Course Overview

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Social Sciences

 Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students must be able to:
• Understand the nature, concept and coverage of ethics
• Learn the principles that govern ethics
• Illustrate the aspects that govern value judgements
• Comprehend the importance of studying ethics

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Social Sciences

 What is ethics?

Ethics is a system of moral principles that concern with what is

good for individuals and society, also known as moral philosophy.

It is a discipline in philosophy that concerns with what is morally

good and bad and morally right and wrong. The term is also applied
to any system or theory of moral values or principles.

The term is derived from the Greek word ethos which mean
custom, habit, character or disposition.

Ethics covers the following dilemmas:

- how to live a good life
- rights and responsibilities
- the language of right and wrong
- moral decisions (what is good and bad?)
 What use is ethics?

If ethical theories are to be useful in practice,

they need to affect the way human beings behave.

Some philosophers argue that if a person

realizes that it would be morally good to do
something, then it would be irrational for that person
not to do it.
.
 Philosophy and
Ethics
Ethics is one of the branches of philosophy that is also
called Moral Philosophy

Philosophy is a systematic study of general and

fundamental questions concerning topics like existence,
reason, knowledge, value, mind, and language.

Philosophy is a rational and critical inquiry that

questions and reflects about the reality of beings. It comes
from two Greek words Philia which means “love” and Sophia
which means “wisdom”. Hence, philosophy is “Love of
Wisdom”.
 Branches of Philosophy

1.Metaphysics: Study of the fundamental nature of reality

2.Epistemology: Study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
3.Ethic: Study of what is right and wrong in human behaviour
4.Aesthetics: Study of beauty and taste
5.Logic: Study of the nature and types of logic
6.Political Philosophy: Study of government, addressing questions about the
nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions
7.Philosophy of Religion: It is a philosophical examination of the central
themes and concepts involved in religious tradition and it is a study of the
meaning and nature of religion. Philosophy of Language:
8.Philosophy of Science: Understanding the implications of scientific
discoveries on concepts of reality.
9.Philosophy of the Mind: Exploring consciousness and its relation to the
physical world.
10.Axiology: Study of values and value judgments
 Ethics and Morality

Many scholars and researchers don't differentiate

between morals and ethics because they're very similar.
Many definitions even explain ethics as a set of moral
principles. Morality and ethics are therefore used
interchangeably.
Ethics consists of the fundamental issues of practical
decision-making, and its major concerns include the nature of
ultimate value and the standards by which human actions can
be judged right or wrong. hi a

Morality is a person’s or society's idea of what is right

or wrong, especially in regard to a person's behavior.
 Ethics and Morality Difference

Morals are considered guidelines that affect

individuals, and ethics are considered guideposts
for entire larger groups or communities. Ethics
are also more culturally based than morals.

Morality is a more intersubjective

community assessment, while ethics is
an individual assessment of values.
 Origin of Ethics
Where does ethics come from?

Philosophers have several answers to this question:

*God and religion

*Human conscience and intuition
*A rational moral cost-benefit analysis of actions and their effects
*The example of good human beings
*A desire for the best for people in each unique situation
*Political power

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Social Sciences

 Divine Origin

A modern theist might say that, since God is good, God could not possibly approve
of torturing children nor disapprove of helping neighbors. In saying this, however, the
theist would have tacitly admitted that there is a standard of goodness that is
independent of God. Without an independent standard, it would be pointless to say that
God is good; this could mean only that God is approved of by God.

It seems therefore that, even for those who believe in the existence of God, it is
impossible to give a satisfactory account of the origin of morality in terms of divine
creation. A different account is needed.

There are other possible connections between religion and morality. It has been
said that, even if standards of good and evil exist independently of God or the gods,
divine revelation is the only reliable means of finding out what these standards are. An
obvious problem with this view is that, those who receive divine revelations, or who
consider themselves qualified to interpret them, do not always agree on what is good
and what is evil.
Without an accepted criterion for the authenticity of a revelation or an
interpretation, people are no better off, so far as reaching moral agreement is
concerned, if they were to decide on good and evil themselves, with no assistance from
religion.
 Religion as the Source

There are other possible connections between religion and

morality.
It has been said that, even if standards of good and evil
exist independently of God or the gods, divine revelation is the
only reliable means of determining these standards. An obvious
problem with this view is that those who receive divine
revelations or consider themselves qualified to interpret them do
not always agree on what is good and what is evil.
Without an accepted criterion for the authenticity of a
revelation or an interpretation, people are no better off, so far as
reaching moral agreement is concerned, if they were to decide
on good and evil themselves, with no assistance from religion.
 Theist vs. Atheist
Theist
- a person who believes in the existence of a god or gods,
specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe.

Atheist
- a person who doesn’t believe or lacks belief in the existence of
God or gods.

Theist Similarities Atheist

Theist are more Have Moral Compasses Believe the morality of

inclined • Share moral values an
to endorse moral related to protecting action is based on its
values vulnerable individuals consequences
that promote group and liberty
cohesion
 Ethics is about the 'other'

Ethics is concerned with other people's

interests, with the interests of society, with God's
interests, with "ultimate goods", and so on.
 Ethics provide a moral map

Most moral issues get us pretty worked up -

think of abortion and euthanasia for starters. Because
these are such emotional issues we often let our
hearts do the arguing while our brains just go with
the flow.
 Ethics as source of group strength

One problem with ethics is the way it's often

used as a weapon. If a group believes that a
particular activity is "wrong" it can then use
morality as the justification for attacking those
who practice that activity.
 Good people as well as good actions

Ethics is not only about the morality of

particular courses of action, but it's also about the
goodness of individuals and what it means to live a
good life.
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