ethics

• Ethics


  The study of the moral behavior or conduct of man as viewed from the ultimate principles insofar as these principles are known by human reason
• Morality


  Human conduct in the light of ethics
• Ethos


  Greek word meaning character, or a characteristic way of acting
• Moralis


  Latin word meaning customs or manners
• Ethics pertains to the individual character or a person/s, whereas morality seems to point to the relationships among human beings
• In ordinary language, whether we call a person ethical or moral, or an act unethical or immoral doesn't really make any difference
• Ethics (in philosophy)


  The area of study that concentrates on human conduct and human values
• Ethics


  • It is a natural science that employs the power of human reason
  • It is not based on the teaching of the Catholic church or any system of belief
  • It arrives at its conclusion by the use of the human reason, which is philosophy's only tool
• Ethics


  A practical science that applies its principles to human conduct
• Ethics


  A moral science, dealing with the free acts of men
• Material Object of Ethics


  Human acts - acts performed by a man as a man, using both intellect and will
• Formal Object of Ethics


  The moral rectitude of man's human acts in relation to man's natural end
• Sources of Ethical Conclusions

  • Human Reason
  • Experience (Contemporary and historical)
  • Personal Experience
  • Experience of others
• Divine revelation is not a source of ethics but is employed as a check on its conclusion
• Ethics


  The science which guides our human judgment concerning the morality of human acts
• Morals


  Human conduct in the light of ethics
• Ethics


  A science of ideals
• Morals


  The application of ethics
• Parts of Ethics


  • General Ethics
  • Special Ethics
• General Ethics


  Presents truths about human acts, and from these truth deduces the general principles of morality
• Special Ethics


  Applied ethics that applies the principles of general ethics in different departments of human activity, individual and social
• Scientific/Descriptive Ethics


  Observes and collects data about human behavior and conduct, then draws conclusions
• Normative or Prescriptive

  Goes beyond description and wants to know whether human beings should or ought to act in certain ways, prescribing how human beings should behave
• Metaethics or Analytic Ethics

  Analyzes the ethical language, the rational foundation for ethical systems, and the logic and reasoning of various ethicists
• Norm of Morality


  What gives actions the quality of being worthy or unworthy of being chosen
• Proposed Norms of Morality

  • Purely Internal
  • Based on Current Opinions and Customs
  • Norm of Expediency
  • Norm of Preference
  • Situation Ethics
• Morality is not a matter of current opinions or actions of the majority, it is not a matter of what is useful at the moment, of a spirit of altruism, or expediency, or feeling. It is not a matter of social usefulness or sentiments. Morality is intrinsic, objective and unchanging.
• Human Act


  An act that proceeds from the deliberate free will of man, involving both intellect and will
• Act of Man


  An act that is not dependent upon intellect and free will, essentially an animal act
• Essential Attributes of a Human Act

  • Performed by a conscious agent aware of what they are doing and its consequences
  • Performed freely, by the agent's own volition and powers
  • Performed by an agent who decides willfully to perform the act
• Elements Determining Morality

  • The act itself
  • The purpose
  • The circumstances
• Principles for Judging Morality

  • An act is morally good if the act itself, the purpose and the circumstances are substantially good
  • If an act is intrinsically evil, it is not morally allowable regardless of purpose or circumstances
  • If an act is in itself morally good or at least indifferent, its morality will be judged by the purpose or circumstances
  • Circumstances may create, mitigate or aggravate sin
  • If all three moral elements are good, the act is good. If any one element is evil, the act is evil
• Conditions Affecting Morality


  • Ignorance
  • Fear
  • Concupiscence
  • Violence
  • Habit
  • Nervous Mental Disorder
• Conscience


  Our lived knowledge of good and evil, our judgement about how we should act, and our commitment to do so
• Conscience


  The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, often acting as a guide for moral behavior
• Conscience (Freud's concept)


  An internalized set of moral rules and values adopted from authority figures, particularly parents, during childhood
• Moral Decision-Making Processes


  • Identify the moral/ethical issues
  • Moral reasoning
  • Evaluation of Alternative Actions
  • Decision-making
  • Implementation and reflect on the outcome
• Moral Courage


  The ability to stand up for and practice that which one considers ethical, moral behavior when faced with a dilemma, even if it means going against countervailing pressure to do otherwise
• Conscience plays a crucial role in social justice issues by prompting individuals to recognize and address injustices in society
• Conscience and Law


  Conscience represents an individual's internal moral compass, while law is a system of rules established by society to govern human behavior