontological theory?

An example of a deontological theory is Kantianism, named after the philosopher Immanuel Kant. It is based on the categorical imperative, which requires that one's actions be based on maxims that could become universal laws, and the principle of humanity, which prohibits treating persons merely as means.

What is virtue ethics and how does it approach moral assessment?

Virtue ethics is the oldest of the three main moral theories and focuses on human character as the most important aspect of moral assessment. It emphasizes developing good character traits (virtues) and avoiding bad ones (vices), rather than adhering to a set of rules or principles.

Who are some influential figures in virtue ethics?

Influential figures in virtue ethics include Rosalind Hursthouse, a modern virtue theorist, as well as historical philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas, Plato, and Aristotle.

What is the Virtuous Agent Principle as mentioned in the script?

The Virtuous Agent Principle, as mentioned in the script, suggests that one should act as a virtuous agent with all the virtues would do in any given circumstance. Virtues guide what should be done, while vices indicate what should not be done.

How does the script suggest that we enhance our understanding of these moral theories?

The script suggests that to enhance our understanding of these moral theories, we should consider the intentions, consequences, and character traits associated with actions. It also mentions that future videos will go into more detail on each of these theories.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Moral Theories

This paragraph introduces the concept of normative ethics, which is the study of moral relations with others, and distinguishes it from value theory and metaethics. It explains that moral theories within normative ethics aim to provide general principles to determine moral rightness in various cases. The paragraph outlines three main families of moral theories: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics, emphasizing their focus on different aspects of actions to assess their morality. Consequentialism is briefly described as the theory prioritizing the consequences of actions, with utilitarianism as a notable example.

05:01

🔍 Deontology and Virtue Ethics Explained

The second paragraph delves into deontology, also known as duty theories, which emphasize the importance of motives, intentions, and adherence to moral rules or norms before the action takes place. It mentions the diversity of deontological theories, citing examples like the Ten Commandments and human rights. Kantianism is highlighted as a significant version of deontology, with its categorical imperative and the principle of humanity. The paragraph then transitions to virtue ethics, the oldest of the three theories, which focuses on character traits and virtues. Virtue ethics is presented as a practical wisdom-based approach, with the virtuous agent principle guiding actions based on virtues and vices. Influential figures in virtue ethics, such as Rosalind Hursthouse, Thomas Aquinas, Plato, and Aristotle, are acknowledged.

Keywords

💡Normative Ethics

Normative ethics is a branch of moral philosophy that focuses on examining moral principles and standards that guide behavior. It is one of the three main areas of moral philosophy, alongside value theory and metaethics. In the video, normative ethics is the overarching framework within which the three main families of moral theories are discussed, providing a foundation for understanding the principles that determine what is morally right.

💡Moral Theories

Moral theories attempt to provide general principles that guide our understanding of what is morally right or wrong in various situations. They are central to the field of normative ethics and are the subject of the video, which explores three main types: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.

💡Consequentialism

Consequentialism is a moral theory that judges the rightness or wrongness of an action based on its consequences. The theory posits that the best action is the one that leads to the most favorable overall outcome. In the video, consequentialism is introduced as the first main family of moral theories, with utilitarianism being a prominent example that emphasizes maximizing overall favorable consequences for everyone.

💡Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism that focuses on maximizing overall happiness or minimizing suffering for the greatest number of people. It is based on the principle of utility, which is mentioned in the video as the foundation for actions that consider both oneself and others in ethical calculations.

💡Deontology

Deontology, also known as duty-based ethics, emphasizes the importance of duties, norms, or rules in determining the morality of actions. It is highlighted in the video as a non-consequentialist theory that focuses on the motives, intentions, or reasons for actions, rather than their outcomes.

💡Kantianism

Kantianism is a form of deontology named after the philosopher Immanuel Kant. It is based on the categorical imperative, which requires that actions be based on principles that could be universal laws. The video explains Kantianism as a significant version of deontology that emphasizes treating people as ends in themselves, not merely as means.

