A moral theory is a set of concepts, rules and principles that serve as guides to the resolution of ethical dilemmas; they also purport to tell us how we ought to behave. Various objectives have been ascribed to the purpose of morality. These include the minimization of evil, the maximization of the good, fidelity to moral principles, and the minimization of the harms caused by flawed human nature. A major problem with moral theories is that in specific circumstances we may believe in two moral principles, but to honor one of the principles we are forced to violate the other. This conundrum has been said to cause “irresolvable perplexity”. Topics addressed include the objective of morality, whether objective moral truth exists, the origins of altruism, the distinction between a moral obligation and a moral ideal and other issues that complicate moral deliberation.
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