Normative Ethics

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Normative ethics is concerned with the question 'what actions are right and wrong'. Is the rightness of an action determined by its consequences? Or instead is it determined by the motive in which an action is done?

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There are four principle parts of an act to consider:

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The Agent

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1) Intentions (e.g. done because it is an obligation - Kant)

2) Character (e.g. allows humans to flourish - Aristotle)

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The Act

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3) Characteristics (e.g. it is univeralisable - Kant; does not violate rights - Locke)

4) Consequences (e.g. to the individual - ethical egoism, or to others - Mill)

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Absolutism and Relativism

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Absolutists claim moral truths are fixed for all time and for all people in all situations. Moral actions are right or wrong in themselves, regardless of circumstances, culture or opinions. They are concerned with the act not the consequences. For example, Kant or Aquinas.

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Relativists claim the rightness or wrongness of an act depends on the situation, culture, time or place. They believe that there's no fixed objective moral reality. They believe that morals are subjective. For example, Mackie.

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Metaethics

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Metaethics is concerned with the question 'what does good mean?'. Does it hold an objective meaning. Can it be identified with some observable feature of the world? Or is it known through intuition alone? Or are moral terms like 'good' and 'bad' meaningless?

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Applied Ethics

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Applied ethics is concerned with the application of normative ethical theories to practical problems. In this course, that includes issues such as euthanasia, business ethics and sexual ethics.