Utilitarian ethical theories are consequentialist. Kant and utilitarianism both give formulas for what to do, whereas Aristotle is more concerned with what sort of person we should be. So, if a virtuous person would not steal in a particular set of circumstances, then it is wrong to steal in those circumstances. Based on these tests, Kant would say stealing is always wrong, regardless of the consequences.Īristotle’s virtue theory takes a different approach to both Kant and utilitarianism. He provides two tests to determine what these laws are. According to Kant, there are certain moral laws that are universal and we have a duty to follow them. Kant’s deontological ethics takes a rule-based approach. So stealing the bread is morally permissible. If your stealing a loaf of bread, say, prevents your family from dying of starvation, then the annoyance of the shopkeeper is likely to be outweighed by your happiness that your family is still alive. We can apply these theories to ethical dilemmas such as ‘is it ok to steal?’įor utilitarian theories, what matters is the consequence of an action. The syllabus looks at 3 ethical theories:Įach theory provides a framework intended to guide moral behaviour.
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