What normative ethical theory is the best at dealing with moral problems?

The question asks which normative moral theory is the best at serving some kind of purpose, so to properly answer this question we need to consider multiple normative moral theories. The three main theories to be considered are: utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics. These will be discussed in due course. The question asks us specifically which is the best at 'dealing with moral problems'. We need to unpack this to be sure of what our answer requires. It seems to suggest a practical aspect of how we might go about weighing up two actions against one another. This suggests we are looking for a moral theory which helps us deal with problems and as such, we are probably also looking for a theory which is easy to navigate in terms of decision making for the agent. Now we are clear on that, we can weigh up each of the theories in regard to these aspects of the question. The first moral theory we can assess is utilitarianism. This is a consequentialist moral theory which places virtue on the utility or usefulness of the actions. In its most simple form (often attributed to Bentham) it provides a calculus of things to consider when making a moral decision. Some of these include: duration of potential suffering caused, certainty of outcome, and the extent of pleasure/pain. It is about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. The good thing about this theory is that it provides us with a clear route to decision making via a calculus like model. In comparison to the other two theories this is a benefit of Utilitarianism. Deontological ethics is ruled by duties we have as people to act in certain ways towards each other, but since duties can clash, and often do in moral decisions, this provides us little help with the decision making aspect of the question. In other words, it is not a useful tool in the same way utilitarianism is. Virtue ethics is guided on enhancing the moral capacity of the moral agent. It doesn't provide a tool for how to choose between two difficult actions but looks to develop a moral character. One might raise the objection that character is developed via the process of decision making, and we may need help at first to do this. In light of this, it is clear that utilitarianism is the best normative moral theory in terms of helping us to make moral decisions via a distinct method. However, it will have some problems as a result of its simple approach, which I am happy to discuss in the lesson.