Ethical Theory Comparison Chart
| Utilitarianism | Ethical Egoism | Ethics of Care | Kantianism | Prima Facie Duties | Divine Command Theory | Virtue Theory | |
| How is “good” Determined | Determines good by looking at the consequence of the action on all people that are involved. | What is good is what serves my self-interests | What is good is caring about others | “Good” is not based on the desirable outcome of the action but on the fulfilment of our duty. | “Good” is determined by obedience to obligations, all factors being equal. | Good depends on whether the actions are commanded by God. | Good depends more on the doer than the deed. Good is a dispositional value of the person acting. |
| Most Noted Philosopher(s) | Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) | Henry Sidgwick (1838-1900) | Joan Tronto (1952- Date) | Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) | William D. Ross (1877-1971) | Augustine of Hippo (354 AD-430 AD) | Aristotle (384-322 BC) |
| Major Strengths | Looks after the interests of all. Enables one to think on a larger scale. | Allows one to be themselves while letting other people do the same. Decisions are easy to make because everyone knows their self-interests. | It advocated for looking at others in a humane manner. Fosters societal harmony and peace. | One can set moral rules that are based on reason. All rules must be logical and consistent | Following the rules before knowing the specifics about the situation. | Teachings are grounded on a factually-existing God Made up of a clear and straightforward system. | The theory centers on intrinsic self-improvement. Lays little emphasis on the language of morality. |
| Major Weaknesses | Often leaves out the minority. What is morally good is not always what is legal. | Our interests are not always aligned with everyone’s. Thus a difficulty in determining whose interests we should be acting in. Unsuitable for jobs whose description involves a lot of helping others. | People consider caring as a sign of weakness and one can easily be taken advantage of. Is gender insensitive | Some duties are conflicting thus hard to adhere to. Establishing one’s purpose or duty could be difficult. | Duties have no clear or defined basis. It is unclear as to what duties are prima facie | From an intellectualist perspective, bad, right, and wrong are independent of God. Beliefs could coincide with God’s will even if the person holding them does not necessarily believe in God. | It is unclear how the model of virtue is selected. It is unclear who the average person should model their virtues after. |
References
Thiroux, J., & Krasemann, K. (2012). Ethics: Theory & Practice – Excelsior College.
Excelsior College. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://www.excelsior.edu/exam/ethics-theory-and-practice/.