ENGR 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Rights
Document Summary
Ethical theories focus on different aspects of human behavior. Happiness achieved by developing virtues (qualities of character) through deduction and reason. act is good if it is in accordance with reason suggests that a better guide to ethical action is the character of the person performing it. People seek to lead virtuous and balanced lives. Does it match a model of a virtuous person you know. Moderation is key, try not to make drastic decisions. Actions are only as ethical as the nature of the action chosen. The ends do not justify the means chosen to accomplish them. However good consequences may be, if actions are wrong, they do not justify the action. Each person has a duty to follow those courses of action that would be acceptable as universal principles for everyone to follow. People should not be used as a means to achieve some other goal.