Eettisyyskriteereitä

Eettisyyskriteereitä refers to the principles and standards used to evaluate the ethicality of actions, decisions, or policies. These criteria help individuals and groups determine whether something is morally right or wrong, good or bad. Different ethical frameworks propose various sets of criteria.

One common set of criteria stems from utilitarianism, which judges actions based on their consequences. The utilitarian criterion asks whether an action maximizes overall happiness or well-being and minimizes suffering for the greatest number of people. Another important criterion comes from deontology, which focuses on duties and rules. Deontological criteria assess whether an action adheres to universal moral laws or obligations, regardless of the outcome. For example, the principle of not lying is a deontological criterion.

Rights-based ethics offers another perspective, emphasizing the fundamental rights that individuals possess. Ethical actions, according to this view, respect and protect these inherent rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and property. Virtue ethics, on the other hand, evaluates actions based on the character of the person performing them. The criterion here is whether the action is consistent with virtuous character traits like honesty, courage, and compassion.

In practice, applying eettisyyskriteereitä often involves balancing these different perspectives. Complex ethical dilemmas may require considering consequences, duties, rights, and character simultaneously to arrive at a well-reasoned ethical judgment. The specific criteria used can also depend on the context, such as in business ethics, medical ethics, or environmental ethics.