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ETHICS
(ETHICS 1)

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INSTRUCTOR: RICHEL J B. RODRIGO, LPT CONTACT #: 09709072373

Topic: MEANING, NATURE AND SCOPE OF ETHICS

Discussion:

Objectives:
 To explain the meaning of ethics.
 To discuss how ethics is different from other sciences.
 To elaborate the content and problem of moral consciousness.
 To explain the role of ethics in the operation of human conduct.

Introduction:
Ethics is the philosophical study of morality. It is one of the main branch of philosophy which corresponds to
the traditional division of philosophy into formal, natural and moral philosophy. It can be turned into a general
study of goodness, right action, applied ethics, meta-ethics, moral psychology and metaphysics of moral
responsibility. The general study of goodness and right action is the main task of ethics. It has correlatively its
substantive question as: how are we rational beings and what moral principles should govern our choice and
pursuit?

Meaning of Ethics:
The word Ethics is derived from the Greek word ‘ethos’ which means character or conduct. Ethics is also called
as moral philosophy or philosophical thinking about morality. This morality has been further elaborated as
action and behavior which is concerned with ‘good’ or ‘evil’, of particular traditions, groups or individual.

The term ‘moral’ and ‘ethical’ is often used as equivalent to right or good as opposed to ‘immoral’ and
‘unethical’. It doesn’t mean morally right or morally good but it definitely pertains to morality.

Ethics is that science which is concerned with moral behavior or with right or wrong and good or evil of human
behavior. It propounds those principles which make our conduct moral. It becomes clear when we explain the
derivation of the words right and good. The word right is derived from Latin word ‘rectus’, which literally
means ‘straight’ or ‘according to rule’. It means that we are concerned with those principles which make our
conduct right or straight.

The analysis of the word ‘right’ explains one aspect of ethics. Rules are the means and whenever there are
means, there must be an end or goal as well. If Right is the mean of conduct, then the question arises that what
should be its end. We get the answer to this only when we analyses the word good which is derived from the
German word ‘gut’. Gut means everything useful or serviceable for some end or purpose. When we say that
such and such school is good, what we actually mean is that it is useful for education of the children. Thus in
our daily life we do not interpret good as something which is useful for some end rather we mean by it, the end
or good itself. So we arrive at the conclusion that ethics is concerned with end or goal of life. As we know in
our life and in the lives of others there are innumerable things that can be regarded as good. Ethics as a science
is not concerned with particular good of the individuals; on the contrary it is concerned with the supreme goal
or the ultimate end with reference to which the entire life of individual is directed – the ‘Summum Bonum’.

Nature of Ethics:
Ethics refer to guide what human ought to do, usually in terms of right, obligations, fairness and specific virtue.
It is related to issues of propriety –rightness and wrongness, what is right in ethical, what is wrong in unethical.
Sometimes the word ‘proper’ , ‘fair’ and ‘just’ are also used in the place of right and ethical.

A layman might remark that ‘pleasure is good’ or prosperity of nation is good. The gravity of the problem arises
when we equate pleasure or prosperity with good. It may be agreed upon that pleasure or prosperity is one of
the good things of life. But no man with a sane head on his shoulder would assert that good is nothing but
pleasure or prosperity is the definition of good. At the time of Plato and Aristotle a good man or ethical man
was the one who was a good citizen.

Ethics is a normative science:

It is mainly concerned with what ought to be done rather than what is the case. It differs from positive science.
A positive science is concerned with facts and explains them by their causes, but ethics deals with values. It
evaluates standard or norms by which we can judge human action to be right or wrong. Logic and Aesthetics are
also considered as normative sciences.

Ethics is a science of Character:

Ethics is different from natural and factual science: it is a normative science.
Every science is concerned with a particular department of knowledge. So ethics as a science has its own
particular sphere. It deals with certain judgments that we make about human conduct.

In the word of Muirhead “Ethics is not merely concerned with temporal behaviour but it forms the basis of legal
decision”. According to Intuitionists ethics is the science of right. Right is the basic concept. It ought to be
obeyed under all circumstances. It is the duty to act in accordance with laws and wrong to act against them.
Man is bound to follow them; this view is called duty predominating ethics.

According to Formalist ethical laws are end in themselves. They are not meant to some other ideal. Immanuel
Kant held that goodwill is the only jewel. He meant that there is nothing in the world or even out of it that can
be called good without qualification, except good will. The conscience is innate and it acquires the knowledge
of good and bad easily.

