{ "api": "YAML JSON TOON Database", "version": "1.0.0", "format": "json", "dataset": { "id": 72, "slug": "ethics-moral-philosophy", "title": "Ethics and Moral Philosophy", "description": "Normative ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, social contract theory, and applied ethics dilemmas (trolley problem, privacy, bioethics).", "summary": "The major theories of moral philosophy: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics and social contract theory, with the trolley problem as a thought experiment. Each entry gives founders, the core principle, strengths, criticisms and variants.", "use_when": [ "You need an even-handed summary of a major ethical theory with its main objections.", "You are analyzing a dilemma from more than one ethical perspective." ], "caveats": [ "The theories are frameworks; many philosophers combine elements or work with other approaches such as care ethics.", "The summaries describe positions, not endorsements." ], "related": [ "philosophical-traditions", "major-philosophers", "criminal-law-terms", "economic-systems" ], "category": "Philosophy", "category_slug": "philosophy", "tags": "philosophy,ethics,moral-philosophy,utilitarianism,deontology,virtue-ethics,trolley-problem,applied-ethics", "view_count": 0, "created_at": 1778695229, "updated_at": 1778695229, "entry_count": 5, "fields": [ { "section": "theories", "field": "name", "type": "string", "example": "Utilitarianism (Consequentialism)" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "founders", "type": "array", "example": "[3 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "core_principle", "type": "string", "example": "Maximize overall happiness/well-being; the righ…" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "formula", "type": "string", "example": "Choose action A that maximizes Σ(utility of all…" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "strengths", "type": "array", "example": "[3 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "criticisms", "type": "array", "example": "[3 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "variants", "type": "array", "example": "[2 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "kant_formulations", "type": "array", "example": "[2 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "aristotle_virtues", "type": "array", "example": "[3 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "eudaimonia", "type": "string", "example": "Human flourishing; living in accordance with re…" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "rawls_veil_of_ignorance", "type": "string", "example": "Principles of justice chosen behind a veil of i…" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "rawls_principles", "type": "array", "example": "[2 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "scenario", "type": "string", "example": "A runaway trolley will kill 5 people. You can p…" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "variations", "type": "array", "example": "[2 items]" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "ethical_analysis", "type": "object", "example": "{utilitarian,deontological,virtue_ethics}" }, { "section": "theories", "field": "significance", "type": "string", "example": "Reveals tension between consequentialist and de…" } ] }, "data": { "theories": [ { "name": "Utilitarianism (Consequentialism)", "founders": [ "Jeremy Bentham (founder; hedonic calculus)", "John Stuart Mill (higher/lower pleasures; 'better to be Socrates dissatisfied')", "Peter Singer (preference utilitarianism; effective altruism)" ], "core_principle": "Maximize overall happiness/well-being; the right action produces the greatest good for the greatest number", "formula": "Choose action A that maximizes Σ(utility of all affected beings)", "strengths": [ "Intuitive appeal of maximizing well-being", "Impartial (everyone counts equally)", "Provides clear decision procedure" ], "criticisms": [ "May justify harming minorities for majority benefit", "Difficult to calculate consequences", "Demands too much (constant sacrifice for others)" ], "variants": [ "Act utilitarianism (evaluate each act)", "Rule utilitarianism (follow rules that maximize utility)" ] }, { "name": "Deontology (Duty Ethics)", "founders": [ "Immanuel Kant (categorical imperative; duty-based ethics)", "W.D. Ross (prima facie duties)" ], "core_principle": "Actions are right or wrong in themselves, regardless of consequences; morality is about following universal moral laws", "kant_formulations": [ { "formulation": "Formula of Universal Law", "description": "Act only on maxims you can will to become universal law" }, { "formulation": "Formula of Humanity", "description": "Treat humanity (yourself and others) always as an end, never merely as a means" } ], "strengths": [ "Respects individual rights and dignity", "Clear moral rules", "Doesn't sacrifice individuals for collective good" ], "criticisms": [ "Rigid rules may conflict (lying to protect innocent)", "Ignores consequences entirely", "Difficult to derive specific duties" ] }, { "name": "Virtue Ethics", "founders": [ "Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics; eudaimonia; golden mean)", "Alasdair MacIntyre (After Virtue; traditions and practices)" ], "core_principle": "Focus on character and virtues rather than rules or consequences; asks 'What would a virtuous person do?'", "aristotle_virtues": [ { "virtue": "Courage", "mean_between": "Rashness (excess) — Courage (mean) — Cowardice (deficiency)" }, { "virtue": "Temperance", "mean_between": "Licentiousness (excess) — Temperance (mean) — Insensibility (deficiency)" }, { "virtue": "Generosity", "mean_between": "Wastefulness (excess) — Generosity (mean) — Stinginess (deficiency)" } ], "eudaimonia": "Human flourishing; living in accordance with reason and virtue; not mere pleasure but fulfilling one's function as a rational being", "strengths": [ "Holistic (considers whole life, not isolated acts)", "Emphasizes moral education and character development", "Flexible and context-sensitive" ], "criticisms": [ "Virtues vary across cultures", "No clear action guidance in specific cases", "Circular: virtuous person = one who does virtuous acts" ] }, { "name": "Social Contract Theory", "founders": [ "Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan; state of nature = 'nasty, brutish, short')", "John Locke (natural rights; limited government)", "Jean-Jacques Rousseau (general will; popular sovereignty)", "John Rawls (A Theory of Justice; veil of ignorance)" ], "core_principle": "Moral and political obligations arise from implicit agreement among individuals to form society and submit to authority for mutual benefit", "rawls_veil_of_ignorance": "Principles of justice chosen behind a veil of ignorance (not knowing your position in society) would be fair to all", "rawls_principles": [ "Equal basic liberties for all", "Social and economic inequalities arranged to benefit the least advantaged (difference principle)" ], "strengths": [ "Explains legitimacy of political authority", "Grounds rights in rational agreement", "Rawls provides framework for distributive justice" ], "criticisms": [ "Historical fiction (no actual contract was made)", "Excludes non-rational beings (animals, disabled)", "May not generate specific policy guidance" ] }, { "name": "The Trolley Problem", "scenario": "A runaway trolley will kill 5 people. You can pull a lever to divert it, killing 1 person instead. Should you pull the lever?", "variations": [ { "variant": "Fat Man", "description": "You can push a fat man off a bridge to stop the trolley. Is this different from pulling the lever? Why?" }, { "variant": "Transplant Surgeon", "description": "A surgeon can kill 1 healthy person to harvest organs and save 5 patients. Is this the same as the trolley case?" } ], "ethical_analysis": { "utilitarian": "Pull the lever: 1 death < 5 deaths (maximize lives saved)", "deontological": "Don't pull: actively killing is morally different from letting die; using someone as a means is wrong", "virtue_ethics": "What would a wise and compassionate person do in this situation?" }, "significance": "Reveals tension between consequentialist and deontological intuitions; used in AI ethics and autonomous vehicle programming" } ] } }