The most recent tendencies in western philosophy are logical positivism and humanism. While the former decides the philosophical method, the latter decides the ultimate end. According to humanism our ultimate ideal is the establishment of a human society in which human values will be given highest place.
Thus moral problems today are being discussed on a wider stage as compared to earlier time. In the 20th century one finds dozens of ethical theories being propounded in the West which do not agree over the fundamentals. They have approached the moral problem through different methods and different standpoints.
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They have presented mutually contradictory ideas concerning moral problems and moral field. Their philosophical language is very much dissimilar. Of these theories the most important representative moral theories are as follows:
1. Sceptic theories:
These theories raise doubt in the rational meaning of moral judgment Moral judgments; according to them are emotive expressions. This class includes the logical positivists, the behaviorists and psycho-analysts and Sceptic theory in sociology.
2. Approbative theories:
According to these theories moral predicates are not rational though they involve some rational element. In fact they are a probative and very much based upon emotions and likes and dislikes. These theories include moral sentiments theories, social approbative theories and religious approbative theories.
3. Process theories:
According to these theories the moral concepts aim at the progress of a dynamic process which being always incomplete cannot fix the moral interpretations. This classification includes evolutionary theories, Marxist theories, Pragmatist theories and Humanist theories.
4. Psychological theories:
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According to these theories moral predicate is not rational but has psychological value. The good means according to desire, liking or feeling which are psychological states and the right means their progress. This class of moral theories includes hedonistic theories, feeling theories and theories based upon likes and dislikes.
5. Intuitive theories:
According to these theories moral predicates are unique and cannot be explained in terms of any other types of experiences.