Alternative Ethical Theories

One set of alternative ethical theories that I came across during my research are the theories of W.D. Ross. William David Ross (1877-1971) is best known for his contributions to moral philosophy and the study of classical literature (Simpson 2015). With regards to ethics, his greatest accomplishment was forming a new ethical theory. Ross’s view of morality is pluralistic, in that there is not just one source of morality but many. Promoting happiness and avoiding unhappiness is one source of morality but not the only one. He believed that there are other sources of morality as well, such as the need for self-improvement, our past actions, fairness for all, justice, etc. Acting in a moral way means balancing different obligations coming from different sources of morality. When making ethical decisions, we must be aware of the “prima facie” duties (Sadler 2013). These duties are fidelity, reparation, gratitude, justice and fairness, beneficence, self-improvement, and non-malfeasance. After considering all of these duties (in a way, one could think of them as rules of thumb), one must choose which ones apply for a given situation. Certain duties can override others as the situation calls for. …show more content…
Scheffler’s views are based on what he calls an “agent centered prerogative” (Foust 2009). His philosophy places emphasis on the different types of values that exist and the way, in some situations, a certain value can have a different meaning to one person as opposed to another. Some values can have special weight, such as the way one values family, friends, and spouses versus the way one values the need for the common good of society. When the agent is faced with a moral decision and attempting to predict its possible consequences, some values might at times have to take precedence over