Ethics Reasoning

Part of our ethics is understanding Ethics, that is, acting for REASONS and
being able to defend our actions if called upon to do so.

Questioning:
Fundamentals to Ethics
● Why do we suppose that a certain way of acting is right
Philosophy and its opposite wrong?

- The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and ● Why do we decide to consider this way of acting as
existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline acceptable while that way of acting, its opposite,
as unacceptable?
Ethics
● What reasons do we give to divide or to judge that
- Is the part of Philosophy that is concerned with living a certain way of acting is either right or wrong?
well, being a good person, doing the right things, getting
along with others, and wanting the right things in life.
Answers

Ethics ● Fear of punishment

● Desire for reward

- Is a system of moral principles
- Affecting how people make decisions and lead their lives. ● Beyond rewards and punishments, it is possible for our
moral valuation—our decisions and judgments—to be
- Ethics is a concern of character including what we call being a based on a principle
good person
- Ethics is the participation and understanding of an ETHOS;
It is an effort to understand the SOCIAL RULES
Morality
TO GOVERN AND LIMIT ONE’S BEHAVIOR Pre-ordained standards—the sole determinants of what ought to be

Origins - Morality is something more specific, it is a subset of ethical rules

that are of particular importance and transcend the boundaries of
From the Greek word ETHOS, meaning CHARACTER, and the derivative
any particular ethos
phrase TA ETIKA, which Plato and Aristotle used to describe their own
studies of Greek values and ideals.
Origins
➢ The word ETHICS refers both to a DISCIPLINE From the Latin word MOS, meaning CUSTOM
A. The study of our values and their justification
B. The subject matter of that discipline
Ethics VS. Morals
“The actual values and rules of conduct by which we live”
ETHICS and MORALS relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct
➢ While they are sometimes used interchangeably, they are
different
The Three Schools of Ethics
ETHICS MORALS
1. Obligation Ethics
➔ Obligation not only to ourselves but also to society Refers to rules provided by an Refers to an individual’s own
external source principles regarding right and
➔ We are obliged to do or not to do certain actions
wrong
(By: Immanuel Kant) (e.g codes of conduct in
workplaces or principles in
2. Virtue Ethics religions)
➔ Character based principle
➔ Love, respect, honesty

How to Live Your Life

➔ What virtues bring me closer to this goal; which vices prevent me
from achieving it?
➔ Is my behavior consistent with being a moral person?

3. Consequentialist Ethics
➔ Actions aim at bringing about the greatest good for the greatest
number of people.
Is It Good?
➔ What impact is my behavior having on the world?
➔ Am I doing more good or harm by my behavior
Ethics VS. Morals
ETHICS
The rules of conduct recognized in Prescribed do’s and don’ts
respect to a particular class of
human actions or a particular
group or culture.
Principles or habits with
respect to right or wrong
conduct
Can be spoken of as the discipline
of studying and understanding
ideal human behavior and ideal
ways of thinking
Acceptability y
ETHICS
➢ Are governed by professional and legal guidelines within a
particular time and place
MORALS
MORALITY
➢ Transcends cultural norms
Is ultimately a personal
compass of right and
wrong
Moral Courage
Help us in addressing ethical issues and take action in situations when
doing the right thing is not easy
May be used to refer to specific
beliefs or attitudes that people - Involves the willingness to speak out and do what is right in the
have or to describe acts that face of forces that would lead us to act in some other way
people perform

Thus, ethics is With terms such as:

Metaethics
acknowledged as an Moral Judgment/Reasoning
intellectual discipline - Which suggest a more
belonging to philosophy rational aspect
METAETHICS is the study of moral thought and moral language.
➢ Rather than addressing questions about what practices are right
ETHICS MORALS and wrong, and what our obligations to other people or future
Social system—External Individual—Internal generations are– metaethics asks what morality actually is.
Because society says it is Because we believe in
the right thing to do something being right or - It is the study of the nature, scope, and meaning of moral
wrong judgment.

Flexibility y
ETHICS
➢ Are dependent on others for definition
➢ Tend to be consistent within a certain context, but can vary
between contexts

MORALITY
➢ Usually consistent, although can change if an individual’s beliefs
change.

The Limits s
ETHICS
➢ A person strictly following ETHICAL PRINCIPLES may not have any
morals at all.
Likewise, one could violate these Ethical Principles within
a given system of rules in order to maintain MORAL
INTEGRITY

MORALITY
➢ A moral person although perhaps bound by a higher covenant,
may choose to follow a code of ethics as it would apply to a
system
“Make it fit”
Ethics
The subject ethics deals with all the different disciplines of the social
sciences in life

What is ethics all about?

- Ethics is all about the study of what are the good and bad things
to pursue in life
- Deals with the concept of consequences

We are essentially bound by the conduct of our life

Ethical framework
- deals with all our practical reasoning

ETHICS correlates with the law, policy, regulation

➢ Requiring us to study the ethical as well as political domain

The acceptability of an action depends on whether it's in line with cultural

relativity.
(can’t remarry in Christian community, unlike Muslims with
multiple marriages)

Cultural Relativity
★ If you’re performing an action that is against territorial
jurisdiction, then you will be punished
★ With respect to ethical behavior
(e.g proper etiquette)

Ethics in Relation to Religion

Ethics is also biblical
- As such, what the bible says is for the common good is good
(e.g Ten Commandments)

Following the ETHICAL NORMS is paramount

MINOR OFFENSES that can be justified, can be punishable by

certain states and pardoned by others.
(e.g Divorce in the Philippines is unacceptable, unlike in
other nations)

The jurisdiction of territorial integrity are influenced by certain beliefs

from various religions

Therefore, the primary aim in the study of ETHICS is to determine how

one ought to be and what actions they ought to do in the conduct of their
lives.
We are thereby bound by our actions, our emotions

School of Thought
ETHICS pertains to the school of thought