Ethical Philosophy Essay Examples and Topics

Introduction Utilitarianism is often criticized for its treatment of, or rather attitude towards individual rights. The utilitarian attitude towards rights is that the moral ‘right’ is built on the basis of utilitarian aspects, especially on the principle that seeks to reduce pain and suffering of living organisms. Therefore, according to utilitarianism, all living things have […]

Introduction The concept of ethical relativism outlines that ethical principles and actions are relative to social norms. Stated differently, proponents of ethical relativism argue that ethical principles may be “right” or “wrong,” but this judgment is only relative to social norms (Welch 516). The concept of ethical relativism developed from cultural diversity, to mean that […]

Cloning is one of the most disputable technological advances at present. Experiments with genes started in the twentieth century and people have acquired the necessary tools to create a new life in a lab. Nonetheless, the technology has brought to the fore a number of ethical concerns. The Catholic Church as well as other religious […]

Philosophers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries focused the role morality played in the society rather than tried to understand what is good and what is wrong. Notably, their views on the role of morality were quite similar but they saw moral values rather differently. It is possible to explain this difference by the changes […]

Introduction Recent debates in academic circles have questioned the relevance of human dignity in bioethics. Some scholars argue that the concept is useful as it helps in explaining a number of bioethical issues. The areas addressed by the concept include embryo research, biomedical enhancements, as well as care for the disabled and the dying. Others […]

Introduction Moral philosophy is full of numerous terms, which have their meanings and reasons in this life. Numerous debates in this sphere prove that people can still face misunderstandings and difficulties while defining this or that term. The debate between generalism and particularism lies into the fact that the latter maintains the impossibility of moral […]

If, as the President of Helpo Pharmaceuticals, I was to assess the provided ethical dilemma within the conceptual framework of Utilitarian theory, I would end up deciding in favor of subjecting South African villagers to drug-testing, as something fully ethical/moral. This is because, given the fact that Utilitarian theory’s foremost theoretical premise is being concerned […]

The utilitarianism theory focuses on the moral aspect of various actions and decisions that people make and it attempts to explain whether the actions or decisions are right or wrong. The analysis of ‘rightness’ and ‘wrongness’ of a decision or action often depends on the values that each society holds dear (Callcut 24). Therefore, the […]

The selected passage “Pity has a strange dialectic, at one moment it requires guilt, the next moment it will not have it, and so it is that to be predestinated to pity is more and more dreadful the more the individual’s misfortune is in the direction of the spiritual. But Sarah had no blame attaching […]

All people live according to various principles. Some people follow one specific principle, others refer to various life principles depending on situation. It is possible to judge each of the existing principles from the point of view of correctness and morality. Considering the greatest happiness principle as the main idea I ought to live in […]

Moral dilemmas occur when one encounters a conflicting circumstance and no matter the kind of action or resolution he/she takes, the consequences end up violating ethics. Therefore, moral dilemmas are very challenging and complicated because they force people to make hard choices that lead to the violation of ethics and sacrifice. In the case study, […]

Introduction Utilitarianism deals with the need to give an answer to what is right that a man has to do. According to utilitarianism, an act ought to the best consequences possible. At the core of utilitarianism is the question of morality especially from a religious point of view. On that note utilitarianism beliefs argue that […]

Philosophy is a developing science, full of difficult questions concerning the nature of a human being. One of such problems is the philosophy of human conduct. Exactly this aspect of human conduct inspired this paper. Understanding of this problem seems to be impossible without psychological explanation of human behavior. Also, the philosophy of human conduct […]

Introduction Whether morality and religion relate or not is an ongoing debate. Some argue that the two are inseparable while others claim that one, morality, can exist without religion. Statistics reveal that these suppositions bases on nothing else but the peoples’ understanding of morality and religion. This shows that the relationship between the two varies […]

The author of the article is trying to define the moral responsibility of every individual in society with regard to giving relief and alleviating suffering. He uses the case of refugees in Bengal, India. The refugees are experiencing an emergency that has gone unnoticed by many individuals. The relief they have received is not enough […]

The debate on the subject of moral judgement is continuous and cannot be easily resolved since there is no absolute standard of what is really moral and on what grounds people make moral judgements. The basis used to create a standard of morality differs with different individuals. Some people appeal to pragmatism of the solutions […]

Introduction Moral philosophy, which mainly addresses issues surrounding ethics, encompasses the definitive foundation of social morality and ethics; that is, the justification of what is right and wrong in relation to individual coexistence in societies and work places (Haven, 2008). In a more simple way, it stipulates individual expectations of people as regards human behavior […]

The MEAA code of ethics is based upon the traditional concepts of moral theories. The main concepts of the social contract theory, the utilitarian theory and the virtue theory can be used or explaining the main principles of the journalist professional code and providing a deeper insight into its basic aspects, namely truth telling, respecting […]

