Comparative analysis of ethical traditions and their contemporary relevance

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of Western ethical traditions, assessing their relevance for addressing 21st-century moral challenges. Using a hermeneutic-critical methodology, it examines eight ethical systems from Greek antiquity to modernity (Socratic, Aristotelian, Epicurean, Stoic, Kantian, Utilitarian, Nietzschean, and Marxist), identifying their teleological, deontological, and critical-social foundations. The research demonstrates how these traditions engage with contemporary issues including: AI ethics (non-maleficence vs. utility optimization), post-pandemic distributive justice (civic virtues vs. consequentialist calculus), and environmental sustainability (anthropocentrism vs. ecocentrism). Findings reveal three paradigmatic tensions: 1) individualism vs. collectivism in good maximization, 2) universalism vs. normative contextualism, and 3) instrumental rationality vs. practical wisdom. The study concludes by proposing an integrative decision-making model that combines virtue ethics (character development), deontological principles (human dignity), and systemic impact assessment (consequentialism).