List of Ethical Theories and Approaches

Consequence-Based (Teleological) Theories

Morality is based on outcomes or consequences.

Consequentialism – Rightness depends on the overall results.
Utilitarianism – Maximize happiness or wellbeing for the greatest number.
Pragmatic Ethics – Morality evolves through practical experimentation and experience.
Ethical Egoism – Maximize your own self-interest.
Environmental Ethics, Ecocentric Ethics, Deep Ecology – Give moral weight to ecosystems and nature’s long-term outcomes.

Morality is about following rules, duties, or rights—regardless of outcomes.

Deontology – Certain actions are inherently right or wrong (e.g., Kant’s categorical imperative).
Natural Law Theory – Morality is built into human nature and the structure of the world.
Divine Command Theory – Right and wrong are defined by God’s commands.
Contractarianism (Social Contract) – Morality comes from mutual agreements for cooperation.
Rights-Based Ethics – Individuals have inherent moral rights that must be respected (e.g., life, liberty).

Focus on the moral character of the person acting.

Virtue Ethics – Morality is about cultivating virtues like courage, honesty, wisdom.
Stoic Ethics – Live in harmony with nature and reason; develop inner virtue and control.
Ubuntu Ethics – Morality is grounded in community and shared humanity.
Role Ethics (Confucianism) – Fulfill the duties of your social roles with virtue and harmony.

Morality is rooted in context, care, and connection rather than abstract principles.

Care Ethics – Morality is about caring relationships and responsiveness to needs.
Feminist Ethics – Reframes ethics through gender awareness, emotional reality, and lived experience.
Narrative Ethics – Moral meaning is shaped through stories, identity, and personal context.

These question the foundations, universality, or even existence of moral truth.

Moral Relativism – Morality depends on culture or perspective; no universal truth.
Moral Nihilism – There are no moral truths; morality is a fiction.
Existentialist Ethics – Individuals must create their own values in an absurd world.
Postmodern Ethics – Skeptical of universal rules; emphasizes otherness, difference, and context.
Ethical Intuitionism – Some moral truths are self-evident and known by intuition.
Moral Particularism – There are no absolute rules—only context-sensitive moral reasoning.
Evolutionary Ethics – Evolution shapes moral behavior and beliefs, and what this means for the objectivity and justification of ethics.