Philosophy— systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence,

reason, knowledge, value, mind, and language. It is a rational and critical inquiry that reflects on its pwn
methods and assumptions
-​ From greek words: philo “love”, sophos “wisdom”

Traditional Philosophy
Metaphysics Examining the universe: studies existence Plato

Epistemology Examining Knowledge: investigates the source, ●​ Rene Descartes

means, criteria, possibilities, and limits of human ●​ John Locke
knowledge

Logic Examining reason: the study of correct reasoning Aristotle

Ethics Examining Morals: one of the most central

disciples of philosophy

Aesthetics Examining Beauty: study the mind in relation to Immanuel Kant

the sense of beauty

Ethics and Morality

ETHICS MORALITY

“Theory” of right action and the greater good → “Practice”, rightness or wrongness of human action
“systematic study” of the underlying principles of → “prescriptive”
morality -​ Tells us what we ought to do
-​ Exhorts us to follow the right way

Terrance McConnell (1994): morality is characterized as an “end-governed” rational enterprise whose object
is to equip people with a body of norms that make for peaceful and collectively satisfying coexistence by
facilitating their living together and interacting in a way that is productive for the realization of the general
benefit.
ETHICS= Science of Morals
MORALITY= Practice of Ethics

ETHICS AS A BRANCH OF PHILOSOPHY

-​ One of the most central disciplines of philosophy
-​ Moral philosophy, as it’s concerned with what is morally good and bad, or morally right and wrong
-​ Aka the study of the righteous and virtuous way of living
-​ Branch of philosophy that teaches us how to be in harmony with nature and our surroundings
-​ Aristotle— based his ethics on the virtue of “golden mean” as the highest human value
-​ Eg. modesty is the golden mean between selfishness and extreme generosity

Etymology of Ethics
-​ From greek word: “ethos” character or conduct

Morality and Ethical Behavior

●​ Morality- concerned with the actions and behaviors that relate to concepts of “good” and “evil” within
particular traditions, groups, or individuals
Science of Moral Behavior
●​ Ethics- science that deals with moral behavior, focusing on what is right and wrong, what is good or
evil in human conduct
-​ Establishes principles that guide moral conduct

Analysis of Right and Good

-​ “Right” from Latin words: “rectus” straight or according to rule
-​ Implies a concern with principles that make conduct right or straight
-​ “Good” from German words: “gut” everything useful or serviceable of purpose
-​ Interpreted not merely as a means to an end but as the ultimate end or goal itself
-​ Ethics is concerned with the ultimate end or goal of life, which is the “Summum Bonum” (the highest
good”

Nature of Ethics
●​ Guidance on Human Conduct- ethics guides what humans ought to do in terms of rights, obligations,
fairness, and specific virtues. It addresses issues of proprietary—rightness and wrongness, what is
ethical versus what is unethical
-​ Terms like “proper”, “fair”, and “just” are often used interchangeably with “right” and “ethical”
●​ Challenges in Defining Good- common as equating “good” with pleasure or prosperity, are
addressed. Misconceptions, such while pleasure or prosperity may be good aspects of life, they do not
fully define “good:
-​ Ethical standards must transcend simple definitions of good as pleasure or prosperity
●​ Practical and Theoretical Aspects of Ethics- Ethics involve both theoretical study and practical
application; theoretical discussions form the foundation for practical moral behavior
-​ In Jaina ethics, knowledge precedes compassion, highlighting the importance of understanding virtues
before practicing them
●​ Contemporary Ethical Challenges- western civilization’s emphasis on material progress, separation
of science from religion, and the dualistic approach to ethics have led to moral and spiritual crises
-​ The ethical ideals of Indian sages, seen as universal and timeless, provide lasting solutions to modern
social issues. Ethics, therefore, is concerned with the development of individuals and society in a
harmonious manner

Three major areas of study within ethics:

●​ Meta-ethics–the study of the nature, scope, and meaning of moral statements; delves into questions
about the nature of moral truth, the existence of moral facts, and the semantics of ethical language
●​ Normative Ethics– study of the practical means of determining moral course of action. Normative
ethics addresses questions such as “what should be done?”; concerned with providing guidelines for
determining the ethicality of actions and behaviors
●​ Applied Ethics– its focus is what a person is obligated (or permitted) to do in a certain specific,
real-world situation; topics within applied ethics include:
○​ Bioethics- concerned with issues like medical experimentation, abortion, and end-of-life care
○​ Environmental Ethics- related to our moral responsibilities toward the environment
○​ Business Ethics- dealing with ethical considerations in business practices

A police officer shoots a terrorist who is about to blow up a crowded shopping mall.

METAETHICS: the act of the police officer is morally wrong

NORMATIVE ETHICS: it is the right thing to do in this particular situation
CASUISTS: the police officer is just doing his best to fulfill his duty
Ethics is a science of character
-​ While other sciences focus on what is, ethics focuses on what ought to be
-​ It is concerned with the principles that guide our moral judgements and behavior, making it a normative
science

John Henry Muirhead: ethics isn’t just about everyday behavior, it’s fundamental to legal decisions

Intuitionist
●​ Intuitionists believe that “right” is the most important concept in ethics
●​ This perspective holds that certain actions are inherently right and must always be followed, regardless
of circumstances
●​ This view emphasized duty, meaning that humans are morally obligated to act in accordance with these
ethical laws

Immanuel Kant (Formalist Ethics)- suggests that ethical laws are valuable in themselves, not just as means
to achieve other goals
-​ Kant famously argued that “goodwill” is the only thing that is good without qualification, meaning it is
inherently valuable no matter what the outcome
Formalism; focuses on the inherent rightness or wrongness of actions, guided by principles that can be
applied universally without exceptions

Teleologists
-​ Argue that the ultimate goal of ethics is to achieve “good” ; they believe that duties should be performed
not just for their own sake but to achieve this higher ethical good
Conscience– innate ability that helps us differentiate between good and bad

SUMMATIVE TEST
1.​ In your own words, describe what ethics is and why it is important in human life
-​ Ethics in my own opinion, is the guiding principle of ultimately doing what we perceive is right. It’s
significance to human life is clear because it is the driving force of people to do right by each other,
allowing the community to live and coexist in a somewhat peaceful and harmonious manner. In a
perfect world, everyone would function under ethical principles, however, that is not the case for us.
Despite this, its imperfect existence truly makes the world a happier and safer place to live in.
2.​ Explain how ethics differ from other branches of philosophy
-​ While other branches of philosophy are deeply rooted in the human mind and logic, ethics on the other
hand, focuses on human conscience. The end goal of most branches is to satiation of the brain, the
end goal of ethics is to achieve the common good. It relishes in the idea of things being a certain way,
and any other way from that is wrong or incorrect.
3.​ Discuss what it means for ethics to be a normative science and how this impacts ethical
decision-making.
-​ Ethics is a normative science because certain factors come into play to decide whether an action is
ethical or not. The world is not black and white, while the act itself can be objectively questionable, the
reasoning behind it could make the act ethical. With that being said, ethics being a normative science
helps us to make well thought out and reasonable decisions that will ideally lead us to do what is right.
4.​ Describe and role of ethics in shaping a person’s character and moral integrity
-​ Ethics is ultimately the moral compass of every person, whether the medium is a religion, a philosophy,
or other ways of living, it is undeniable that ethics is the root of a person’s moral integrity. Our
perception of what is good and bad will differ, and our medium of ethics may have clashing beliefs, but
a good person is someone who tries to do their best to make the right decisions and morally sound
actions. Your ethical motivation will ultimately describe and build your character