Ethical Philosophers and their Ethical Philosophies

By his4e
  • 471 BCE

    Socrates (469 BCE - 399 BCE)

    Socrates (469 BCE - 399 BCE)
    • An Athenian Philosopher whose questions and opinions clashed with the current course of Athenian politics and society.
    • One of the greatest paradoxes he helped his students examine was whether weakness of will—doing wrong while you understood what was right—really existed.
    • He believed that individuals only acted evil when they thought the advantages outweighed the costs. Thus, "the art of measurement"—correcting biases that skew benefit-cost analyses—is the formation of personal ethics.
  • 428 BCE

    Plato (428 BCE - 348 BCE)

    Plato (428 BCE - 348 BCE)
    • He ranks among the greatest philosophers of the world, and is viewed by many scholars as the most important Philosopher of Western civilization.
    • His main concern is to challenge the views most people have about goodness, for it is here that they go disastrously wrong in trying to live happy lives.
    • Most people think that virtue is a minor good, or even an impediment to living a happy life. Plato considers this to be incorrect; it is by being virtuous that we can hope to be happy.
  • 384 BCE

    Aristotle (384 BCE - 322 BCE)

    Aristotle (384 BCE - 322 BCE)
    • In Arabic philosophy, he was "The First Teacher," and in the West, "The Philosopher."
    • The ethics of Aristotle is concerned with action, not as being right in itself irrespective of any other consideration, but with actions conducive to man’s good.
    • Moderation is the key to happiness, according to Aristotle's "Golden Mean Principle." Avoid extremes in anything we do.

  • Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679)

    Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679)
    • His philosophy is often linked to the idea of moral positivism.
    • If rules are broken, Hobbes' moral positivism predicts chaos. Thus, lawmaking and compliance are crucial to national order and peace.

  • Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832)

    Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832)
    • He was influenced by Hobbes' description of human nature and Hume's concept of social usefulness. In An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789), he believed humanity were dominated by two sovereign rulers, pleasure and pain.
    • If good exceeds evil, damage, or sadness, the option is moral. The choice is unethical if evil exceeds good. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist philosophy since it emphasizes ethical outcomes.
    • He was John Stuart Mill's godfather.

  • John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)

    John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)
    • He led the second generation of utilitarians when he reached adulthood.
    • Throughout his life, appreciated Bentham's work. However, he differed from his master by discriminating between higher and lower pleasure levels and providing a method for determining where any particular pleasure falls.
    • Utilitarianism's political applications were improved by Mill, laying the groundwork for libertarianism.