Branch of ethics addressing specific moral issues

Application of ethical theories to practical situations

Bioethics ethical issues surrounding medical practices

Environmental ethics moral considerations regarding the environment

Complexity of reallife scenarios

Need for interdisciplinary approaches

Ethical approach centered around obligations and responsibilities

Primarily grounded in deontological principles

Importance of adhering to moral laws or rules

Relevant in legal and professional contexts

Challenges in resolving conflicting duties

Rigid interpretations of moral laws

Frameworks guiding moral decisions

Basis for evaluating actions

Distinction between theoretical and applied ethics

Importance of understanding foundational theories

Ethical theory focused on outcomes

Assessing morality based on results

Act consequentialism evaluates actions individually

Rule consequentialism evaluates rules, not individual actions

Ethical framework centered around individual rights

Emphasizes the protection and promotion of human rights

Intrinsic value of individuals and their rights

Relationship between rights and responsibilities

Foundation for human rights laws and treaties

Potential conflicts between competing rights

Challenges in defining and enforcing rights

Ethical theory centered on duties and rules

Morality determined by adherence to a set of rules

Immanuel Kant and his contributions

Moral consistency and clear rules

Critiques can lead to rigid moral judgments

A form of consequentialism focuses on maximizing happiness

Morality determined by the greatest good for the greatest number

Act utilitarianism evaluates each action separately

Rule utilitarianism focuses on rules that generally promote happiness

Challenges in measuring and comparing happiness

Potential neglect of individual rights due to majority focus

Based on deontological principles established by Kant

Emphasis on duty, rationality, and universal laws

Fundamental principle guiding moral action

Respect for persons as an end in themselves

Clarity in moral reasoning

Critiques inflexibility in certain situations

Focuses on character traits and virtues

Morality is about being, not just doing

Importance of moral character

Role of community and relationships

Challenges in determining which virtues are essential

Can be seen as less actionable than other theories

The belief that morality is culturally bound

Ethical standards are subjective and vary by society

Descriptive relativism observing different moral practices

Normative relativism claiming that no single moral view is superior

Potential for ethical nihilism

Challenges in universal moral standards

The belief in universal moral principles

Some actions are objectively right or wrong regardless of context

Ethical objectivity and its implications

Critiques of moral absolutism

Ethical and political theory based on mutual agreements

Morality arises from the contracts formed by individuals in society

Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and JeanJacques Rousseau

Importance of consent and cooperation

Assumptions regarding the consensus of individuals

Issues surrounding hypothetical nature of contracts

Ethical theory emphasizing relationships and compassion

Focuses on interdependence and the needs of others

Moral significance of caregiving relationships

Critiques of traditional frameworks

Relevant in fields like healthcare and education

Branch of ethics examining the nature of moral judgments

Focuses on what we mean when we say something is "right" or "wrong"

Nature of moral truths

Role of language in ethical debates

Moral realism vs moral antirealism

Emotivism and cognitivism

Branch of ethics focusing on standards for right and wrong

Establishes guidelines for moral conduct

Consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics

Importance of context in ethical decisionmaking

Conflicts between different ethical theories

Practical applications in realworld scenarios

Emphasizes the role of individual character in moral reasoning

Focuses on virtues as the basis for ethical behavior

Development of character traits through experience and reflection

Role of lifelong learning in ethical behavior

Ambiguity in defining virtues

Potential neglect of systemic issues