moralteori

Moralteori (Danish for moral theory) is a field of normative ethics that studies what people ought to value, how they ought to act, and why those judgments are justified. It distinguishes normative ethics from metaethics, which analyzes the meaning and status of moral claims, and from applied ethics, which addresses concrete issues such as medicine, business, and law.

The central aim is to articulate principles that guide moral judgment and to test them against reasons and experience. The main families of moral theory are consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Consequentialism evaluates actions by their outcomes; utilitarianism is a prominent form that seeks the greatest overall good. Deontology emphasizes duties and universal maxims; Kantian ethics centers on respect for persons and rational consistency. Virtue ethics concentrates on character, flourishing, and the cultivation of virtuous dispositions. Other approaches include contractarianism, ethical pluralism, and care ethics, which highlight social cooperation, contextual factors, and relationships.

Scholars use argument, thought experiments, and comparative analysis to develop and assess theories. Metaethical questions about moral realism, moral relativism, and moral psychology intersect with moral theory. Applied branches of moral theory address topics such as bioethics, environmental ethics, and business ethics, illustrating how normative frameworks guide decisions in real life. The field has deep historical roots in ancient philosophy and continues through the work of figures such as Aristotle, Kant, and Mill, as well as contemporary philosophers who explore rational justification and cultural variation in moral judgment.