Do What God Wants You to Do

Religious Ethics Do what “god” wants you to do. Kantian / Deontological Ethics Based on performing duties. People have a right to be free and happy. We have a duty to do things consistent with that right, and a duty not to do anything inconsistent with it. The only ethical action is to do your duty. The consequences of an action never matter, only the reason for it. Duty is expressed as a set of rules, and being ethical is following those rules. The chief rule is: use only rules that you would like to be universal. If you don’t want everyone else to do it, then don’t do it yourself. Utilitarian / Consequentialist Ethics Always do whatever causes the greatest total good. The consequences (or at least, the intended results) of your actions are what counts, not what those actions are. Negative Utilitarian Always do whatever will cause the least overall unhappiness. Rule Utilitarian Nobody can reliably predict the harm or good their actions will cause, so work out rules of behaviour that should in general be expected to cause the most good or the least harm, then always just follow those rules, no need to think much when situations arise. Virtue Ethics Good personal characteristics should be cultivated. People should have a personal tendency to (for example) be generous when it is appropriate. The virtuous person need not worry about ethics because they will naturally do the right thing. Aristotle’s big idea, and he was somewhat goofy. Societal Ethics What a society generally says is right, is right. Those from other societies have no business making judgments. Obey the law. Your elders and betters know what is good for you.