💡Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics is the oldest of the three main moral theories discussed in the video and focuses on the character of the moral agent rather than the consequences of actions or adherence to rules. It is concerned with developing good character traits, or virtues, and avoiding vices.

💡Practical Wisdom

Practical wisdom is a concept in virtue ethics that refers to the ability to make sound judgments about what actions are morally right in specific situations. The video mentions that virtue theorists believe developing virtues is a matter of practical wisdom, suggesting that moral action is more than just following a list of principles.

💡Categorical Imperative

The categorical imperative is a central concept in Kantian ethics, introduced in the video as a universal law that one should act upon. It requires that one's motives, intentions, or reasons for action could be applied universally without contradiction.

💡Virtuous Agent Principle

The virtuous agent principle, as mentioned in the video, is a guiding principle in virtue ethics that suggests one should act as a virtuous person would in any given circumstance. It is based on the idea that virtues guide actions, while vices indicate what one should avoid.

💡Rosalind Hursthouse

Rosalind Hursthouse is a modern-day virtue ethicist whose work is referenced in the video. She has contributed significantly to the understanding of virtue ethics, particularly in how virtues should guide moral action.

Highlights

Normative ethics is the examination of our moral relations with others and is one of the three main areas of moral philosophy.

Moral theory provides general principles to determine what is morally right in various cases.

Consequentialism focuses on the outcomes or consequences of actions to determine their morality.

Ethical egoism and altruism are versions of consequentialism, with utilitarianism being the most common, focusing on maximizing overall favorable consequences for everyone.

Deontology, or duty-based ethics, emphasizes the importance of motives, intentions, and adherence to moral rules or norms before the action.

Kantianism, a form of deontology, is based on the categorical imperative, urging actions that could become universal laws.

The principle of humanity in Kantianism asserts that individuals should never be treated merely as a means but as ends with autonomy and reason.

Virtue ethics is the oldest of the three moral theories, focusing on the character traits and virtues that guide moral actions.

Virtue ethics emphasizes practical wisdom and the development of virtues over adherence to a list of moral principles.

The Virtuous Agent Principle in virtue ethics suggests acting as a virtuous person with all virtues would in any given circumstance.

Rosalind Hursthouse is a prominent modern-day virtue theorist who has contributed to the understanding of virtue ethics.

Thomas Aquinas, Plato, and Aristotle are key historical figures in the development of virtue ethics.

Consequentialism and deontology are part of the broader category of non-consequentialist ethics, which includes various theories based on different moral rules.

Utilitarianism's influence is so significant that some philosophers categorize ethics into only consequentialism and non-consequentialism.

The diversity within deontological theories stems from the different sets of moral rules or duties that can be formulated.

Examples of deontological principles include the Ten Commandments and the concept of human rights as moral guidelines.

The video promises future detailed explorations of each of the three main families of moral theories.

Transcripts

In this video we'll talk about the three main  families of moral theories within narrative  

ethics consequentialism deontology and virtue  theory let's go ahead and get started so first  

things first what is normative ethics well  normative ethics is devoted to examining our  

moral relations with another it's one of  the three main areas of moral philosophy  

which includes value Theory and metaethics as  well within Normative Ethics there are many  

moral theories moral theory attempts to give us a  general principle or a set of principles that tell  

us what is morally right in a variety of cases  so one of the central aims of moral philosophy  

is to assess the possibility of competing  moral theories using rational argumentation  

although there are countless moral theories within  normative ethics most of them fall within three  

main camps and that's consequentialism deontology  and virtue ethics let's introduce each one easy  

way to understand these theories is that they  focus on different aspects relating to actions  

to determine whether an action is right or not so  any given action have things that come before it  

like your character traits your intentions your  motives and of course things that come out of it  

consequences and note that's true for any choice  you make whether it's in action or inaction moral  

philosophers disagree on which aspect related to  action is the most important thing to assess when  

assessing the action as a whole so whether  an action is right or wrong depends on one  

of these things each moral theory is going to  present a different consideration for which  

one is the most important our first one is the  easiest to understand and that's consequentialism  

consequentialism says the primary thing that we  should consider is what comes after an action  

