Kinds of Ethics

Dr. Suparto, S.S., M.Hum.

The Menu

Hedonism Puritanism Utilitarianism Deontological

Ethics
Hedonism
01

Hedonism is among the oldest, simplest and

most widely discussed theories of ethical values.
It is the view that ‘pleasure is good’. Hedonism
holds that the only thing that ultimeately ever
makes the world or a life, better is its containing
more pleasure and less pain.

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The term hedonism is sometimes used to refer to
doctrine about other topics: universal hedonism Psychological hedonism refers to the view that
and psychological hedonism. all human behavior is ultimately motivated by
Universal hedonism stands for the view that we desires to obtain pleasure or avoid pain.
ought to bring the greatest balance of pleasure
over pain into the world that we can.
Hedonism
04

An important distinction among kinds of values is

the distinction between something’s being good
for some person (or other subjects) and
something is simply being a good thing.

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The former kind of values makes our lives better,
or makes things for better us, while the latter kind Therefore, we can distinguish hedonism about
of values makes the world better. warfare from hedonism about what is called
Typically, whenever a person receives some impersonal value.
benefit,or has his life made better, this also
makes the world better.
It is at least unconceivable that the two come
apart, as one undeserving person receives some
benefit, making things go better for him without
perhaps making the world better.
Hedonism
07

The second distinction in value is the distinction

between intrinsic and instrumental value.
Many things that are commonly described as
good are merely instrumentally or good for what
they bring about, or prevent.

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Example:
It is sometimes good to take medicine, but taking Hedonism holds that states of pleasure are
medicine is good only because of what else it intrinsically good and states of pain are intrinsically
might bring, such as health. Medicine, important bad, whether for their subjects, or impersonally as
as it is, is of mere instrumental value. But if some well.
things are of instrumental value, some other
things must be good in themselves, or of intrinsic
value.
Hedonism
10

What are pleasure and pain?

In ordinary English, the term hedonist connotes
someone devoted to his/ her own sensual pleasure.
The philosophical doctrine of hedonism does not
imply that one should be devoted exclusively to
one’s own pleasure, and moreover,

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it affirms that the values of all kinds of pleasure or
merely sensory of pleasure. Hedonists also recognize the value of
Any hedeonist will agree that the pleasure of
pleasure of falling in love, helping friends,
eating chocolate, getting high, and having sex
solving problems, etc.
makes one’s life go better in themselves.
Several a) Felt-equality theory

Theories
The view that pleasure is a single, unanalyzable sensation
or feeling, something in the general category as a taste
sensation, and one that happens to be caused by the
varied activities and states listed in paragraph above. Their
relations to our desires.

b) Attitudional theory
What pains and pleasure in common are their relations to our
desires.
All pains are when experienced unwanted, and pain is worse or
greater the more it is unwanted.
This theory avoid the result that it is possible to be completely
unbothered by anything yet still be in pain, since it is reasonable
to maintain that dislike and aversion are ways of being bothered
.
What determines the intrinsic value of a pleasure or pain?
The longer and stronger the
There are three factors pleasure, the better.
that determine this Intellectual pleasure is of more
value: intrinsic value than a sensory
pleasure of equal intensity and
duration

What are they?

Intensity Duration Quality

 What about happiness?
To be happy is to experience a favorable balance or pleasure
over pain during a time.
Puritanism
It refers to belief and practices characteristic of someone who holds religious values in
Puritanism
his/her life.
It can also refer to strictness and austerity especially in matters of religion or conduct.

Puritanism Puritanism initially emerged from traditional ideas of which background is religious
matters.

Puritanism can affect social change.

Puritanism

Puritanism seems a religious movement of which main goal is to purify religious values
Puritanism
fom which people can practice religion as the way the religion is.
Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism Utilitarianism Utilitarianism Utilitarianism

It refers to an ethical and Etymologically, it is This school of thought Referring to this theory
moral theory theorizing from Latin word: utilis assumes that something the aim of deed or
that a proper conduct is that means useful, is good if the thing is behavior is at least to
a conduct that can benefit. useful and beneficial. lessen avoiding
maximize utility or disadvantage resulted
maximizing happiness Another term for this On the other hand, from someone’s deed
and minimize pain. school of thought is the something wicked or bad either it is for oneself or
greatest happines refers to something that others.
theory. is unuseful and no In brief, getting greater
benefit. happiness and lessening
pain is the main
assumption to do of this
school of thought,
 Someone should behave accordingly,
1 therefore the one can maximize happiness
and minimize pain.

Moral behavior can be ethically justified if

Assumptions 2 the behavior can produce much more

goodness.

of In general, moral values or dignity of

Utilitarianism 3 behavior is valued based on its goodness or

badness.

Greatest usefulness should be the main

4 parameter of ethical matters.
This criterion must be applied to
consequences resulted from ethical
judgement.
 Deontological
1) Categorical imperative Ethics
It refers to the self-consciousness
of doing something. It refers to ethical, normative
It implies that someone must be perspective that assumes that
autonomous or self-regulated morality of action is based
person to do something. obedience to rules.
Another term of this ethical school
of thought is duty/ obligation-
based ethical values.
2) Hypothetical imperative This ethical theory is diametrically
opposed to utilitarianism.
It refers to the tendency of
Components of deontological
someone to do something because
ethics:     
of being reigned by someone.
It implies that such a one belongs
to heteronomous person.
Someone will do something if there
is someone who makes him/ her
do.
“Bila kau tak mau merasakan lelahnya belajar, maka kau akan
menanggung pahitnya kebodohan.”
–Imam Syafi’i-

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