ethics

• Ethics is the philosophical science dealing with the morality of human acts
• Ethics is derived from the word “Ethicos” which means “custom” or “character”
• Ethics is often called “moral philosophy”
• Ethics deals with the principles and laws governing the morality of human acts
• Morality of human acts refers to the goodness or badness, rightness or wrongness, or the acceptability or unacceptability of human acts
• Difference between Ethics and Morality:

  • Morality comes from the Latin word “mos” or “moris” which means “custom”
  • Ethics provides principles on the morality of human acts and theoretical knowledge
  • A man can be moral if he applies ethics
  • Ethics provides the theory or principles of right or wrong, while morality actualizes the theory
• Division of Ethics:

  • General Ethics: presents truths about human acts and deduces general principles of morality
  • Special Ethics (Applied Ethics): applies the principles of general ethics in different departments of human activity, individual, and social
• Importance of Ethics:

  • Ethics means living in a proper way and developing a good moral character and virtues for man to find perfection and understand his purpose of existence
  • Everybody aims to have peace and harmony among all people, which is the common interest of the people and the government
• Relationship of Ethics to Other Sciences:

  • Ethics and Sociology: Sociology studies society and culture, while Ethics is concerned with the moral order including social order
  • Ethics and Psychology: Psychology studies behavior and cognitive processes, while Ethics is concerned with moral obligation
  • Ethics and Logic: Logic is the science of reasoning, and Ethics is the science of good living that presupposes correct thinking
  • Ethics and Law: Laws imposed by society must be fair, just, and for the welfare of the majority, not offensive to morality
• Relationship of Ethics to Other Sciences:

  • Ethics and Art: Artistic creations should have a noble purpose and not be offensive to morality, reflecting beauty and inspiring people
  • Ethics and Education: Education liberates from ignorance, including ethical standards and societal laws, guiding individuals to live morally
  • Ethics and Political Science: Political Science studies state and government, concerned with material needs, while Ethics is for the spiritual
• Morality is the moral code of an individual or society

  Etiquette is a set of rules for well-mannered behavior

  Law consists of statutes, regulations, common law, and constitutional law, developed by governments to provide balance and protection to citizens
• Definition of Human Act:

  • Man is a rational being who acts in accordance with the laws of nature
  • To live in accordance with the laws of nature, man must act in accordance with them
  • Man is an animal, but he alone has the capacity to think and decide on actions proper to him as a rational being
• Human Acts:

  • Actions or activities that emanate from the rationality of a man
  • Examples include: voting for a candidate, deciding, teaching, loving, hating, attending a party, reading, studying, etc.
• Elements of Human Act:

  1. Knowledge:

  • The agent knows what they are doing and the results, whether good or bad

  2. Freedom:

  • The person is not pressured and is free from external forces beyond their control

  3. Voluntariness:

  • The agent does the act out of their own decision and will
• Classifications of Human Act:

  • Elicited Act:
  • Begins and ends in the will without bodily involvement
  • Commanded Act:
  • Requires both mind and body (Mind-Body act)
• Elicited Acts according to Paul Glenn:

  1. Wish:

  • Desire or longing for an object, possible or impossible to realize

  2. Intention:

  • Purpose or aim, a determination to act in a certain way, attainable or not but not obligatory

  3. Consent:

  • Affirmation of the will to go on the intention of the agent
• Elicited Acts according to Paul Glenn:

  4. Election:

  • The agent chooses a way to carry out their intention

  5. Use:

  • After selecting the means, the mind uses them

  6. Fruition:

  • Result of the desired object being obtained
• Morality of Human Act:

  • Refers to the goodness or badness of an act
  • Includes "Morally good" and "Morally evil"
• Sources of Morality:

  • Morality depends on:

  1. The Object: The aim or goal of the act

  2. End or Intention of the Agent: Means of attaining the object

  3. Circumstances: Environments or conditions prevailing when the action is done, including who, what, where, when, and why the action was performed
• Circumstances:

  • Circumstances, including the result of the act, contribute to the increasing or diminishing moral goodness or badness of the Human act