consequences
the effects or results of what people do
duty
an ethical obligation that one individual has to others
egoism principle
the idea that the right thing for a person to do in any situation is the action that best serves that person's long-term interests
golden mean
the method of defining virtues as perfect balances between opposite and undesirable extremes
principle of duties
the idea that people should do what is ethically right purely because they have a moral obligation to do so
principle of rights
the idea that an action is considered moral when it respects the rights of others and immoral when it violates another's rights
principle of virtues
the idea that ethics is based on being a good person, on incorporating ideal character traits into one's life
respect for persons
the idea that it is wrong to use other people in ways that harm them for one's own benefit
right
a term used to describe how an individual is entitled to be treated by others
universality
the idea that people should act as they would want others to act in the same situation
utility principle
the idea that the morally right action is the one that produces the best consequences for everyone involved, not just for one
value system
a way of viewing ethical right and wrong, often unique to an individual, a culture, or a subculture
virtue
an ideal character trait that people should try to incorporate into their lives
hypothetical imperative
a statement about what a person would need to do to achieve a desired aim
(If you want to do X, then do Y)
categorical imperative
a statement about what a person needs to do because it is a rational moral obligation
(Samuel Kant developed this guideline to evaluate an action in terms of what would happen if everyone in the same situation acted the same way.)
deontology
Approach to ethics that judges the morality of an action based on the action's adherence to rules. Described as duty or obligation, because rules 'binds you to your duty'
morals
The part of human behavior that can be evaluated in terms of right or wrong.