Ethical Philosophers

Confucius

551 BCE

Confucius' ethics basically asserts that filial piety and fraternal love are the roots of humaneness, the foundation and origin of human morality; all social goods are extensions of family ethics.

Thomas Hobbes

1724

Hobbes’ moral positivism anticipates the chaotic outcome if laws are not abided by. We all believe that the purpose of the government is to protect the rights of its people, preserve justice and enforce the laws. It is a must for every nation to have someone who would manage and administer them. Hence, the creation of laws and the obedience of its subjects are important in the order and maintenance of peace in countries (Roa, 2007).

David Hume

1776

He rejects the rationalist conception of morality whereby humans make moral evaluations, and understand right and wrong, through reason alone. In place of the rationalist view, Hume contends that moral evaluations depend significantly on sentiment or feeling.

Immanuel Kant

1789

Kant argued that the only absolutely good thing is “goodwill." It is the principle of action that ought to be obeyed by all rational beings, under all circumstances, and for its own sake.
Deontology is often associated with philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant believed that ethical actions follow universal moral laws, such as “Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t cheat.” This approach tends to fit well with our natural intuition about what is or isn’t ethical.

John Rawls

1971

Rawls’ theory of justice comprises two main principles of liberty and equality; the second is subdivided into Fair Equality of Opportunity and the Difference Principle.
Rawls holds that justice as fairness is the most egalitarian, and also the most plausible, interpretation of these fundamental concepts of liberalism. He also argues that justice as fairness provides a superior understanding of justice to that of the dominant tradition in modern political thought: utilitarianism.

Jeremy Bentham

1971

Bentham was the founder of modern utilitarianism. Utilitarian ethics is best explained by the maxim, “Do whatever produces the greatest good for the greatest number.” The theory argues that what makes an act right is its consequences and not the motive of the action. The effects or consequences determine the goodness or badness of an action. An act is good if and when it gives good results if it works, if it makes you successful, and if it makes you attain your purpose. Otherwise, it is bad.

Thomas Aquinas

1971

Aquinas believes that we should always follow our conscience, even when it is wrong or causes great harm. Since we have no way of knowing whether our consciences are wrong, they are the best guide we have as to what is the moral thing to do.