Ethics, Values and Applied Philosophy
Scope
Ethics, values, and applied philosophy test normative theories, metaethical questions, and concrete moral dilemmas. Expect utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, virtue ethics, intrinsic and instrumental value, and applied issues.
Core concepts
- Utilitarianism: Bentham’s hedonic calculus and Mill’s greatest happiness principle; act vs rule; consequences matter.
- Deontology: Kant’s categorical imperative-universalizability and humanity as an end; intentions and duties matter.
- Virtue ethics: Aristotle’s eudaimonia, phronesis, and the mean between extremes; character matters.
- Metaethics: realism, relativism, emotivism; is-ought gap.
- Applied: euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, animal welfare, environmental duties; identify stakeholders and conflicting values.
Worked example
Question: “A trolley threatens five; pulling a lever diverts it to kill one. Evaluate.” Reasoning: a utilitarian may calculate five lives over one and pull. A Kantian asks whether using the one merely as a means violates dignity; some deontologists permit redirecting an existing threat but not pushing a bystander. Virtue ethics asks what a compassionate, just agent would do. Conclusion: the same act can be assessed by consequences, duty, and character, yielding different verdicts.
Traps
Utilitarianism is not “anything goes”; Kant’s imperative is not the golden rule; virtue ethics is not rule-free intuition. Do not confuse descriptive relativism with normative tolerance. In applied answers, state the principle and apply it to facts.