What Is Utilitarianism? Pleasure, Pain, and the Greatest Good
A thorough guide to utilitarianism: Bentham's hedonic calculus, Mill's higher pleasures, act vs rule utilitarianism, Singer's preference...
April 2026
February 2026
4 Moral Frameworks That Explain Every Ethical Dilemma
Consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, and care ethics each answer hard questions differently.
Rule-Based vs Principle-Based Ethics
Rule-based ethics follows specific rules like 'no gifts over $50'. Principle-based ethics follows general principles like 'act with integrity'.
July 2025
Ethics Explained for Beginners
Ethics studies right and wrong actions. Major frameworks: Consequentialism judges by outcomes, deontology by duties, virtue ethics by character...
May 2025
Consequentialism: When Outcomes Justify Actions
Actions are judged by outcomes, not intentions or rules. Utilitarianism maximizes overall good. Ends can justify means if results are better.
Care Ethics vs. Justice Ethics
Justice ethics emphasizes rules, fairness, and universal principles. Care ethics prioritizes relationships, context, and responsibilities to...
Virtue Ethics Explained
Focus on character, not rules or outcomes. Cultivate virtues like courage, honesty, and compassion. Ask what would a virtuous person do?
Moral Dilemmas: When All Options Seem Wrong
Trolley problem: kill one to save five. No good options exist. Moral dilemmas force choosing between conflicting values with unavoidable harm.
Deontological Ethics: When Rules Come First
Some actions are inherently right or wrong regardless of consequences. Act only on principles you'd want universal. Duties and rules matter most.
Moral Luck: When Ethics Meet Chance
Outcomes affect moral judgment even when control was equal. Drunk driver hitting someone judged harsher than arriving safe despite identical...
Moral Relativism vs. Moral Universalism
Relativism says ethics vary by culture and context. Universalism claims some moral truths apply everywhere. Both have strengths and serious problems.
What Is Moral Progress?
Moral progress means expanding ethical consideration and reducing suffering over time. Challenges include defining progress and handling cultural...
March 2025
What Is Effective Altruism: Evidence, Ethics, and the Limits of Doing Good
What is effective altruism: Peter Singer's drowning child argument, GiveWell, earning to give, longtermism, the Sam Bankman-Fried scandal, and the...
February 2025
What Is Animal Rights? Philosophy, Science, and the Moral Status of Animals
Animal rights philosophy asks whether animals deserve moral consideration. From Peter Singer's utilitarianism to Tom Regan's rights theory,...
July 2023
What Is Moral Relativism?
Moral relativism holds that moral judgments are true or false only relative to a cultural or individual framework.
June 2023
What Is Kantian Ethics?
Kantian ethics grounds morality in reason and duty, not consequences. Explore Kant's categorical imperative, its three formulations, and its...
April 2023
What Is Utilitarianism? Pleasure, Pain, and the Greatest
A thorough guide to utilitarianism: Bentham's hedonic calculus, Mill's higher pleasures, act vs rule utilitarianism, Singer's preference utilitarianism, effective altruism, and objections from Rawls, Williams, and Nozick.
May 2022
What Is Ethics?
Ethics is the branch of philosophy examining what makes actions right or wrong. Explore consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, moral...