Epicurus was a hedonist, who believed that one’s goal in life is to maximize pleasure. Conversely, Epictetus was a stoic, who taught people that their key priority should be to live life in accordance with nature. While these teachers prescribed to different philosophies, they both agreed on the need for ataraxia as a prerequisite to […]

Morality has been discussed and defined for a very long time and there have been many philosophers and thinkers who offered their understanding of the moral laws and regulations. Both individuals and societies govern themselves according to rules and laws of morality, ethics and more specifically, virtue, which play an important role in the lives […]

Utilitarianism theory argues that the consequence of an action determines whether that particular action is morally right or wrong. Philosophers behind this theory include Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, R.M. Hare and Peter Singer. All these philosophers evaluate morality of actions depending on overall happiness or well-being. Thus, they see utilitarianism as a consequentialist ethic. […]

Descriptive Analysis The main principle of utility consists in achieving pleasure from life and avoiding pain and suffering. Pain and pleasure are the only instruments that allow a people to define what they should do, as well as govern their actions. These two principles serve as the measurement of right and wrong, as well as […]

Introduction: The Complex Issues of Ethics in Philosophy It is hard to overestimate the significance of ethics in philosophy. Since the latter often poses a number of moral dilemmas to solve, it is important that there should be certain standards that a philosopher could live up to or at least base his/her judgments on (Rachels […]

Introduction The relationship that exists between religion and ethics is an issue that draws varying opinion from various individuals. This is evident due to the wide spectrum of views that are presented by religious personalities and non-Christians. Indeed, there are those who believe that religion has obvious historical connection to ethics. They affirm that the […]

Introduction The dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro in front of the King Archon’s court presents two individuals in an argument on how to define and comprehend holiness. The two were to attend court hearings on different cases. During their discussion, they reveal to each other reasons why they are to appear in court. According to […]

Utilitarianism, deontology, egalitarianism and libertarianism are all theories of morality. First, the law of greatest happiness is the main ideology behind utilitarianism. Human beings seek to decrease suffering and maximize happiness. Hence, an action that is correct morally must lead to the greatest possible pleasure. This also implies that actions that cause pain on human […]

In his article Famine, Affluence, and Morality, Peter Singer reveals the prevailing situation in Bengal, India, and the international relief awarded to the refugees. He suggests that affluent countries reacted to the situation in an unjustifiable manner. Therefore, his goal is to change the way moral issues are handled. He says, “[I]f it is in […]

Utilitarianism is a normative theory in the field of philosophy, which claims that a suitable course of action maximizes overall happiness (Stokes 18). Utilitarian theory is concerned about the consequences of an action. However, it is unclear whether the consequences are imagined or real. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are the two main supporters […]

Introduction There are several philosophers, but each approached the field different. Generally, philosophical problems were addressed through theories by philosophical scholars. There are different scholars, for instance, David Hume and Kant. These scholars developed different theories to addressed different philosophical dilemmas, for example, moral dilemma in the movie has different perspectives from both Kant and […]

Introduction The film Boomerang directed by Elia Kazan illustrates a serious moral dilemma when a person has to choose between ambitions and, career on the one hand, and one’s ethical integrity, on the other. The main character State’s Attorney Henry Harvey has to make a choice that may alienate him from many of his friends […]

The Major Moral Dilemma in the Film Boomerang (1947) has been seen as a significant work by a talented director Elia Kazan. Though the film has rarely been regarded as a masterpiece in terms of cinematography, it can be seen as a very significant artwork addressing really important moral dilemmas. It goes without saying that […]

Nietzsche believes in several aspects that lead to slave morality. The aspects include industrial Revolution, Christianity, democracy, enlightenment, strength of humans and equal coexistence that contribute to slavery morality (Plato 21). Master morality according to Nietzsche came in existence because the society was dominated by the ruling class. The author believes that moral concept of […]

Analysis of Morals Morality as implied in philosophy entails a distinctive system of behavior that concerns the standards of either wrong or right actions. As a philosophical word, morality embraces three concepts namely the moral standards appertaining to behaviors, moral identity which distinguishes an individual who is able to commit a wrong or a right […]

Divine command theory is based on the idea that God is the determinant of right and wrong behavior. Religious groups such as Christians, Muslims and Jews follow laws contained in holy books that guide their worship activities. Holy books were written by wise people inspired by God and should be followed. God forbids morally wrong […]

Introduction Given the fact that, while addressing life’s challenges, people are expected to observe certain ethical principles, it does not make much of a surprise that there have traditionally been a number of objective preconditions for the philosophers to make qualitative inquires into the very essence of morality, as a driving force behind one’s behavior. […]

Introduction One time or another, humanity is faced with questions that are related to ethics and morality. These issues are common and every human being including a teacher, a businessman or a farmer usually requires us to make decisions and take action. Every action that a human being takes has consequences and therefore it is […]

Introduction Morality is one component of philosophy that will at all times be researched, and most topics in ethics, will never be perceived the same by every person. There are many customs that have many diverse ideas concerning the way an individual’s life ought to be lived out. Factors such as religion, mental condition, and […]