Ethics Essay Virtue ethics theory is based upon a person’s character. Individuals should strive for excellence in the acts and tasks they partake in every day. “These excellences or virtues are both moral and nonmoral.” (p 133. Boylan 2009). Utilitarianism is an ethics theory wherein people act in a way that brings amount the greatest amount of good or happiness to the greatest number of people. Another aspect to Utilitarianism theory is that people act in a way that maximizes their pleasure and minimizes their pain. The moral theory Deontology focuses on a person’s duty to perform an act simply because of principle and because that act is the right thing to do. Deontology theory doesn’t not take into account the potential consequences that the action in question may cause. Deontology moral theory and Virtue ethical theory are similar in that they both primarily focus on the acts or duties that individuals do. Whereas Utilitarianism theory focuses more on what will be the consequence of one’s decision or action. Will more people be harmed or helped by this decision is what Utilitarianism considers to be of the utmost important.
In one way Utilitarianism and Virtue theories are similar because once the action is performed it can then be evaluated and determined to be moral or nonmoral in the case of Virtue theory. Or as bringing about the most good to the most people or the most harm to the most people in the case of Utilitarianism. Deontology and Virtue theories take into account the act or duty one does and determines the act to be moral or nonmoral, or good or bad. Although the ideals of Utilitarianism seem like a very moral and ethical way to live by, the theory falls short in one aspect. A weakness of Utilitarianism is that the theory could force someone to make an immoral decision simply because the consequence of that decision would still