Ethics and Moral Philosophy
Ethics and Moral Philosophy
This domain tests normative ethics, metaethics and applied moral reasoning. You should be able to state a theory, apply it to a case, and identify its strengths and objections. A moral judgment must also be distinguished from a legal or customary rule.
Core rules
- Consequentialism judges actions by outcomes; utilitarianism maximises overall happiness or welfare.
- Deontology judges actions by duty and rules; Kant’s categorical imperative requires universalisable maxims and respect for persons.
- Virtue ethics focuses on character and flourishing; Aristotle’s phronesis is practical wisdom, and eudaimonia is flourishing, not mere pleasure.
- Metaethics asks about the meaning and status of moral language: are moral claims objective, relative, or expressions of attitude?
- Applied ethics applies theory to abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and environmental issues. Moral dilemmas arise when principles conflict.
Worked example
A person considers making a false promise to gain money. Kant’s universalisation test asks what would happen if everyone made false promises when convenient; promising would lose its point, so the maxim cannot be universalised. A utilitarian might permit the lie if it maximised welfare, showing the theories can diverge.
Traps
Do not confuse descriptive claims about what people do with normative claims about what they ought to do; do not reduce utilitarianism to selfishness; and do not ignore the difference between intention and foreseen consequence. Cultural acceptance is not proof of moral truth.