Reviewed question · Ethics & Morality
What makes an action morally right or wrong?
Moral theories disagree about whether rightness depends on consequences, duties, virtues, or care.
This page maps defensible perspectives. It does not present one philosophical answer as settled fact.
Why it matters
A question with consequences
This question sits behind everyday decisions, public policy, and ethical dilemmas.
Background
- Consequentialists prioritize outcomes.
- Kantian theories prioritize duties and respect.
- Virtue ethics asks what a wise and good person would do.
Three ways into the problem
These traditions disagree about what deserves the most weight. Each card is a starting position, not a verdict.
Deontological
Some actions are right or wrong because of duty, not only results.
Associated thinkers: Immanuel Kant
Utilitarian
Moral choices should reduce suffering and increase well-being overall.
Associated thinkers: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill
Care ethics
Relationships, dependence, and response to need are central moral facts.
Associated thinkers: Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings
“Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.”
“We are what we repeatedly do.”
Reflection sequence
Test your first answer
- 01Can a harmful act be right if it prevents worse harm?
- 02Are motives or results more important?
- 03What moral rule would you not want universalized?
Reference desk
Sources and further reading
- 01
Continue the path
Related reviewed questions chosen for conceptual overlap.