Ethics is also known as moral philosophy. This discipline studies what is morally good and bad, and what is morally right or wrong.
Normative ethical theory branch studies on what people ought to do, in moral sense. There are 2 general theory of normative ethics:
1). The Teleological theory that focuses on consequences, and hence it is outcome based theory or consequentialism. Teleological derives from Greek word telos or "end" / "goal". Ethical egoism is one of them, and it is based on self-interests. This self-interest as principle is not the same as selfishness, that disregard the interests of others. Restricted ethical egoism is further restricted or bounded by law or the norms. Depending on what is considered as important (axiology), an alternative to ethical egoism is utilitarianism which focuses on choice that provides the greatest benefit to greatest number of people. The challenge with this theory is that logical weighing of pros and cons of each options is often complex and not straightforward.
2). The Deontological theory focuses on the intention. Deontological derives from Greek word deon or "duties". This theory argues that decision should be made considering one's rights and duties, thus this theory lays down strict rules. It can be rights based, or justice based. Rights based ethical choice respects the rights of individuals. The challenge with this is that there is no hierarchy of rights, so a right of individual could infringe another right of the other. Justice based ethical choice focuses on providing fairness and equity. This distribution of rights or disadvantages could be very complex, and it can be needs-based, merit-based, or equality-based.
