Theories of Right Action

Theories about Right Action

Utilitarianism

Duty Ethics

Rights Ethics

Virtue Ethics
 UTILITARIANISM

Attempts to achieve a balance between good and bad

consequences of an action
Tries to maximize the well-being of society and emphasizes
what will provide the most benefits to the largest group of
people
Fundamental to many types of engineering analysis,
including risk-benefit analysis and cost-benefit analysis
Drawbacks:
Sometimes what is best for the community as a whole is bad
for individuals
Impossible to know in advance which decision will lead to
the most good
 UTILITARIANISM
John Stuart Mill’s - Act- Utilitarianism and Happiness
Focus on individual action rather than general rules
Act is right if its likely to produce the most good for the
most people involved.
Means to achieve the intrinsic good i.e. happiness, is called
as instrumental goods.
Richard Brantt’s – Rule Utilitarianism and Rational
desires.
Moral rules considered as primary.
Rules that is generally followed that produce most good for
the most people. Such good will satisfy the rational desires
Rules are considered as ‘sets', which he calls ‘moral codes’.
Utilitarianism

Application of the Principle of Utility

What is right to do is to do whatever has for

consequence to maximize the happiness for
everyone concerned.
Utility
Impartiality
Consequentialism
 Utility

Happiness measured by amount of pleasure/pain.

Need to know both sides

Need to educate and foster our taste for refined

activities
 Impartiality

Everybody counts and counts equally

No one’s happiness is, by itself, more valuable, then
others.
No particular group should be given special consideration
Examples: race, gender, nationality etc
Yourself, your family and your friends do not count more
than others
Non humans animals count as well
Consequentialism

If beneficial consequences, then action is good

If harmful consequences , then action is bad
Utilitarianism
Engineering and technological decision making, for
the most part, are based on derivatives of
utilitarianism.
A basic tenant of utilitarianism is: the greatest good
for the greatest number.
This gives rise to economic determinism as manifest in
cost/benefit and risk/benefit analyses.
Cost/benefit and Risk/benefit

Insurance

Energy

Medical
Utilitarianism-Some practical implications

 Abolition of slavery; equal rights for women and minorities;

abolition of child labor.

 Prison reform: prevention and rehabilitation.

 Extensive charitable duties.

 Mercy-killing can sometimes be permissible.

 Animals count, too

 DUTY ETHICS
Contends that certain acts should be performed because
they are inherently ethical (e.g. honesty, fairness)

This theory concludes that individuals who recognize their

ethical duties will choose ethically correct moral actions

Drawback
This method does not always lead to a solution which
maximizes the public good
DUTY ETHICS
Kant’s “Respect for persons”
Duties as fundamental rather than good consequences.
Valid principles of duty show respect for persons.
People lack good will do not deserve to be happy.
Duties to our self are fundamental and universalizable.
Duties should be followed because of our autonomous
commitment to morality itself, rather than ulterior
motives.
Principles of duties that have exceptions are called
‘prima facie duties’.
RIGHTS ETHICS
Everyone has inherent moral rights
Duties arise because people have rights, not vice versa.
Any act that violates an individual’s moral rights is
ethically unacceptable

Drawbacks:
 How do we prioritize the rights of different
individuals?
 Rights ethics often promote the rights of
individuals at the expense of large groups/society
RIGHTS ETHICS
John Locke’s ‘Liberty rights’
Viewed rights primarily as entitlements that prevent
other people from meddling in once life. These are
referred as liberty rights or negative rights that plays
duties on other people not interfere with one's life.

Melden,s ‘Liberty and Welfare rights’

Conceives human rights as intimately related to the most
positive welfare of community people.
Positive welfare rights are towards community benefits
needed for minimally decent human life.
VIRTUE ETHICS
Focuses on the type of person we should strive to
be.

Actions which reflect good character traits are

inherently right.

Actions which reflect bad character traits are

inherently wrong.

Virtue ethics are tied more to individual behavior

than to an organization
 BE ETHICAL &
DO THE RIGHT THING!!!
ethicsandvalues-tt524@yahoo.com