THEORIES OF ETHICS

Chapter 3
 Ethical egoism
Ethical egoism is the belief that one ought to do what is
in ones own self-interest. It is the doctrine that the ends
and motives of human conduct are, or should be, the good
of the individual agent.
Ethical egoism claims that it is necessary and
sufficient for an action to be morally right that
it maximize one's self-interest.
This is because, they say many, if not all, of our
actions are prompted by selfish desires. Even if
an action seems selfless, such as donating to
charity, there are still selfish causes for this,
such as experiencing power over other people.
 Ethical Altruism
is a concept in philosophy and psychology that holds that
the interests of others, rather than of the self, can motivate
an individual. It argues that the true moral aim should be
the welfare of the society, rather than that of individuals.
It is the selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Altruism differs from duty, because, altruism focuses on a
motivation to help others or a want to do good without
reward, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards
a specific individual or organization.
 Ethical relativism
The basic questions here in this theory are; whether
ethical judgments are universal which have ruling over all
human societies in all the times and places; or they are
relative norms and values.
According to this theory ethics and moral rules cannot be
universally or objectively true for all people at all times.
moral right and wrong is always relative to a particular
culture and particular time and that no absolute system of
ethics can be known to be true for all time (as two plus
two equals four is true, presumably, forever)
 Ethical Relativism
Moral relativism is the position that moral and
ethical propositions do not reflect universal
moral truths, but instead, this theory claims
that social, cultural, historical, personal
circumstances are what determine the truth of
Morality.

Moral relativism generally stands in marked

contrast to moral absolutism, moral
objectivism, moral realism, and moral
naturalism, which all maintain the existence
of moral facts.
 Ethical Utilitarianism
It holds that ethical conducts will be characterized as good
or bad, based on their consequences and outcomes.
Action will be considered as an ethical if it leads to the
highest satisfaction and happiness to the largest group in
the society.
Therefore the evaluation of ethical values, can only be
know through their result and consequences.
Hence, Ethical decisions are made on the basis of the
outcome (s) resulting from these decisions.
 Ethical Utilitarianism
According to this theory: pain and pleasure
are the only intrinsic values in the world. This
is because, Nature has placed mankind
under the governance of two sovereign
masters, pain and pleasure.
Therefore, derived the rule of utility, that the
good or moral ethics is whatever brings the
greatest happiness to the greatest number of
people.
 Deontological theory
it is an ethical theory concerned with duties and rights.
Deontological ethics is a theory of duty or moral obligation.
One of the most important implications of deontology is that
a persons behavior can be wrong even if it results in the
best possible outcome, and an act can be righteous even if it
results in a negative outcome.
In contrast to consequentialism, a philosophy famous for its
claim that the ends justify the means, deontology insists that
how people accomplish their goals is usually (or always)
more important than what people accomplish.
 Ethical Nihilism:
(Postmodernism)
Nihilism which is literally from the Latin term of nihil
which means nothing is a philosophy which argues that
the world, especially past and current human existence, is
without objective meaning, purpose, and has no
comprehensible truth or essential value.
Nihilists generally argue that there is no reasonable proof
of the existence of a higher ruler or creator, therefore,
true morality is unknown, hence, life has no truth, and
no action can be preferable to any other.
 Divine command theory
is the meta-ethical theory which holds that,
moral values are whatever is commanded by
God, or the Scripture.
Religious Ethics

- Islam
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Judaism
- Christianity
 Islamic Ethics
Unlike the human authored theories, the Islamic ethics
gives attention to certain origins such as: Divinity,
holistic view, balance, permanence, flexibility, realism
and universality.
Islamic ethical system does not neglect the motives and
the causes of ethical actions, conditions of the goodness
of the intention.
It allows individual freedom, disapproves the negligence
of the minority or any single member of the society.
 Islamic Ethics
1. Actions and decisions are judged to be ethical depending
on the intention of the individual. Not consequential
2. Good motives (niyat) followed by good outcome (amal)
are considered as acts of worship.
3. Islam allows an individual the freedom to believe and act
how he/she desires, but not at the expense of the
accountability and justice.
 Islamic Ethics
4. Belief in Allah endows the individual with complete
freedom from anything or anybody except Allah.
5. Decisions that benefit the majority or a minority are not
necessarily ethical in themselves. Ethics is not a numbers
game.
6. Islam uses an open system approach to ethics, not a closed,
self-oriented system. Egoism has no place in Islam.
7. Unlike the ethical systems advocated by many other
religions, Islam encourages humankind to experience
tazkiyah through active participation in this life. By
behaving ethically in the midst of the tests of this dunya,
Muslims prove their worth to Allah.
 Origins of Ethics in Islam
Reason (aql): through reason which is not only
the most important source of Islamic ethics but it
is also the foundation of the whole religion, we
are able understand the meanings of ethical
judgments.

Quran: The Quran lays down that foundations

of ethics and provides various ethical roots of
moral conducts.

Sunnah or Tradition: It remains the practical

form of the Quranic teachings of how to behave
in various circumstances of human life.
 Origins of Ethics in Islam
- Shariah: Through its legislative body, the shariah remains
one of the sources of ethical behavior.

- Islamic Philosophy: In its denotation of mental and rational

understanding of life, Islamic philosophy remains one of the
sources of ethics, with special considerations to the work of
al-Kindi, Ibn Sina, al-farabi, Miskawayh, Ibn Rushud and
others.

-Adab or literature: such as the poetry or al-Shir and work

of other Muslim scholars.
End