Six principal ethical philosophies can and should be used to analyze a situation. They are the categorical imperative, utilitarianism, hedonism, the golden mean, the golden rule, and the veil of ignorance. These are the principle theories that have survived from 2500 years of Western moral philosophy. They are familiar to all who have grown up in the US or other European-influenced cultures. Aspects of these theories are evident in our public policies, laws, and social conventions.

Categorical Imperative Immanuel Kant, born in the East Prussian city of Kšnigsberg established the concept of the categorical imperative in the 18th century. Categorical means unconditional, without any question of extenuating circumstances, without any exceptions. Right is right and must be done even under the most extreme conditions. Consistency is the key to the categorical imperative philosophy. Once a rule is established for a proposed action or idea, behavior or opinions must be consistently and always applied in accordance with it.
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Utilitarianism British philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill developed the philosophy of utilitarianism, which is the belief in "the greatest good for the greatest number of people.'' In utilitarianism, various consequences of an act are imagined, and the outcome that helps the most people is the best choice under the circumstances. However, Mill specified that each individual's moral and legal rights must be met before applying the utilitarian calculus. Although an act might not be beneficial to a few individuals, it might result in helping many.
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Hedonism From the Greek word for pleasure, hedonism is closely related to the philosophies of nihilism and narcissism. A student of Socrates, Aristippus (who died in Athens in 366 B.C.E.) founded this ethical philosophy on the basis of pleasure. Aristippus believed that people should "act to maximize pleasure now and not worry about the future.'' However, Aristippus referred to pleasures of the mind-intellectual pleasures-not physical sensations. He believed that people should fill their time with intellectual pursuits and use restraint and good judgment in their personal relationships. His phrase sums up the hedonistic philosophy: I possess; I am not possessed. Unfortunately, modern usage of the philosophy ignores his original intent. Phrases such as "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,'' "live for today,'' and "don't worry, be happy'' currently express the hedonistic philosophy. In other words, if an opinion or action is based purely on a personal motivation-money, fame, relationships, and the like-the modern interpretation of hedonistic philosophy is at work.
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Golden Mean Aristotle's golden mean refers to finding a middle ground or a compromise between two extreme points of view or actions. Formulated in about the fourth century B.C., this philosophy of taking the middle way doesn't involve a precisely mathematical average but is an action that approximately fits that situation at that time. Compromise and negotiation are actions aimed at finding a link between the opposing viewpoints of two competing interests.
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Golden Rule The golden rule teaches people to "love your neighbor as yourself.'' From Judeo-Christian tradition, this philosophy holds that an individual should be as humane as possible and never harm others by insensitive actions.
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Veil of Ignorance The phrase "shoe on the other foot'' is a popular adaptation of the veil of ignorance philosophy. Articulated by John Rawls in 1971, it considers all people equal. No one class of people is entitled to advantages over any other. Imagining oneself without knowing the advantages or positions that one brings to a situation results in an attitude of respect for all involved. This philosophy may be one answer to prejudice and discrimination.
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