Timeline of Major Ethical Philosophies

Socrates was one of the three greatest figures of the ancient period of Western philosophy. He was the first Greek philosopher to earnestly explore questions of ethics. Socrates' ethical philosophy was "no one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance." This is because people usually do wrong when the perceived benefits seem to outweigh the costs. Therefore, evil actions are a result of misguided motivation and lack of understanding of what is the greatest good.

Plato is hailed as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He dedicated his life to learning and teaching. Plato’s ethical philosophy is to challenge the views most people have about goodness. This is because often, people think that virtue is a hindrance to a great life. Plato was incredulous about this because he believed that only by being virtuous that we can hope to be happy.

Aristotle was considered as one of the greatest thinkers in politics, psychology and ethics. He founded his own school, the Lyceum, where he spent most of the rest of his life studying, teaching and writing. Aristotle's ethical philosophy was "The Golden Mean Principle," stating that to be happy, live a life of moderation. This is because there are corresponding consequences to our actions if they're too much or too little and we all know that too much or too less of anything is never good.

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. He is best known for his book Leviathan, where he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. Hobbes' ethical philosophy was Moral Positivism, a theory believing that the laws of the state are the source of all moral laws. He believed people would act on their evil impulses if left alone for themselves, thus, they require the government to manage and administer them.

Jeremy Bentham, jurist and political reformer, is the philosopher whose name is most closely associated with the foundational era of the modern utilitarian tradition. Bentham's ethical philosophy was utilitarianism, which is best explained as, “Do whatever produces the greatest good for the greatest number.” This is because the theory suggests that what makes an action right is its effect and not the intention of the action. If an action gives good results, it is good. Otherwise, it is bad.