...Ethics Essay Ethics, according to dictionary.com, is the branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions. Or as the textbook states, ethics is the science concerning the “right and wrong” of human action. This paper will be discussing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. There will be a description of the differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality. It will contain a personal experience to help explain the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the three theories. The three main views of the normative ethics theory is virtue ethics, deontological ethics, and utilitarianism. Virtue ethics focuses on the virtues, or moral character, while deontological focuses on duties and rules, and utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of ones actions. Virtue ethics is called agent based or character ethics, as well. According to the textbook, when using the virtue ethics approach, one should take the viewpoint that in living their life they should try to cultivate excellence in all that they do (Boylan, 2009). Virtue ethics suggests that people should develop their character so that they will lead a good life. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism. This means that the moral worth of an action is determined...
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...Ethics comparison essay Michael Njus ETH316 June 23, 2014 Aubrey Weekes Ethics comparison essay INTRODUCTION This paper will take a look at three different theories of ethics. The three theories are deontological, utilitarianism and virtue theory. The basics of ethics theories are similar in the fact that they are all a set of rules that govern what is deemed to be right or wrong, the following will define each and attempt to point out some differences in the theories. Deontological ethics, are ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions. Deontology (Greek deon, “duty,” and logos, “science”) consequently focuses on logic and ethics (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014) Utilitarianism is a doctrine that the useful is the good and that the determining consideration of right conduct should be the usefulness of its consequences; specifically: a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain or the greatest happiness of the greatest number. (Merriam Webster, 2014) Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than either doing one’s duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences. (Athanassoulis, 2014) While the aim of all three theories is that we should strive to do what is right, the length that we should go to and who they would affect is the main difference in the three. The main difference...
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...Ethics Essay Marlina Ralstin ETH/316 December 3, 2012 Denise Antoon Ethics Essay The subject of ethics can be quite controversial, especially when the three major theories are vying for front-line attention. Understanding why people react to specific situations the way they do is beneficial from any stand point in life whether profession or personal. In the following paragraphs ethics will be defined, as will the three theories; virtue, deontology, and utilitarian. The similarities and differences of these three theories will be discussed, as will the differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality. Lastly, utilization of a personal experience will be used to explain the relationship between virtue, value, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the three theories; deontology, utilitarian, and virtue ethics. Ethics according to the text, Basic ethics: Basic ethics in action is defined as the science of the right and wrong in human actions. The study of human actions has intrigued many scientists over the ages hence the different disciplines of ethics (i.e. deontological, utilitarian, and virtue ethics). The text provides the following definitions: Deontology is a theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action simply because the action itself is inherently right and not because of any calculations of consequences. Deontology operates on the principle of right, regardless of harm or if to do less than right would be of greater benefit...
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...developed Aristotle’s ‘Virtue Theory’. [30 marks] Aristotle’s ‘Virtue Theory’ is an ethical theory that emphasizes on an individual’s character as a key element of ethical thinking, rather than rules about the acts themselves (deontology) or their consequences (consequentialism). Thus making ‘Virtue Ethics’ and deontic ethical theory. Both Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre believed that modern ethical studies have lost their ways. The philosophers felt that they were too concerned with normative rules and this doesn’t help to fill the moral vacuum of society. And that ‘Virtue Ethics’ was the only solution to the moral vacuum in society. According to Anscombe, the best way to fill this moral vacuum is to chart our moral virtues. Virtues help ordinary people be moral and must be based on good will; similarly to Aquinas’ internal vs external goods idea in Natural Law. Anscombe believed that society needed the return of Virtue Ethics because she was critical of deontological ethics as she felt they had become outdated. She was also critical of teleological ethics as she believes the end doesn’t justify the means, which we can understand from when she says, “The concepts of obligation, and duty – moral ‘ought’, ought to be jettisoned.” In 1981, MacIntyre wrote a book titled ‘After Virtue’ in which he traces he history of ‘Virtue Ethics’ and attempts to establish a system of the ethical theory appropriate for the modern age. He developed Virtue Ethics by putting less emphasis...
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...1: Ethics Essay ETH/316 Ethics Ethics are the ways in which we react to an experience or situation. Ethics are instilled within individuals and spill over to the workplace. There are various types and theories on ethics such as the virtue theory, the utilitarianism theory, and the deontological theory. There are similarities as well as differences for each theory. The virtue theory focuses on the character of the individual. It highlights the idea of how a person can be “good” and what it takes for a person to be considered “good”. This theory originated with the Greeks as they thought in order to be praiseworthy one had to develop certain habits and characteristics. (Boylan, M.,2009) Virtue Ethics takes the viewpoint that individuals should always strive for excellence. The problem with virtue ethics is that it relies on common opinion, meaning that one individual is able to judge whether or not another is being “good” or achieving excellence, but what makes that person the judge of all judges? When looking at virtue ethics an individual would strive for excellence, however what would make that person great? Virtue ethics would do really well in a society where everyone is expected to achieve the same goals or behave the same way; on the other hand in a society where self-expression and individual choices are respected and praised virtue ethics would have difficulty taking shape. The utilitarianism ethical theory differs from virtue ethics...
