Key Ethical Principles

In defining ethics as guidelines for our presentations our Hilton Head Ethics Society, our founders chose to quote the following five definitions as suggested guiding principles for our discussions:

• Deontological (Duty Bound) ethics suggests that a person will follow his or her obligations to another individual or society because upholding one’s duty is what is considered ethically correct.
  
  
• Utilitarian ethics employs the choice that yields the greatest benefit to the most people.
  1. Act utilitarian ethics is one in which a person performs the acts that benefit the most people
  2. Rule utilitarian ethics seeks to benefit the most people but trough the fairest and most just means available.
     Therefore, added benefits of rule utilitarianism are that it values justice and includes beneficence at the same time.
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• Rights ethical theory sets forth the rights as set forth by a society to be protected and given highest priority. Rights are considered to be ethically correct and valid since a large or ruling population endorses them. Individuals may also bestow rights upon others if they have the ability and resources to do so.
  
  
• The Casuist (experiential) ethical theory is one that compares a current ethical dilemma with examples of similar ethical dilemmas and their outcomes. This theory applies a possible solution according to the in similar experiences of others in prior, similar situations.
  
  
• The Virtue ethical theory judges a person by his character rather than by an action that may deviate from his normal behavior. It takes the person’s morals, reputation and motivation into account when rating an unusual and irregular behavior that is considered unethical.

Our mission is to become better informed ethically and to engage in meaningful discussion about the many complex issues of our time.