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The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. Prominent philosopher: Friedrich Nietzsche.

Focuses on the role of character traits in our cognitive activity and the pursuit of truth. Prominent philosopher: Linda Zagzebski.

The belief that humans cannot discover or know moral truths. Prominent philosophers: David Hume, J.L. Mackie.

Ethical theory which posits that what is moral and immoral is commanded by divine authority. Prominent philosopher: Robert Merrihew Adams.

Ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether the action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action. Prominent philosopher: Immanuel Kant.

An ancient philosophy positing that the best indication of an individual's philosophy is not what a person says but how a person behaves. To live a good life, one has to understand the rules of the natural order since they teach about virtue. Prominent philosopher: Epictetus.

A meta-ethical theory that suggests that ethical sentences express emotional attitudes rather than propositions with truth values. Prominent philosopher: A.J. Ayer.

The belief that ethics are meaningless, there is no inherent morals and that any sense of morality is false. Prominent philosopher: Friedrich Nietzsche.

A branch of philosophy that studies the ethical relationship between human beings and the environment. Prominent philosopher: Aldo Leopold.

Ethical theory stating that humans naturally know the difference between good and evil, and this knowledge is intuitive. Prominent philosophers: G.E. Moore, W.D. Ross.

The concept that morality is not universal and is instead determined by cultural, societal, or personal circumstances. Prominent philosopher: Gilbert Harman.

A feminist philosophical perspective that emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships and care as a basis for ethics. Prominent philosopher: Carol Gilligan.

The doctrine of flexibility in the application of moral laws according to circumstances. Prominent philosopher: Joseph Fletcher.

Focuses on the inherent character of a person rather than on specific actions. Prominent philosophers: Aristotle, Alasdair MacIntyre.

The belief that our morality comes from nature and can be understood through reason. Prominent philosopher: Thomas Aquinas.

An ethical theory that judges whether or not something is right by what its consequences are. Prominent philosophers: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick.

The ethical belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, regardless of the context of the act. Prominent philosopher: Immanuel Kant.

Centers on individual autonomy and the necessity of making reasoned decisions despite existential angst. Prominent philosophers: Jean-Paul Sartre, Søren Kierkegaard.

Denies the existence of objective moral facts. Prominent philosopher: J.L. Mackie.

Emphasizes that the morality of actions is judged according to a universal law, which Kant referred to as the Categorical Imperative. Prominent philosopher: Immanuel Kant.

Based on the idea that moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement between the individuals to form a society. Prominent philosophers: Thomas Hobbes, John Rawls.

An ethical theory that pleasure is the highest good and proper aim of human life. Prominent philosophers: Epicurus, Robert Nozick.

Centers on how gender intersects with ethical choices and analysis. It emphasizes the importance of mutual care. Prominent philosophers: Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings.

Ethical statements can be true or false, but their truth or falsity is dependent on the attitudes or feelings of the individuals making or hearing the statement. Prominent philosopher: David Hume.

An ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality. Prominent philosopher: Ayn Rand.

A consequentialist theory focused on maximizing overall happiness or utility. Prominent philosophers: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill.

The belief that there are objective moral facts and ethical statements correspond to these facts. Prominent philosophers: G.E. Moore, Derek Parfit.

Ethical theories which prioritize action, practicality, and the functionality of moral resolution over fixed ideological doctrines. Prominent philosopher: William James.