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Approach

• Explain the meaning of theories of ethics.
• Describe conduct ethics and its various types.
• Give a conclusion.

Introduction

• Ethical theories provide a basis for decision-making when ethical issues are involved. These theories represent the viewpoints from which individuals or organizations seek guidance from, as they make decisions.
• The three primary schools of thought in Ethics are:
  
  • Consequentialism- based on the outcome of an action
  • Deontological- based on duty or obligation to act
  • Virtue- based on moral characteristics of performer e.g. honesty, integrity etc.

Body

• Conduct Ethics: In conduct ethics, the focus is on the conduct of a person rather than the character of the person.

Types of Conduct ethics

• Consequentialism: This is further divided into Utilitarianism, Hedonism, and Egoism.
• Deontological Approach

Utilitarianism

• The core idea of utilitarianism is that evaluation of actions as morally right or wrong depends on their effects.
• Utilitarian approach believes that the purpose of morality is to make life better by increasing the number of good things (such as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decreasing the number of bad things (such as pain and unhappiness).
• This approach is criticized for the difficulty in attaining full knowledge and certainty of the consequences of our actions. Through this approach, the rights of minorities are more likely to be sidelined.

Hedonism

• Hedonistic theories identify pleasure and pain as the only important elements to describe morality.
• Indian philosophical approach of Charvaka school (Lokayata) advocates hedonism.
• Through hedonism, activities like drug abuse, alcoholism etc can be justified as ethical.

Egoism

• Egoism approach to ethics argues for maximizing one’s own self-interest as it is in human nature to avoid pain and it is irrational for a man to ignore his self-interest.
• Egoism cannot explain actions which are not guided by self-regarding desires. E.g. say a soldier throws himself on a grenade to prevent others from being killed. It does not seem that the soldier in this situation is pursuing his perceived self-interest.

Deontological approach

• This approach to ethics focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions (Consequentialism) or to the character and habits of the actor (Virtue Ethics).
• Immanuel Kant, the foremost proponent of Deontology, considered moral duty as an unconditional obligation, regardless of one’s will or desires, and regardless of any consequences which might arise from such action.

Conclusion

• Ethical theory is a mechanism for assessing whether a particular action or rule is ethically justified.
• Ethical approaches help in resolving ethical dilemmas at the individual and organizational level.