Introduction to Ethics

What is Ethics?

For further reading: Ethics in Ancient Greece; Rowe (1991) in Singer (1991)pp121-130

Ethics comes from a

Greek ethos and Ethikos which mean custom and character.

Hence Ethics is

sometimes referred

as moral philosophy ,

moral ethics or

philosophical ethics.

In Latin Ethics is used

as mors or moralis still to mean behavior

Ethics

definition

Ethics

definition

Moral principles that control and influence a persons conduct/behavior/character

A science that aims to clarify from a rational point of view, the nature of mans moral life, i.e, what makes a persons life good or bad.

A part of philosophy

that studies the right

and wrong in human

conduct . It seeks to

examine the meaning

and value of moral

life.

Ethics is the attempt to clarify how people ought to live. It elucidates the nature of the

good person and the good life, telling us how

to flourish or live well, and it characterizes

the obligations we have, enabling us to

identify what we must to. Is the wide range

study of right and wrong , as well as good

and bad, insofar as these pertain to conduct

and character. Luper (2002) pp 15.

The subject matter of Ethics is the concept

of good.

Aristotle says that the good is that at which all things aim teleological- ( end based) view. Good actions should lead to a good

end.

Ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings

provide important information for our ethical

choices. Some people have highly developed

habits that make them feel bad when they

do something wrong, but many people feel

good even though they are doing something

wrong

Ethics is not religion. Many people are not

religious, but ethics applies to everyone.

Most religions do advocate high ethical

standards but sometimes do not address all

the types of problems we face.

Ethics is not following the law. A good system

of law does incorporate many ethical

standards, but law can deviate from what is

ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt,

as some totalitarian regimes have made it.

Law can be a function of power alone and

designed to serve the interests of narrow

groups. Law may have a difficult time

designing or enforcing standards in some

important areas, and may be slow to address

new problems.

Ethics is not following culturally accepted

norms. Some cultures are quite ethical, but

others become corrupt -or blind to certain

ethical concerns

Ethics is not science. Social and natural

science can provide important data to help

us make better ethical choices. But science

alone does not tell us what we ought to do.

Science may provide an explanation for what

humans are like. But ethics provides reasons

for how humans ought to act. And just

because something is scientifically or

technologically possible, it may not be

ethical to do it.

Ethics Studies two Objects:

-The Material Object; which are the human

acts. These are acts carried out consciously

and willingly.

Acts of man are those carried by us without

our control

- Ethics studies the formal object which the

morality of human acts. It studies the view

point of perspective form which one deals

with something. Human acts studied from

the perspective of the final goal.

As a theoretical science it studies human acts

so as to reflect on the morality of these acts.

As a practical science it aims at changing the

lives of those who study it.

Normative science , it establishes norms,

rules of conduct to help people choose what

is good.

Morality; Descriptive Definition: is the code

of conduct put forward by society or group or

as accepted by an individual for his/her own

behavior .

Normative definitive: code of conduct that

given specified conditions would be put

forward by all rational persons.

Ethics and Morality are both normative

because they both; Judge conduct as good or

bad

Balance what ought to be done and what

ought not to be done

Consider the good , the self and the other

Apply to day to day living and are applicable

to all areas of social life

Students to brain storm

Psychology

Agriculture

Economics and Business

Law

Sociology

Supernatural world

Human Being

Non-human ( living and Non living, natural

and unnatural)

N.B The way we relate with these three worlds

determines how we are judged. i.e.

Right/wrong or good/bad or as responsible or

irresponsible.

Firstly; We judge our selves. Through societal practices and norms and through the conscience.

Conscience understood in three ways:

As an act: it is the ability of the faculty to distinguish whether ones actions are right or wrong.

As a state: It is also conformity to ones sense of right conduct.

As an object: it is the inner sense of what is right or wrong in ones conduct or motives, impelling that person to act accordingly.

N.B The conscience is the intellects practical judgment about individual acts as good to be done or evil to be avoided. The conscience therefore helps us in the reasoning process to evaluate whether the acts are right or wrong.

A conscience can be correct or erroneous, certain or doubtful.

A conscience can be correct or erroneous, certain or doubtful.

A correct conscience judges what is right as good and what is evil as evil.

An erroneous one judges what is evil as good and what is good as evil. Leads to mistaken or incorrect judgment

A certain conscience; A state of mind which has no prudent fear of being wrong about its judgment on some moral issue and firmly decides that some action is right or wrong.

A doubtful Conscience makes us hesitate to make judgments.

N.B Conscience, does not invent truth, nor

does it construct truth; rather, conscience

can only discern, discover and detect the

truth.

Secondly; we are judged by Society.

Thirdly we are judge by God

Pre-conventional Stage

right and wrong is learned from the parents.

Conventional stage

Post Conventional stage

Right and wrong seen from a universal point

of view as ideally found in principles that

would apply to any reasonable person.

Human acts have both positive and negative

effects on the actor.

They are self referential. The actor suffers

the consequences of his/her actions.

Creates a habit or character in the actor. A

habit is Disposition that allows us to do

things more easily and readily. We become

what we will.

Amoral experience is attained which

influences all future actions.

Man being born inherently free, means that

human freedom is responsible freedom.

Responsibility means that we are then

accountable for the effects of our actions.

Dignity means the respect one earns through

his/her actions. We are the measure of our

own dignity.

Man being a free and rational being, who

wills what he/she wants, should act

responsibly/in an acceptable manner

because he/she is accountable for the

outcome of his/her actions in that society

respects, despises us according how we

act. Our freedom is meant to perfect us,

lead us o self realization and determination;

because mans actions expresses what you want to become. Man can use freedom to be

happy and get self fulfillment or use it to get

frustrated and get to self degradation.

Respect for humanity and environment

Honesty: to uphold and defend the truth at all

times

Justice and fairness

Hard work for self reliance

Integrity, moral uprightness and sound character

Creativity and innovativeness

Social responsibility

Social Harmony

National Unity

National consciousness and patriotism.