Schools of ethical thought- A brief overview of the concepts
Ethical thought can be regarded as the capability of thinking ethically and understanding the intellectual perspectives. Ethical thinking can guide people to take the right actions and make the right decisions. Various schools of thought exist in philosophy. Morality and value-based approaches are prioritized by philosophers. Common people have been influenced by these thoughts, and it can be applied in organizations as well. Among them, the important ones are Deontology, Virtue Ethics, Relativism, and Teleology (Jimenez & Pulos, 2018). Each of these thoughts has been described in detail-
Deontology- Deontological ethics states that the morality of an action can be judged by the action itself. The effect or consequences of the action should not be considered. Rather, action is prioritized more. Individuals must feel the moral obligation and then take action. The moral obligation can arise from an internal or external source. Immanuel Kant was one of the pioneers of deontological ethics, and he emphasized the importance of understanding the motives of people behind an action rather than the outcomes of the action. A pure and dutiful mind will only think about the highest or greatest good. Therefore, society must thrive towards becoming “intrinsically good.” He argued that intelligence, pleasure, and perseverance do not fall under the intrinsically good category.
Virtue Ethics- Another theory of ethical school is virtue ethics, and it states that emphasis should be given upon virtues of the mind, level of honesty, and character of the individual (Doris, 1998). In a real-life context, virtue ethics can be applied, and it should be engraved in the human nature as early as possible. The concept arose in Greek philosophy. It can be stated that human beings should emphasize developing the virtue as it is a good trait.
Relativism- The concept of relativism highlights that truth, morality, and knowledge exists along with society, culture, and history. However, the concepts cannot be regarded as “absolute.” Based on different perceptions, the concept of relativism exists. The reasoning is one of the traits of human beings, and it gives rise to different perceptions of human beings. Some acts can be justified based on reasoning, while others cannot be explained. Normative relativism can help people to evaluate the degree of truthfulness and morality of different types of views. The concept of relativism has been subjected to a wide range of controversies because moral judgments tend to vary across people as well as cultures.
Teleology- The term Teleology has been derived from the Greek words “Telos,” meaning purpose or goal and “logos,” meaning explanation or reason (Rosenblueth, Wiener & Bigelow, 1943). Again, the concept of teleology has been subjected to controversies since its inception in ancient philosophy. In modern-day philosophy, the concept cannot be applied completely, and researchers have been debating and discussing about the application of this school of thought. Nevertheless, in the case of business ethics, the concept can be applied because business people are more likely to take purposeful actions. Before taking a decision, the opinions of the stakeholders, customers, and staff are considered by the management.