What are ethical frameworks

Reference: http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/63542.htm

'In philosophy, we are concerned not only with what actions are morally right and morally wrong, but what makes actions morally right or wrong. The key is to understand the sort of reasoning that we employ in ethical decision making.

Students will generally approach this question from one of two dismissive stances:

(1) that there are no reasons behind ethical decisions, that it is merely a matter of personal preference, or

(2) all ethical questions are cut and dry and that there is an absolute means of determining all answers, often through adherence to religious doctrines.

In this section, we will proceed through three steps. The first is to undermine the barriers to rational moral deliberation. The second is to look at the five different factors we do appeal to deciding what is the morally best way to act. Third, we will look at cases in an effort to be more clear and careful in being able to explain why we hold certain choices to be the right ones.

We will look at five approaches to moral deliberation:

Virtue ethics: What is morally right is what makes us the best person we could be
Deontology: What is morally right is what follows from absolute moral duties
Utilitarianism: What is morally right is what generates the best balance of pleasure over pain when everyone is considered equally
Rights-based Ethics: What is morally right is that which is in accord with everyone's rights
Care Ethics: What is right is what is in accord with the best interest of those with who we have special relationships [video tbd]

Please keep this point in mind: Societies around the world and historically have insightful ethical approaches, among them Asian, African, Native American societies. We are presenting these five specific approaches because Public Broadcasting Corporation has a set of you-tube videos describing them.

Watch these clips for an overview of each:

Virtue ethics: What is morally right is what makes us the best person we could be
NEA Module: Day 6 - Aristotle's Virtue Ethics

Deontology: What is morally right is what follows from absolute moral duties
NEA Module: Day 7 -Kant's Deontology

Utilitarianism: What is morally right is what generates the best balance of pleasure over pain when everyone is considered equally
NEA Module: Day 8 - Utilitarianism