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469 BCE
Ancient Greek Ethics: SOCRATES (469-399 BC)
Socrates was convinced that possessing and exercising the virtues are absolutely crucial if a person is to lead a eudaimonia life. In accord, acting correctly requires that one possess knowledge of the human good.
According to him, “no one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance.” One will commit only moral evil if he lacks moral knowledge. Sometimes a person may have knowledge but he deliberately commits an evil act to satisfy his hidden motive. -
428 BCE
Ancient Greek Ethics: PLATO (428-348 BC)
Plato’s main concern is to challenge the views most people have about goodness, for it's here that they go disastrously wrong in trying to live happy lives. Most people think that virtue is a minor good or even a barrier to living a happy life. He considers this to be incorrect; it is only by being virtuous that we can hope to be happy.
He also claimed that unethical individuals are simply uneducated in the ethic and that strong ought to possess more than the weak is a law of nature. -
384 BCE
Ancient Greek Ethics: ARISTOTLE (384-322 BC)
Aristotle laid out the essence of virtue theory, he stated that if we truly desire people to be ethical, then we must have them practice ethics from an early age. He contended that men who are taught to be ethical in minor matters as boys will automatically act ethically in all matters as they mature.
Aristotle’s “The Golden Mean Principle” states that to be happy, live a life of moderation. In everything that we do, we must avoid extremes (Roa, 2007). -
THOMAS HOBBES (1588-1659)
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). -
IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)
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. -
JEREMY BENTHAM (1748-1832)
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. -
JOHN RAWLS (1921-2002)
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.
