In the article “Frameworks for Ethical Analysis,” four commonly used ethical frameworks are outlined. Reading through them reminded me of past articles and textbooks I’ve studied in my business ethics course. In that class, we also focused on ideologies such as utilitarianism, consequentialism, autonomy, and virtue ethics. Each framework offers a different lens through which ethical decisions and actions can be examined, and together they help explain the reasoning behind why individuals or organizations make certain choices. This article reinforced those concepts by providing clear definitions of each framework and how they apply to ethical judgment.

Michael Reiss, a bioethicist, emphasizes an important point, people do not need to share the same ethical viewpoints in order to reach consensus. Instead, what matters is the ability to respect, acknowledge, or even avoid conflict when perspectives differ. This idea highlights the practicality of ethics, not as a rigid system where everyone must agree, but as a tool for navigating complex human interactions in ways that allow collaboration and mutual respect.

Reiss also discusses the four frameworks in more depth, and his descriptions closely align with material I encountered in my coursework, particularly when learning about how philosophers approached these concepts. For example, in The Sovereignty of Good, Iris Murdoch explores virtue ethics and argues that “the good” should be seen as an objective reality, an ideal that individuals strive toward. Murdoch believed that goodness is less about following strict rules or calculating outcomes, and more about cultivating moral character. Her perspective resonates with Reiss’s description of virtue ethics, which emphasizes traits such as honesty, kindness, patience, and thoughtfulness. Both perspectives highlight the importance of character-building over rule-following. Virtue ethics asks us to consider who we are becoming as individuals, not just whether our actions meet societal standards or maximize utility.

Murdoch, Iris. The Sovereignity of Good. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970. 

“Frameworks for Ethical Analysis.” Science Learning Hub, 2007, www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2146-frameworks-for-ethical-analysis.