Final answer:
The approach to ethics that emphasizes duty as the basis for determining the rightness of an action is deontology. This perspective focuses on moral rules and duties, as highlighted by Immanuel Kant's categorical imperatives, and differs from the consequentialist and character-based ethics such as utilitarianism and virtue ethics, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The approach to ethics that considers doing one's duty as the right thing to do is c) Deontology. This ethical framework focuses on adhering to one's duties or rules to determine the moral rightness of an action, as opposed to considering the outcomes of actions. Immanuel Kant, a prominent figure in deontological ethics, introduced the idea of categorical imperatives, which are rules or norms any rational being should follow because they are principles of rational conduct.
In the realm of deontology, actions are considered right if they conform to these correct rules or duties, such as the duty to always tell the truth. This perspective is distinct from utilitarianism, which is a consequentialist theory that regards the rightness of an action as being determined by its outcomes, specifically the amount of happiness it generates. Meanwhile, virtue ethics shifts the focus to the development of moral character and habits that facilitate right actions. Pluralistic deontologists, like Sir William David Ross, argue that our moral duties are not absolute but rather context-dependent, needing consideration of all relevant factors in a given situation.