Pros and Cons of Ethical Theories

Ethical Theories- Pros and Cons Katherine Bryson ETH/316 October 15, 2012 Mark Cobia Ethical Theories- Pros and Cons The similarities between the virtue theory, the utilitarianism theory and deontological theory are that they all support good and responsibility. Virtue theory not only concentrates on how an individual acts but also what a person should strive to be, for example a religious figure may personify perfection when in the public when they really should strive for that perfection at all times. The deontological theory states that people “have a moral obligation to follow certain principles. I liken this to the Ten Commandments, rules or principles that we all are expected to follow. “The utilitarian theories, as supported by John Stuart Mill, call for generating the greatest aggregate good for the greatest number of people. One major benefit of such theories is that they take consequences into account. They seek specifically to promote the human good as a whole. They also provide guidance for behavior, enabling people to know what qualifies as the moral choice. ” I will again use the religious area as an example because to me this is what the religious leaders do.
They preach to the multitudes to be good and do good and they also offer guidance. The differences between virtue theory, utilitarian and decontological are that “virtue ethics cannot generate specific rules to guide behavior. ” Under the utilitarian theory “only total human good or happiness matters. ” Deontological theories “do not always clarify how to rank duties. ” I lived in a very small community where everyone knew everyone and we all thought we were living the life of good moral standards and values, until one day I saw a very prominent member of the community, enter an establishment that everyone knew was a hangout for drug users.
This person was there for a long time and when they came out you could tell they were under the influence. Now according to the deontology theory it was my obligation to report this person to the proper authorities, but I fell short because it meant the demise of a family.

References Ridley, Aaron. 1998. Beginning Bioethics. New York: St. Martin’s Press http://www. bio. davidson. edu/people/kabernd/Indep/carainbow/Theories. htm http://www. ehow. com/info_8404891_pros-cons-ethical-theories. html