ABSTRACT
Chapter 3, “Moral theory,” discusses key concepts related to moral theory that will be relevant in this book. We start with a discussion of the nature of morality. What is the basis of morality, and how can we discuss morality with each other in a productive way? We will then consider some of the main theories about what our moral duties are, and some of the main arguments for and against these theories. Here we focus on Kantianism, according to which morality is a matter of performing certain kinds of actions; utilitarianism, according to which morality is a matter of producing certain kinds of outcomes; virtue theory, according to which morality is a matter of cultivating certain kinds of character traits; and care theory or relational theory, according to which morality is a function of our patterns of care and relationships of dependence. We also discuss ways in which these moral theories might converge or diverge in particular cases.
