Approaches to Ethics There are three basic approaches to ethics, each focusing on a different aspect: Name Focus Example Virtue Ethics Integrity Greek heros Deontology Rules Kant Consequentialism Outcomes “The ends justify the means” Most schools of ethics are a mixture of the three, but you can find some examples of purish versions, e.g. Stoicism is a pretty pure form of Virtue Ethics, Kant’s categorical imperative an example of Deontology, and Utilitarism an example of Consequentialism.
