Ethics is a branch of philosophy.

Philosophy

- Etymologically, it comes from two Greek words “philo or philein” which means love or
friendship for, and “sophia” which means wisdom. This etymological definition leads to its real
definition which is “it is love of wisdom.”
- Loving wisdom means lookines not to look for something that he does not desire to find. One
does not, searching, and finding. But one dot looks for something that he does not desire to
discover. To desire to discover means to move, to do, and to act.

Philosophers’

1. Saint Augustine, a bishop, tried to explain and justify certain religious points of view.

2. René Descartes, a scientist, attempted to interpret the meaning and importance of various scientific
discoveries and theories.

3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a writer and composer, fomented the French Revolution, and provided a
basic framework for classical republicanism which we presently experience in the forms of civil society,
our citizenship, and mixed governance.

4. Blaise Pascal, a mathematician and theologian, attempted to help in computing large numbers by
inventing the Arithmetic Machine, or the first calculator which evolved as the personal computer.

5. John Locke and Karl Marx, have philosophized in order to effect certain changes in the political
organization of society.

6. Carol Gilligan, a psychologist, was interested in justifying or promulgating the innate capacity of
women to effect change in the society through care-based ethics. This later on evolved as the advocacy
and programs aimed at promoting women in nation building.

Ethics is about making a decision and acting on that certain decision when we are confronted with two
conflicting values which are both good but we cannot choose both, or which are both evil but which we
cannot refuse to choose one.

Ethics is a philosophical science that deals with the morality of human behavior viewed from the
ultimate principles insofar as these principles are known by human reason.

Immediate cause

- Merely addressing immediate causes is a quick fix method of addressing the problem.

Ultimate cause

- Addressing the ultimate cause is eliminating the series of immediate causes that will end up at
the first cause. This is called root cause analysis.
VIRTUE ETHICS

 Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, is one of the greatest minds of all time. The most gifted student
of Plato (who is the student of Socrates), he showed great admiration to his teacher by
criticizing some of his teacher’s theories.
 Aristotle’s ethics, also called virtue ethics, can be summarized into his philosophy of the Golden
Mean, sometimes known as the philosophy of moderation.
 The goal of an individual person’s life is to attain the highest good, and this highest good which
is happiness (eudemonia) is the end (telos) toward which all human activity is directed. It can
therefore be said in simple terms that all our acts are directed to attain happiness which can be
defined as continuous contemplation of eternal and universal truth.
 How does one attain his highest good? One attains happiness by a virtuous life. A virtuous life is
attained by avoiding the two extremes. The two extremes are the deficiency and excess. The
extremes are called vice; while the mean is called virtue. One who acts in either of these two
extremes is acting viciously. The mean or the middle of these extremes is virtue. This is called
the golden mean. A person who acts according to this golden mean is a person of virtue, or a
virtuous person. A virtuous person is a person of wisdom.
 Telos=purpose
 For Aristotle, courage is the mean between rashness and cowardice. It is wrong to say that a
courageous person does not fear anything, but rather someone who faces fears and fears what
he should fear for the right reason, in the right manner and at the right time.
 The highest good, which is happiness, must also involve pleasure. A person or a professional
who does find pleasure in truthfulness, impartiality, balance and objectivity will never be happy.

TYPES OF ETHICS:

Meta-ethics

Deals with questions about the nature of ethical theories or moral judgments, such as the
question whether moral judgments are objective or not. For instance, questions like What is the
nature of “good”? Is the good whatever that leads to the greatest happiness for the greatest
number? Or it is whatever that helps a person realize his potentials which potentials will lead to
open the potentials of other persons? These are examples of meta-ethical questions. They are
meta-ethical because they go beyond limitations of race, nation, profession, or physicality. They
are questions that matter to all people despite differences in situations. These are question that
go beyond one’s border. Answers to these questions are shared by all human race, whether or
not Asians, Americans, Africans, Europeans, etc.

Normative ethics

 Seeks to set norms or standard of conduct which an organization, institution, country or

profession should follow.

Applied ethics

 Deals with the application of normative ethical theories to practical problems. It attempts to use
philosophical methods to identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human
life.
  Ethics as a course uses a philosophical method to identify a moral course of action. That method
is the use of reason, not the use of emotion.
 Applied ethics is about making a decision and acting on that certain decision when we are
confronted with two conflicting values.
 Emotions are not a good basis for decisions. In the same manner, when we are confronted with
ethical dilemmas in whatever sphere of life we find ourselves into, reason, not emotion, should
be used.
 arguments from emotions
 arguments from reason

Distinction: Morals, Ethics and Morality

Morals

 When we speak of morals, it refers to the individual’s code of behavior which may come from
religion, culture, principles, or beliefs which are not right or wrong but which may or may not be
based on reason. In short, morals may or may not be rational.

Ethics

 When we speak of ethics, it refers to a rational way of deciding what is good for the individual or
society, which means not just to the self.
 The principle of Categorical Imperative which states that an act is right not because of
the outcome but because of the means. This is the principle where the famous quote
“the end does not justify the means” come from.

Morality

 Morality is a judgment that can be attributed to a certain behavior which follows from an
execution of a decision based on certain philosophical principles.

ETHICS:

 deals with principles that guide an action, conduct, behavior, or decision, hence it is
science of morality.
 the science of morality.
 teleological, from the term “telos” which means purpose.
 gives birth to other disciplines – political science, history, psychology, sociology, all
social disciplines