Recognizing Ethical Theories in Moral Argumentation


1. There is an implicit agreement among all individuals within society that the private property rights of individuals will be respected. The acceptance of this agreement on the part of any given individual is demonstrated by their participation in the economy as a wage earner and/or a consumer. It is for this reason that stealing is wrong.
 Contractarian. The reference to an implicit agreement among individuals as the basis for the argument is a contractarian strategy.
2. The rule "Do not lie" is justifiable on the basis of the fact that the general observance of this rule within society will lead to consequences that are preferable to those that would come about if this rule were not adopted. Therefore, lying is wrong. Rule utilitarian. The appeal to the consequences of the general adoption of a rule within society indicates the nature of the argument.
3. One finds in life that beneficent action (helping others) is ultimately a benefit to the benefactor as well, since if you help others in society, this contributes to the overall stability and prosperity of the society in which one lives. For this reason alone we should recognize beneficence as a moral obligation that everyone should fulfill. Ethical egoist. The presumption of this argument is that right action is determined by the ultimate benefit of the action to the moral agent--an egoist line of argument.
4. A congressperson speaking in the House of Representatives: "Passage of this bill is not only good social policy, but is morally right, since it will bring about economic growth in our nation which will contribute to the overall financial security of the citizens." Act utilitarian. The argument is that the act of passing the bill is morally right because of the direct consequences of the action. Note the argument presumes that financial security is a good--it enhances the value of our lives.
5. Cheating on one's spouse is morally wrong. A marriage is a mutually voluntary relationship, based on mutual consent. Consent is offered on the presumption that the partners will have a sexually intimate relationship only with the other partner. If one partner has an affair without telling the other, then the other partner does not know something that is centrally relevant to their decision of whether to continue in the marriage. In effect, then, the cheating spouse is using their partner: they trick their partner into remaining in the marriage by withholding facts which may very well result in their partner seeking a divorce and thereby withdrawing their consent to the marriage. Kantian, based on the end-in-itself formulation of the categorical imperative. The reference to the mutual consent of marriage suggests a contractarian argument. But note that the basis of the argument is not that a mutual agreement has been violated, but that the cheating spouse uses their partner as a means to their desired end of preserving their marriage while having an affair. Treating an individual in a manner that is inconsistent with a way they would consent to being treated is wrong on Kantian grounds because it treats the other person as a means only.
6. Everyone wants to be treated with respect. Thus, a person who doesn't respect others is treating them in a way that is not consistent with how they themselves would wish to be treated. What is morally permissible for one person must also be permissible for all, so the fact that no one can reasonably want others to treat them without respect shows that doing so is morally impermissible. Kantian, according to the universal law formulation of the categorical imperative. Put in the language of this formulation, the argument is that the maxim "It is permissible not to treat others with respect" cannot be consistently willed as a universal law.
7. The practice of slavery in the United States caused much pain and suffering, and therefore it was immoral Act utilitarian. The actual, historical consequences of the practice of slavery are cited as the basis of the moral judgment that the practice was morally wrong.
8. The practice of slavery in the United States was immoral because it exploited the labor of individuals in wanton disregard for the interests and well-being of those individuals. Kantian, according to the end-in-itself formulation of the categorical imperative. Slavery is a clear example of using people merely as means.

9. A psychiatrist has a responsibility to protect the privacy of his or her patients stemming from the mutual understanding between the psychiatrist and patient that a condition of entering into therapy is that private information revealed by the patient in the course of therapy will not be disclosed to others Contractarian. The mutual understanding, according to this argument, has the force of an agreement that the patient's privacy will be protected.
10. If all politicians were only to make campaign promises they could keep, and then keep them, then there would be the long- term benefit of reestablishing the public's trust in elected officials, a benefit of great worth to political discourse. Therefore, it is wrong for politicians cynically to offer promises they know they are unlikely to be able to fulfill. Rule utilitarian. The argument is that the general adoption of the rule "Do not offer promises you cannot keep" among politicians would have beneficial consequences, and thus failure to follow this rule is impermissible.

11. Taxation for social programs is morally wrong since each individual has the sole moral obligation to take care of their own needs.
 Ethical egoist. The failure to recognize moral obligations to others is the hallmark of the ethical egoist position.
12. Since every individual has a desire for self-preservation, one cannot consistently believe that people should end their lives when they experience extreme misery. Thus suicide is wrong.
 Kantian, according to the universal law formulation of the categorical imperative. Kant himself offered this argument against the permissibility of suicide.