Part I: Ethics

Chapter 3

Study questions for What is Normative Ethics?

  1. Think of examples of particular moral views you hold, and examine the reasons why you hold them. Can you arrive at a fundamental or basic reason?
  2. What are the components of action, and how can we distinguish normative theories by appeal to these components?
  3. What is consequentialism? What reasons are there to take the theory seriously?
  4. Explain, in your own words, the main idea behind Mill’s utilitarianism. What problems does his theory face?
  5. Explain, in your own words, Kant’s Categorical Imperative. Think of how the Categorical Imperative could be used to show that murder, stealing and lying are wrong.
  6. What is a virtue? Why does acting in accordance with the virtues promise to lead to a happy life?

Multiple Choice Questions

Weblinks for What is normative ethics?

Aristotle (350BC). Nicomachean Ethics, http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html. [Aristotle’s classic work in moral philosophy.]

Kant, I. Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals (1785), http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdfs/kant1785.pdf. [Kant’s classic work in moral philosophy, available from a site edited by the philosopher Jonathan Bennett.]

Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism, https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/m/mill/john_stuart/m645u/. [Mill’s statement and defence of his utilitarian theory.]

There are also excellent entries on consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/.

Introductory further reading for What is normative ethics?

Driver, J. (2006). Ethics: The Fundamentals. Wiley-Blackwell. [A clear and accessible overview of the main moral theories.]

Timmons, M. (2002). Moral Theory: An Introduction. Rowman and Littlefield. [Another helpful and comprehensive survey of normative theories.]

Advanced further reading for What is normative ethics?

Baron, M., Pettit, P. and Slote, M. (1997). Three Methods of Ethics. Wiley-Blackwell. [An excellent three-way discussion from major proponents of Kantian deontology, consequentialism and virtue ethics.]

Kamm, F. M. (1993, 1996). Morality, Mortality. Vols. 1 and 2. [An important and comprehensive defence of deontological constraints and application of deontological thinking to practical matters.]

Parfit, D. (2011). On What Matters. [A massive and very important two-volume work from the world’s most prominent moral philosopher.]