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  • Essay / Ethical Theories: Virtue and Utilitarian Ethics

    In this essay, I will describe, explain, and defend my favorite ethical theories, which are virtue ethical theory and utilitarian ethical theory. I will also endeavor to adequately demonstrate how they act as a guide and identify their strengths and limitations. I will express my preference for the two aforementioned ethical theories, providing adequate and meaningful explanations and justification for each ethical theory independently. Let me first define ethics and ethical theory, two of the most important concepts that will be used in this essay. What is ethics? We often hear the term ethics used, but it is not always clear what the definition and/or meaning is. Generally speaking, ethics refers to the study of good and bad behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayI face many situations every day and I always have to decide what course of action to take. Should I act based on ethical principles or should I ignore ethical principles when deciding what to do? The ethics I chose to adopt and practice, as well as the ethical theories I learned in the Ethics and Governance course, have provided me with the ethical principles and values ​​I need to to be able to answer such an important question. How to react to these situations? Virtue ethics and utilitarian ethics provide some answers. According to Fieser, J., ethical theories are a systematic effort to understand moral concepts and justify moral principles and theories. There are different ethical principles and each has its advantages and disadvantages and is examined from different angles and/or points of view. Let me once again restate my favorite ethical theories, the theories that will remain the main subject of this short essay, are virtue ethical theory and utilitarian ethical theory. The first ethical theory that will be discussed is virtue ethics. Virtue ethics emphasizes an individual's character as the key element of ethical thinking, rather than rules regarding the actions themselves. Deontology and consequentialism are two ethical theories and/or philosophies closely associated with virtue ethics. In my view, virtue ethics is a moral philosophy that emphasizes the role of an individual's character and virtues in evaluating the rightness of their actions. As mentioned previously, it is often compared to deontological ethics, which emphasizes following moral guidelines, and consequentialist ethics, which determines the acceptability of an action based on its consequences. Here is an example of how virtue ethics impacted my decision. Virtue ethics promotes good moral principles such as honesty, integrity, and fairness, which is consistent with my decision not to steal even when there is an opportunity to do so. I just demonstrated how virtue ethics led me to do something that is considered right. Generally, stealing is considered wrong, while stealing is considered wrong based on the virtue ethics of honesty. Let me reiterate the meaning of ethics by providing an additional definition to support my application and the example provided. Ethics refers to a theory or system dealing with values ​​concerning human conduct, concerning the right or wrong of certain actions, as well as the right and wrong of the motives and ends of those actions. Virtue ethics acts as a guide for mybehavior and my value system. . For example, if I am in a situation where I can easily steal an object that is valuable to me, I would not steal it because of my preference for virtue ethics, and specifically virtue ethics of the virtue of honesty. This is a case where ethical theories, principles and values ​​have helped shape my daily decisions and actions. Taking this course of action based on virtue ethics could be a disadvantage for me because I will now be without an item that I value and that is intended for but I commit to being honest in most, if not all the circumstances. Kindness to someone who is having a bad day can make them smile and build rapport. I take this opportunity to encourage you to be virtuous. This is one of the reasons why I preferred virtue ethics. Virtue ethics offers an explanation of good and evil based on what a “virtuous agent” would do. Virtue ethics states that an action is right if and only if it corresponds to what a virtuous person would accomplish in given circumstances. I chose virtue ethics as one of my favorites because of my character and personal value system. I am honest, kind, transparent, responsible, generous, fair and just. I will not engage in wrongdoing even if it benefits me and this is very much a matter of virtue ethics. It is now clear that my behavior is guided by good values ​​and habits, and based on the provided definition of virtue ethics where it is implied that the foundation of morality and virtues is the development of good qualities of character. In my daily decisions and actions, I always do what is right to be considered a glazed person. I have moral excellence, and as such I share a strong preference for virtue ethics. We can all agree that a virtuous person possesses personal qualities such as honesty. They do what is accepted as right, not acting on their selfish impulses and desires. Virtue ethics has many benefits that I benefit from being a virtuous person. First, I am motivated to practice good molarity, to make decisions that benefit others, and I am also encouraged to be honest by virtue ethics. It is important to note that virtue ethics is a good way to build society because it helps citizens become good people. The limitation I encounter in practicing virtue ethics is that it is sometimes difficult to decide what to do when faced with a moral problem and what would be considered right based on current situations. I think this is one of the biggest flaws of virtue ethics: there is no definitive answer about what to do when faced with a moral problem. An additional weakness of virtue ethics theory is that it can overlook important obligations, but knowing that obligations should be based on ethical principles and less on shared responsibilities lightens the burdens. However, I must assert that the positive outweighs the negative in virtue ethics. Second, I will discuss utilitarian ethics. According to Duignan, B. and West, HR utilitarianism provides an answer to the question “What should a person do?” The answer is that a person must act to produce the best possible consequences. In my understanding of utilitarian ethics, evil or good is based entirely on outcomes. Evil or good in this regard is based on the consequences arising from an act or decision. Utilitarian ethics is based on the idea that the consequence of/