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Immanuel Kant is known for his deontological moral philosophy, as articulated in the 'Categorical Imperative,' which is a principle stating that one should act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.

Thomas Aquinas integrated Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy, positing that natural law and divine law are the source of moral authority.

Thomas Hobbes' ethical views are famously encapsulated in his social contract theory, where he postulates that in a state of nature, life would be 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,' leading rational individuals to form a commonwealth.

Confucius focused on moral correctness and virtue, emphasizing the importance of Ren (compassion or benevolence), Li (ritual propriety), and Yi (righteousness) in achieving harmonious society.

St. Augustine's ethics were rooted in the belief that God is the supreme good and that evil is a lack of good. He argued for the concept of original sin and the need for divine grace for moral action.

Avicenna contributed to Islamic ethics by integrating Aristotelian ethics within an Islamic framework, which included the development of the soul and the pursuit of happiness through knowledge and virtue.

Carol Gilligan introduced the ethics of care, a feminist critique to traditional ethical theories that emphasizes the importance of care as a fundamental aspect of human life and moral decision-making.

Judith Butler's contributions to ethical philosophy intersect with her work on gender and queer theory, questioning traditional categories and emphasizing the performativity of identity.

John Stuart Mill developed the ethical theory of utilitarianism, which posits that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, typically defined as that which produces the greatest well-being of the greatest number of people.

David Hume is known for his assertion that reason alone cannot be a motive to the will, but rather is the 'slave of the passions' and his skepticism about the existence of objective moral truths.

Baruch Spinoza advocated for a system where ethical conduct is based on the pursuit of self-preservation, rationality, and the love of God, viewing these as manifestations of the same substance.

Simone de Beauvoir is known for her existential ethics and the idea that one's freedom is intertwined with the freedom of others, laying a foundation for modern feminist philosophy and ethics.

Alasdair MacIntyre revisits virtue ethics in his work 'After Virtue,' arguing for a return to Aristotelian ethics and the notion of 'practices' and 'internal goods' as central to ethical life.

Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, includes an ethical system that emphasizes rational self-interest and the rejection of altruism, holding that the pursuit of one's own happiness is the highest moral purpose.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau contributed to ethics with his views on the natural goodness of humanity and the corrupting influence of society, advocating for a social contract that allows for individual freedom within a communal framework.

Aristotle's ethical theory is known as virtue ethics. He proposed the concept of the Golden Mean, where moral virtue is an appropriate location between two extremes.

Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism posits that humans are condemned to be free, must bear the weight of their choices, and that existence precedes essence, shaping his approach to ethics.

Adam Smith, known primarily for his economic theories, also contributed to moral philosophy with the idea of the 'invisible hand' and the role of sympathy in moral judgments.

Jeremy Bentham is often regarded as the father of utilitarianism. He introduced the principle of the 'greatest happiness for the greatest number' as the measure of right and wrong.

G.E. Moore's Principia Ethica advances the idea of moral non-naturalism and posits the 'naturalistic fallacy,' which is the idea that one cannot define good in terms of natural properties.

Henry Sidgwick is known for his work in utilitarian ethics, especially in 'The Methods of Ethics.' He considered ethical judgments to be based on rational intuitions, which must aim at the general happiness.

G.E.M. Anscombe's modern moral philosophy reintroduced virtue ethics to contemporary debates. Her work criticized consequentialism and Kantian ethics, advocating for a return to Aristotelian moral theory.

John Locke's ethical theories are grounded in natural law and the rights of individuals, significantly influencing modern political ideologies and the formulation of social contract theory.

Michel Foucault's work in ethics is associated with his ideas about power, knowledge, and the subject, wherein he examines how ethical relations are shaped by practices of power and regimes of truth.

Friedrich Nietzsche challenged traditional moral values with his concept of master-slave morality and his proclamation that 'God is dead,' which marked a profound shift in the moral landscape.

Socrates is recognized for his contribution to ethics, particularly through his Socratic method of dialogue and his belief in the pursuit of virtue as essential for a good life.

Plato, a student of Socrates, advanced many philosophical ideas in ethics, including the Theory of Forms and the idea that the just person is happier than the unjust person.

John Rawls proposed the theory of justice as fairness, including the original position and the veil of ignorance as tools for determining the principles of justice.

Peter Singer is a contemporary philosopher known for his work in bioethics and animal rights, advocating a utilitarian approach to ethical issues that expand the circle of moral concern.