APPROACHES TO ETHICS

1. Normative Ethics or Prescriptive Ethics – “What do people think is right?”

- concerned with the content of moral judgements and the criteria for what is right or
wrong

 Consequentialism or Teleogical Ethics – “morality of an action is contingent on the

action’s outcome or result. Morally right action is one that produces a good outcome or
consequence
Hedonism
Utilitarianism
Egoism
 Deontology – focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves
o Divine Command Theory
o Natural Rights Theory – (human rights)
o Categorical Imperative – to act in the morally right way, people must act
according to duty
o Contractarian Ethics – moral norms derive their normative force from the idea
of contract or mutual agreement
o Virtue Ethics – focus on inherent character of a person rather than on the
nature or consequences of specific actions performed

2. Meta – Ethics – concerned primarily with the meaning of ethical judgements

“How should people act”

- Looks at the origins and meaning of ethical principles

3. Applied Ethics – application of ethical theory to real-life situations

“What does right even mean”