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...Ethics Essay Stacey L Williams ETH/316 May 16th, 2013 Harry Herman Ethics Essay According to Boylan (2009) “Ethics is the activity that addresses the “right and wrong” of human action”. Throughout continuous research this was the most precise definition that I came upon. When you are in a difficult situation that can possibly result in a conflict, you are then considered to be in an ethical position. From childhood to adulthood we learn the differences between right and wrong, then realize how the decisions that we make can later on impact us. During research I determined the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics, and how each theory addresses ethics and morality. The theory of virtue addresses how an individual can achieve excellence morally and non-morally. You can achieve goodness in many ways, physically or non-physically. Utilitarianism is a theory that more focuses on doing things that are morally correct in where it will benefit a group of people than just you. Deontology is a moral theory that is based on principle. Whether it will produce consequences or not, it is done because it is inherently correct. Weineck (2007), “Virtue theory is different to the other two normative theories; utilitarianism and deontology. It focuses more on the individual, and their characteristics, as opposed to just looking at an action that has been carried out. Virtue ethics talks about 'how we should be,' and what virtues...
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...Ethics Essay Jermaine Ford ETH/316 June 12, 2016 Dr. Stephanie Hancock Ethics Essay Everyday people deal with difficult situations. For years Ethical theories have been the main point in creating solutions to these problems. Ethical theory has to do with how people react to situations as well as how they react in with dealing with others. The main idea of this paper will be to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and virtue theory. A description of the differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality as well as a personal experience to explain the relationship between moral concepts, values, and virtue will included as well (Manias, Monroe, & Till, 2013). The virtue theory deals with character traits as the most important part. Moral character is most emphasized element in ethical thinking. This is placed above ones actions in order to bring good consequences to the situation. Virtue theory also has to do with integrity to the highest order over the behavior and decisions (“Ethical Theories Compared”, 2001). Virtuous people are kind above all else. They are kind because of their character and do not concern themselves with receiving favors or thinking about how the situation can benefit them. Theories of virtue do not identify characteristics principles that can use in any moral situation (“Ethical Theories Compared”, 2001). Morality has to do with your actions when other people are directly...
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...Ethics is a set of moral principles; a theory or system of moral values. Normative ethics is an ethical system with standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. This ethical system can be broken down into three categories: virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, and deontological ethics. Normative ethics' golden rule is to do unto others what we want others to do to us. This establishes a single principle against which we judge all actions. The study and application of ethics has created a variety of approaches to the basic questions of what should I do?, what do i value?, and why do I value that? The purpose of this paper is to discuss the similarities and differences between virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, and deontological ethics both morally and ethically. Virtue ethics is the character of a moral agent as a driving force for ethical behavior. For example, a person using the virtue approach would focus less on lying in a particular situation and instead consider the decision to tell a lie or not to tell a lie. Virtue ethics places less emphasis on learning rules, and instead stresses the importance of developing good habits of character. Utilitarian ethics is a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain or the greatest happiness of the greatest number. For example, a utilitarian approach implies that no moral act like stealing, or a rule like keeping your promise, is in intrinsically right or wrong. The rightness or wrongness...
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...Ethics Applied Doug Clark ETH/316 July 10, 2014 Mark Peters, SR. Ethics Applied Ethics and having morals is very important in the world we live in today. From the time we are little telling lies to our parents blaming our brothers or sisters who broke the vase, to when we become adults in the workplace taking responsibility for our own actions. We take for granted that everyone is honest and have the same moral values as we do, but it is not the case. As we get older we find corruption and dishonesty by many of those we thought we could trust. We even see corruption in our Federal Government at times. Corporations rely on ethical people to help them run their organizations properly. People that take responsibility for their own actions, those that care about the work they do to insure profits for the company, and setting high standards that customers respect. They are looking for key people to do the right thing. Doing the right thing is having a good moral value and ethics. The term ethics can have many meanings or theories. The three major theories of ethics are; virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. My hope is to define the similarities and differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality. The first theory is virtue theory. The root word is virtue and is defined by Merriam-Webster as; “Morally good behavior or character, a good and moral quality”. (Merriam-Webster.com 9 July 2014). Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize...
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...Unlike utilitarianism, which focuses on the consequences of an action, and deontological ethics, which focuses on moral rules; virtue ethics focuses on doing something simply because it’s the right thing to do based on established virtues. Aristotle (Irbe, 2000) listed several virtues and vices that correspond to different “actions” or “feelings”. Each virtue has two corresponding vices that accompany it, one of the vices occurs when there is an excess of the virtue, and the other occurs when the virtue is deficient. The feeling associated with modesty is shame. If there is too much shame, it would be shyness; however not enough shame would be shamelessness. Virtue ethics focuses on choices that an individual should make based on morals that hold true regardless of the laws and customs of a person’s specific culture. Essentially everyone should be held accountable to the same virtues even if local laws and customs allow the behavior. One should apply virtue ethics to both their personal lives as well as their professional lives. In the 1990’s major concerns were exposed in the manufacturing community about working conditions in factories located in third-world countries (Sethi, Veral, Shapiro, & Emelianova, 2010). Major pressure was then placed on numerous manufacturing companies in an attempt to force them to change their practices and improve working conditions in their factories. While it is the goal of every company to continually increase profits, a company should...
