Morality Evaluation: Two Perspectives from Motivation Theory and Consequentialism
Abstract
Morality is a significant component of human behaviour norms and plays a crucial role. With the involvement of morality, a fundamental question must be asked: which behaviours should be considered “good”, and which should be considered “evil”? This involves the issue of the ethical evaluation criteria of morality. Among the whole question, it is clear that the standard that is truly important to morality evaluation should be discussed. Obviously, different theories have different attitudes toward it. For example, utilitarians insist that the value of morality comes from fulfilling people’s need, especially their emotional requirements, which means that only a movement that leads to a “good” result can be appraised as moral; moreover, deontologists argues that morality is made to demonstrate the transcendental and inevitable essence of human beings, such as liberty or free will, in other words, morality should be used to describe a motive which is accord with the essence. By discussing the debate between motivation theory and consequentialism, this article aims to investigate the two most important criteria for the evaluation of morality: whether it is universally valid and whether it is operable. Moreover, the analysis and discussion contribute to a more in-depth understanding of the fundamental ethical issue of identifying “goodness”.
References
- Krebs, D. L., & Denton, K. (2005). Toward a More Pragmatic Approach to Morality: A Critical Evaluation of Kohlberg's Model. Psychological Review, 112(3), 629–649.
- Sanghera, B. (2016), Charitable giving and lay morality: understanding sympathy, moral evaluations and social positions. The Sociological Review, 64: 294-311.
- Christen, M., Ineichen, C., & Tanner, C. (2014). How "moral" are the principles of biomedical ethics?--a cross-domain evaluation of the common morality hypothesis. BMC medical ethics, 15, 47.
- Smith, A. (2002). Adam Smith: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy) (K. Haakonssen, Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Hume, David (1998 [1751]). An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals: A Critical Edition, ed. Tom L. Beauchamp. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Hume, David (2007 [1739-1740]) A Treatise of Human Nature: A Critical Edition, ed. David Fate Norton and Mary J. Norton. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Hume, David Essays Moral, Political, and Literary, ed. Eugene F. Miller, revised edition, (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1987).
- Ten, C. (Ed.). (2009). Mill's On Liberty: A Critical Guide (Cambridge Critical Guides). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Bentham, J. (1988). The Principles of Morals and Legislation.
- Immanuel Kant: Werke in zwölf Bänden. Band 7, Frankfurt am Main 1977, S. 11. Erstdruck: Riga (Hartknoch) 1785. Der Text folgt der 2. (verbesserten) Auflage, Riga (Hartknoch) 1786.
- Irrlitz, G. (2002). Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten (1785). In: Kant-Handbuch. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart.
- Irrlitz, G. (2015). Kritik der praktischen Vernunft (1788). In: Kant-Handbuch. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart.
- Immanuel Kant. (1913). Kritik der praktischen Vernunft. Kritik der Urtheilskraft. De Gruyter.
- Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1976). Marx & Engels Collected Works Vol 05: Marx and Engels:1845-1847. London: Lawrence & Wishart.
- Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1998). The German Ideology: including Theses on Feuerbach and an Introduction to the Critique of Political Economy. Prometheus Books.
- Kai Nielsen. (1989). Marxism and the moral point of view: morality, ideology, and historical materialism, Westview Press.