Ethical Systems

Notes on Ethics Theories
Exam 1
Deontological Ethics: based on the INTENT of an action
Teleological Ethics: based on the consequences of an action
Ethical Systems
Who was the developer of the idea of Ethical Formalism? What are the four Main Tenets of “Ethical Formalism”?
Immanuel Kant was the developer of Ethical Formalism.
The four main tenets of Ethical Formalism are (Drylie, pp. 7)
Actions should follow a universal law- ask yourself whether everyone would follow your actions.
Humanity is not a means; it should be treated as an end- do not take advantage of people for your own benefit.
Actions should resemble those of a lawmaking member of the universe- actions should be consistent and contribute to universal law.
Decision making process should be guided by reason- whether the action is right or wrong.

What are the four Basic Tenets of “Utilitarianism”? The Act? The Rule?
The four main tenets of Utilitarianism are (Westacott, np):
Happiness is of the most intrinsic value- actions are judged based on the value of happiness derived from them.
Actions are considered right if they promote happiness- if an action produces more happiness to those affected, then the better the action.
Happiness of everyone counts equally- actions of individuals should consider the happiness of everyone rather than their own happiness.
Actions are considered wrong if they promote unhappiness.
The two forms of Utilitarianism are:
The Act (Jeremy Betham)- when faced with several actions to choose, one has to pick the action which has a better result for people rather than individual.

The Rule (John Stuart Mills)- action taken by an individual affects other people, therefore everyone should abide to the results.
What are the two Main Tenets of “Religious Ethics”? How do we know God’s Will?
The two main tenets of Religious Ethics are (Drylie, pp. 10):
Actions are good if they conform to God’s will- actions of individuals are considered either good or evil based on one’s religious beliefs which provide guidance on relationship among people.
Actions are evil if they do not conform to God’s will.
There are various ways through which people know God’s will;
Through religious heads such as Pastors and Imams.
Through Holy Scriptures such as the Bible and Quran.
Through individual experiences.
What are the three Main Tenets of “Natural Law”?
The three main principles of Natural Law are:
An action is good if it is natural.
An action is good if the intentions of the doer are natural.
An action is considered good if the circumstances of the action are natural.
What are the three Basic Tenets of “Ethics of Virtue”? What is the Principle of the Golden Mean?
The three basic tenets of Ethics of Virtue are (Qare, np.):
An action is good if it is morally right, not necessarily bringing pleasure to the doer.
A person is good if he/she possesses virtues such as courage, politeness, generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness and humility.
An action is good if the pleasure derived from it does not come at the expense of others i.e. it is not a vice.
The Principle of the Golden Mean refers to the conformation of good to the middle ground between positions. The middle ground represents what is considered good.
What are the Two Main Tenets of “Egoism”?
The two main tenets of Egoism are (Drylie, pp. 14)
An action is good if it brings the doer personal happiness or enhances his survival.
It is unnatural if one’s actions do not bring him/her personal happiness or enhance survival.
7. What are the three Main Tenets of “Ethics of Care”?
The three main tenets of Ethics of Care (VanDinter, pp. 77):
An action is good if it is intended to address the needs of those concerned.
An action is good if fit is intended to build up human relationships.
An action is good if it is intended to show care and concern to others.
Which of these systems most reflects YOUR ethics and values?
The Ethics of Virtue most reflects my ethics and values. There is no necessity of deriving personal pleasure from every action. It is always important to do what is morally right even if it is not beneficial to me, considering others’ position is important. It is also always encouraging to see people with virtues such as honesty, generosity and politeness which they base their actions on.

Works cited
Drylie, James. Ethics in Criminal Justice, Kean University, 2007. http://www.kean.edu/~jdrylie/docs/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20-%20Ethics%20Week%202.pdfWestacottt, Emrys. The axioms of the moral theory that seeks to maximize happiness. The Basic Principles of Utilitarianism, 2017. https://www.thoughtco.com/basic-principles-of-utilitarianism-3862064Qare, Haiya. Ethical Formalism- Duty based ethics. Academia Library. Academia Library, 2018, Web. 28 January 2018. https://www.academia.edu/9603759/Ethical_Formalism_Duty-based_ethicsVanDinker, Wesley. Ethics and Corrections. Foundations of Corrections, SAGE Publishing Inc., 2018. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/79872_Stohr_ch_4.pdf