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...many ways to define "ethics," almost as many as there are ethicists. For our purposes, let's use this definition: Ethics is the discipline and practice of applying value to human behavior (as well as to the constructs of human culture particularly to morality, customs and laws) resulting in meaningfulness. From the earliest moments of recorded human consciousness, the ethical discipline has exhibited four fundamental "approaches" These four approaches are often called "ethical decision-making frameworks:" Utilitarian Ethics (outcome based), Deontological Ethics (duty based), Virtue Ethics (virtue based) and Communitarian Ethics (community based). Each has a distinctive point of departure as well as distinctive ways of doing the fundamental ethical task of raising and answering questions of value. It is also important to understand that all four approaches have both overlaps and common elements. Some of the "common elements" of all four approaches are the following: · Impartiality: weighting interests equally · Rationality: backed by reasons a rational person would accept · Consistency: standards applied similarly to similar cases · Reversibility: standards that apply no matter who "makes" the rules These are, in a sense, the rules of the "ethics game", no matter which school or approach to ethics one feels the closest identity. The Utilitarian approach is perhaps the most familiar and easiest to understand of all the four approaches to ethics. Whether we think...
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...“Virtue ethics is of little use when dealing with practical ethics.” Discuss. It is often argued that virtue ethics is of little use when dealing with practical ethics. Virtue ethics does not focus on actions being right or wrong, but on how to be a good person. Virtue ethics raises three questions “who am I?”, “Who I ought to become?” and “How do I get there?”. On the other hand Practical ethics describes situations where an action is needed. Firstly virtue ethics goes back to Plato and Aristotle. Plato’s moral theory centres on the achievement of man’s highest good, which involves the right cultivation of his soul and the harmonious wellbeing of his life (Eudaimonia). Plato seemed to consider that certain virtues such as temperance, courage, prudence and justice (cardinal Virtues) are in balance a person’s actions will be good. It motivates people to want to be good. It shows the importance of education in showing that good actions are their own rewards. When these virtues are in balance a person’s actions will be good and therefore would disagree that virtue ethics is of little use. Aristotle’s ethical theory is known as virtue ethics because at the centre of his description of the good, which are the virtues which shape human character and ultimately human behaviour. However this good human life is one lived in harmony and co-operation with other people, since Aristotle saw people as not only rational beings but also as social beings. Aristotle saw two types of virtues...
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...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...
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...applicable to ethics. Also, I will discuss Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics philosophy, why it is valuable and how it potentially connects to accounting and business. There have been many excellent philosophers and thinkers through past time. There are three main ones that I liked and truly had an accountant and business ethics philosophy. They are Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. I decided to choose Aristotle as the greatest of them all on this subject. Aristotle was a student of Plato, and he possessed extraordinarily strong ethics. Aristotle born in northern Greece. He was a notable product of an educational program devised by Plato. He studied at an academy for twenty years. His view on individual human beings is they invariably linked together in a social context. Aristotle disagreed with Plato’s view but defended his own vision of ultimate reality. According to Britannica.com, he was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, one of the greatest intellectual figures of Western history. He had a wide and a vast range of intellectual pieces. He was the founder of formal logic and the most outstanding as a philosopher among many. This paper will discuss how Aristotle philosopher’s perspective of virtue ethics is applicable to ethical practices in business and accounting. I will give a brief synopsis on Aristotle’s history. I will discuss his view on distributive justice and how it applies to ethics. Finally, I will discuss how Aristotle Nichomachean Ethics philosophy...
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...Ethics Essay Anthony Gonzalez ETH/316 2/23/15 Arthur Murphy Introduction Utilitarianism, deontological, and virtue theory ethics are three normative approaches to ethics. This paper will go over the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological principles. It will include information of the variations in how each concept details ethics, morality, and it will also discuss a personal experience to describe the correlation between virtue, values, and moral perceptions as they relate to one of the three theories. Similarities and Differences Virtue theory emphasizes character traits rather than the rules or consequences while deontology is described as an action that is right only if it is in accordance with a moral rule or principle. Utilitarianism puts more emphasis on the consequences and that decisions should be made based on happiness for the greatest number of people. Virtue theory does not judge a person as good (or not) based upon one single action in their lives. Rather, it takes a look over time to judge ones character. Virtue theory also looks at past mistakes that are not normally in a person’s historical nature. For example, a virtuous person is someone who is kind across many situations over a lifetime because that is their character and not because they want to maximize utility or gain favors or simply do their duty ("Virtue," 2010).Utilitarianism usually relies on predicting the consequences of an action. Utilitarianism...
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