Ethics is not a practical science:

Ethics is not a practical science: it only guides us to achieve a specific goal.
Its way is not like practical science which is a means for the realization of an end or ideals. For example, the
medical science is a means to remove the causes of disease. So ethics tries to see what the ultimate goal of life
is and how this goal can be reached.

Ethics is not an art:

Art depends upon result while ethics is based on motive. In the words of
Mackenzie, in art the ultimate appeal is to the work achieved, whereas in morals the ultimate appeal is to the
inner harmony. Art especially deals with acquisition of skill to produce objects. So ethics is different from art
because it consists of goodness which is really intrinsic end. Mackenzie again points out that ethics can never be
regarded as an art because virtue has two special features that are not at all significant in art. First of all virtue
implies activity. We cannot regard a man virtuous as long as he is not the one who knows morality, but one who
actually practices it. In case of an art the possession of skill is more important than the actual activity. In other
words a good painter is one who can paint beautiful; a good man is not one who can, but one who acts rightly.
A good painter is good when he is asleep or on a journey. A good man is not good when asleep or on a journey.
Thus goodness is not a capacity or potentiality but an activity. That is why Aristotle points out that ‘virtue is a
kind of habit’. It is the habit of right choice. In other words virtue is a synthesis of knowledge and habit,
consciousness and activity, thought as well as will.

Scope of Ethics:
The scope of ethics includes its own subject-matter. Ethics is a normative science that deals with moral ideals or
good in the nature of our conduct. As a science of morality it does not enquire into the origin of human conduct
but emphasizes on the contents and various problems of moral consciousness like motives, intentions, voluntary
actions and so on.

Every science and subject has got a fixed area of study. It moves within the ambit of that subject matter. Ethics
has also an area of study. The problem of ethics is related to our daily life. It is one of the important fields of
study in modern times and without morality no human institution can progress. Ethics is a study of those
cherished ideals and values which is vital for the growth, development and progress of human society. It is a
matter of regret that people have forgotten the higher values of life and are hankering after power and money.
Prof. Mackenzie says “The materialization of value has lowered down morals of human society”.
Thus morality is an important trait of human personality. The Scope of Ethics is wide which is mainly
concerned with the principles or causes of action as:

- What obligation is common to all?

- What is good in all good acts?
- The sense of duty and responsibility.
- Individual and Society.
In moral sphere:
Ethics seeks to undertake a critical study of the various ideals that have been advocated by different thinkers
from time to time. It accounted for various virtues and vices lived by men in relation to their dealing with
others. It has been held that a life of virtue can bring about the good for the individuals as well as for the society
- that virtue accounted man will also be a good citizen. The life of virtue is also called a life of reason. Thus
virtue and reason has been the main concerns of the moralists. The state of moral progress is possible only when
this unity is fully manifested in the conduct of its members.

In Social sphere:
As we know in every society there are institutions, customs and conventions. But with the passage of time, they
exert undesirable influence on the minds of the people. Ethics give us a moral insight and points out how they
are to be reformed.

In Religious sphere:
It primarily is concerned with the problems as the existence of God, immortality of the soul, religious
consciousness etc. The Indian ethics has been treated as a religious discipline to attain salvation (Moksha). Even
in the west certain thinkers like Kant, and Spinoza, understood ethics to be a practical discipline, through which
human life carries in its essential existence. Religious influences are subject to the already set moral and
spiritual principles. Religion and morality are deeply related to each other. Morality encourages finer values and
virtues in the field of religion. It is thus of great help in purifying the dogmatism of religion.

Political Consideration:
A moral conduct is concerned for political considerations. All political considerations ultimately are judged by
the moral ideals as aspirations of the people. The institutions like Democracy, Fascism, and Communism etc.
have to be subjected to the rule of law and ethics must have an upper hand. After all, human personality would
be reflected through an ethical way of life.
 ACTIVITY
ETHICS

NAME:_______________________________ YEAR/COURSE/MAJOR:_________ _____ SCORE:__ ___

INSTRUCTOR: RICHEL J B. RODRIGO, LPT WEEK 1-2

ESSAY.

1. Define the meaning of ethics.

2. What we know about the nature of ethics?

3. Is ethics is normative Science. Define

4. Why we study of Ethics?

5. Is ethics help in social Perspective?