Something can only be held morally responsible for an event if the something is an agent
The agent must also have the capacity to understand what they are doing, plus the consequences of their actions
Actions also need reason - they cannot be done out of desire or fear
Desire and fear come over us
We make decisions based on pain and pleasure
If we know the consequences of an action are going to be painful, chances are that we don't make that decision
Pleasure is represented as good, pain is bad
Pain makes people worse off and pleasure makes people better off
Pleasure and happiness are considered to make life better for people - ahead of life, money and knowledge
If pleasure and happiness are desireable, why do those who follow 'different sexualities' considered to be deviant or unnatural?
There are differences in what is regarded as morally acceptable pleasures
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Consequentialism - Baggini and Fosl (2007)
The wrongness in actions is determied by the consequences
Someone would think about the consequences of an action before doing it, weighing up whether or not the consequences of the action make it worth it or not
But just because a bad action has little to no consequences does not make it right, because the action is still wrong
There could be consequences
Drunk-driving is wrong no matter what, but if someone does it and has no consequences - it makes it okay according to consequentialism
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Deontological Ethics - Baggini and Fosl (2007)
In this view, morals are bound up with duties and responsibilities
Regardless of the consequences
Duty rooted in principle must be the sole source of moral action
There are problems with this because someone's duties or responsibilities may cause bad consequences
For example if someone feels they have a duty to protest against violence in a war, their consequence could be death
This is Kant's model of ethics
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Virtue Ethics - Baggini and Fosl (2007)
Virtues regard characteristics of people
It is not focussed on how one should act, but what kind of person they should be
Right actions are defined by the virtues of those who performed the act
Habits are linked with virtue ethics because how a person’s character forms is based a lot on their habits
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