the right course of action is the one that will  produce the best overall value the best overall  

consequences so what's nice about this particular  Theory the description is within the name it's  

consequences ISM so the focus here of course is  maximizing favorable consequences consequentialism  

has many different versions one version is ethical  egoism do what maximizes favorable consequences to  

yourself that's what determines what you should do  in the world the flip side of that is this ethical  

altruism do what maximizes variable consequences  for others don't consider your own interest only  

think about what the effects of other people  the most common version of consequentialism  

however is utilitarianism utilitarianism  includes yourself and ethical calculations  

but also everybody else as well the foundation  to utilitarianism is the principle of utility the  

principle of utility says do what maximizes  overall favorable consequences for everyone  

yourself included but of course everyone else  the primary figures for this particular theory  

include John Stuart Mill Jeremy Bentham and some  contemporary thinkers are Peter Singer and Will  

MacAskill consequentialism is so influential on  Modern Day ethics and that some philosophers say  

there's only really two main categories of Ethics  consequentialism and non-consequentialism well  

within non-consequentialism they're still pretty  large categories and the first one is deontology  

so deontology also sometimes called Duty  theories claim that the most important part of  

moral assessment of actions is what comes before  the action or perhaps the action itself whether  

it's following certain Norms or rules in fact the  etymology of the term deontology comes from the  

root of rules or Duty so here the most important  thing to evaluate an action are our motives  

intentions are reasons for Action deontology is  the most diverse of the three main families there  

are so many different versions that's because  depending on what set of rules you come up with  

it's going to be a different version of deontology  that's the first major category here is just  

coming up with some type of list of Duties and  asking whether your actions or your intentions are  

following those duties some easy examples include  the Ten Commandments if that's the rules that you  

think you should live by and that's your whole  moral theory it would be a version of deontology  

because you're asking whether your actions your  motives intentions are following these lists of  

rules another example is the idea of Human Rights  if you have a certain list of Rights then say that  

this is what you need to follow to be a good  person well that would be also a version of  

deontology however arguably the most influential  version of deontology is Kantianism named after  

the philosopher Emmanuel Kant the foundation  to Kantianism is What's called the categorical  

imperative for Kantianism reason and morality are  one and the same and so if you're going to have a  

reason for Action you should be able to think of  it as a universal law this is sometimes called the  

universality principle only act on maxims your  motives intentions your reasons for action that  

could become a universal law of nature you have to  be able to imagine everybody else also using those  

same reasons for action and if you can't or if it  leads to some logical contradiction it's wrong now  

another formulation of the categorical imperative  is What's called the principle of humanity or the  

formula of humanity which states that we should  never treat any person merely as a means or as  

an object instead treat every person well as  a person as an end a subject somebody that has  

reason and autonomy just like you do so you  should treat everyone with the respect that  

they deserve as rational autonomous beings  the primary figures for Kantianism of course  

is Immanuel Kant himself but some more recent  thinkers include Tom Reagan and Onora O'Neill  

our final major group of moral theories is what's  called virtue ethics it's in fact the oldest of  

the three virtue ethics claims that the most  important part of moral assessment of actions  

is human character so going back all the way to  the beginning of that structure of Human Action  

the primary question we need to ask first is what  kind of person should I be so the focus here what  

are good character traits virtues what are bad  character traits vices virtue theorists who  

often claim that developing virtues is a matter of  practical wisdom and so we shouldn't just look at  

a list of principles and try to follow them but  if we were to distill the theory into something  

like a principle I think it would go like this so  I call this The Virtuous agent principle do what  

a virtuous agent someone with all the virtues  would do in any given circumstance virtues tell  

you what you should do and vices tell you what you  should not do this principle is based off of the  

writings of Rosalind Hursthouse one of the most  influential modern day virtue theorists but some  

other primary figures within virtue Theory include  the medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas and the  

ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle  well I hope this brief introduction to these  

three main families of moral theories was helpful  for you I'll post videos going more in detail on  

each of these theories in the future before we  go please consider liking sharing commenting  

on or subscribing to the channel it helps us  out thanks for watching see in the next video