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2. Moral Theories

  • COMPOST Collective (author)
Chapter of: Bioethics: A Coursebook(pp. 15–26)

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Metadata
Title2. Moral Theories
ContributorCOMPOST Collective (author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0449.02
Landing pagehttps://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0449/chapters/10.11647/obp.0449.02
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
CopyrightCOMPOST Collective;
PublisherOpen Book Publishers
Published on2025-05-12
Long abstractThis chapter introduces four moral theories—utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and care ethics. Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all approach, the chapter emphasizes the importance of understanding these theories as tools that illuminate different aspects of morality. Utilitarianism focuses on outcomes and maximizing well-being but struggles with measuring suffering and justifying harm to minorities. Deontology, grounded in duty and rational principles, values intention and respect for persons but can lead to rigid or counterintuitive conclusions. Virtue ethics centers on character and moral development through habituation and context-sensitive judgment, offering a richer picture of morality but raising questions about cultural differences and applicability to specific dilemmas. Care ethics, emerging from feminist critiques, prioritizes relationality, vulnerability, and responsiveness to others’ needs, expanding ethical reflection beyond abstract rules to include lived experiences and interdependence.
Page rangepp. 15–26
Print length12 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Contributors

COMPOST Collective

(author)
Research Group at the Department of Philosophy at University of Antwerp
https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/research-groups/compost/

COMPOST Collective is a research group at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Antwerp. This interdisciplinary collective has a specific interest in (bio)ethics and is embedded in the department's Center for Ethics.

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