Which ethical term refers to judging actions by universal moral duties rather than outcomes?

Which ethical term refers to judging actions by universal moral duties rather than outcomes?

• A. Utilitarian
• B. Ethics of care
• C. Ethics of virtue
• D. Ethical formalism

Answer: (D)

Actions are judged by universal duties rather than outcomes in ethical formalism. This approach treats moral rules as binding for everyone, regardless of what results follow. The key idea is that a principle guiding action should be something you could will to become a universal law. For example, if you consider lying to get out of trouble, you test whether the rule “it's okay to lie when convenient” could be willed as a universal norm. If everyone lied in such situations, trust and the practice of making promises would collapse, so the action fails the test. Therefore, the rightness of an action is determined by whether it respects duty, not by the consequences it produces. This stands in contrast to utilitarian ethics, which focuses on outcomes; ethics of care, which emphasizes relationships and context; and virtue ethics, which centers on character and virtue.

Actions are judged by universal duties rather than outcomes in ethical formalism. This approach treats moral rules as binding for everyone, regardless of what results follow. The key idea is that a principle guiding action should be something you could will to become a universal law. For example, if you consider lying to get out of trouble, you test whether the rule “it's okay to lie when convenient” could be willed as a universal norm. If everyone lied in such situations, trust and the practice of making promises would collapse, so the action fails the test. Therefore, the rightness of an action is determined by whether it respects duty, not by the consequences it produces. This stands in contrast to utilitarian ethics, which focuses on outcomes; ethics of care, which emphasizes relationships and context; and virtue ethics, which centers on character and virtue.