What is the difference between consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics?

Kant: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

In this course, Professor Adrian Moore (University of Oxford) explores Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals through eight key questions. In particular, we think about the fundamental difference between the three main strands of moral philosophy (consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics), Kant's various formulations of what he calls the categorical imperative (as opposed to the hypothetical imperative), the relationship between the categorical imperative and the will of God, and the relationship between ethics and free will.

What is the difference between consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics?

In this module, we think about the difference between the three main strands of moral philosophy—consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.