ETHICS 3.

To be able to live virtuously, you must possess knowledge of

what truly these virtues entail.
Module 9 : Virtue Ethics
Why knowledge is important according to Socrates?
 Virtue Ethics as a moral system places emphasis on developing
good habits of character, like kindness and generosity, and avoiding VIRTUE
bad character traits, or vices, such as greed or hatred.
: behavior showing high moral standards.
 Virtue-based theories give importance to moral education which
The holiest form of living is virtue; if you are virtuous, you will also
molds individuals to habitually act in a virtuous manner. Focusing find happiness.
on the character of the agent, virtue ethics describes right actions as
those chosen and performed by a suitably virtuous person. SOPHISTS

 Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize the role of These are the people who considered themselves a philosopher that
character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than either doing conduct organized debates.
one’s duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences. A “THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING”
virtue ethicist is likely to give you this kind of moral advice: “Act as
a virtuous person would act in your situation.” - SOCRATES

Ethical Teachings of Socrates As the modern society has adopted democracy as the more right form of
governance, Socrates was actually very critical of it.
What are Socrates three ethical rules?
Socrates offers three argument in favor of the just life over the unjust
life: (i) the just man is wise and good, and the unjust man is ignorant The three Socratic principle
and bad ; (ii) injustice produces internal disharmony which prevents
1. DISCOVER AND PURSUE YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE
effective actions; (iii) virtue is excellence at a thing's function and the
2. CARE FOR YOUR SOUL
just person lives
3. BE A GOOD PERSON
The ultimate aim of Socrates’ philosophical method is always ethical.
The Three Socratic Principles
Socrates believed that if one knows what the good is, one will always do
what is good. 1 . Discover and Pursue Your Life's Purpose
THREE-PART LOGICAL PROGRESSION OF THE CORE OF Strive to discover who you are, what is your life mission, and what
SOCRATES you are trying to become.
1. The supreme form of living is a virtuous life. 2. Care for your soul
2. A virtuous life is the source of happiness and a fulfilled life.
• Had to be nurtured and protected
 • Gaining wisdom would save the soul
• This would lead the person to living a virtuous life
3. Be a good person and you will not be harmed by outside forces
• If your soul is good, then outside forces cannot not harm
you.
• The body may be harmed by another person, but the soul
cannot unless you allow yourself to become susceptible to
others.
• By way of practicing self-evaluation if you wish your soul to
be liberated from outside harm.
ALL DESIRE THE GOOD
Socrates believes that humans only desire the good. All bad things
are done not because they’re bad but for something else that is good.
When a thief steals, he steals because he believes it is beneficial in
some way. His action is thus directed towards the good because this
is what he truly wants. Socrates also states that all who desire bad
things do not know that they are truly bad or else they would not
desire them. So, people desire good things even when they lack the
knowledge of what these goodcomprisees of.
SINGULAR VIRTUE AND KNOWLEDGE
Socrates states that all virtues are one– be it wisdom, justice,
courage etc. For example, he believes that one cannot be wise
without being calm because wisdom and temperance both have the
same antonym- folly, whereas they would’ve had different opposites
had they been different virtues. Socrates also believed that virtue is a
type of knowledge- they benefit people but can also harm them
when not accompanied by knowledge, for all qualities of a soul are
in themselves neither good nor bad.
SUFFERING INJUSTICE IS BETTER THAN COMMITTING IT
Socrates also states that suffering injustice is better than committing
it. Based on the consensus in society that it is more shameful to
commit an injustice, he argues that if something is more shameful, it
exceeds in either immorality or pain or both. Since committing
injustice is not more painful than suffering it, it cannot exceed in
pain or immorality. Thus, one should always choose to suffer rather
than commit injustice.
NO BEING ERRS KNOWINGLY
Socrates famously states that no one makes mistakes knowingly;
this is derived from his theory of intellectualism. When a person
does wrong, their failure to do right is an intellectual error due to
their own ignorance of what the right is; if one knows what is right,
one does it. If one claims to have known what was right when one
did wrong, one is mistaken, for had one truly known what was right,
one would have done it. Socrates thus rejects the existence of
akrasia, or weakness of the will.
PRIMARY CARE OF SOUL
Socrates states that a human being must care for his soul more than
anything else. On observing Athenians who cared for wealth,
reputation, and physical well-being and not giving priority to the
state of their soul, Socrates started believing that God wanted him to
study his fellow citizens and coax them to realise the most primary
in life is the health of the soul for it brings one human excellence or
virtue. He extends this argument by stating that without
philosophical inquiry, a democracy becomes dormant and
dangerous. So, Socrates believes that his goal is to rouse those
around him so that they begin to observe themselves.
SIGNIFICANCE OF AN EXAMINED LIFE
 Socrates has famously claimed that an unexamined life is not worth
living, for all must reflect upon personal beliefs, recognize the share
of knowledge and ignorance in life and practice and propagate the
beliefs that account for living a meaningful one.
Many scholars state that Socrates’ belief of living examined lives
doesn’t imply rejecting factors like wealth and power but determines
the ability to evaluate their significance in terms of well-being of the
soul, if any.
SIMPLE IGNORANCE
refers, paradoxically, to a kind of knowledge–a person's frank
acknowledgment of what they don't know. It is captured by the well-
known statement: “I know only one thing–that I know nothing.”
KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO VIRTUE.
ETHICAL TEACHING OF BUDDHISM
   Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of
Siddharta Gautama. He came to be called the " Buddah " which
means the "awakened one", after he experienced a profound
realization of the nature of life , death and existence. 

In English, the Buddah was said to be enlightened, although in
Sanskrit it is bodhi, "awakened".
The Basic Teachings of Buddha
• The Three Universal Truths;
• The Four Noble Truths; and
• The Noble Eightfold Path.
1. The Three Universal TruthsNothing is lost in the universe
2. Everything Changes
3. The Law of Cause and Effect
The Four noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught, are:
• The truth of suffering (dukkha)
• The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
• The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
• The truth of the path that frees us from
suffering (magga)
• Collectively, these principles explain why humans hurt and how to
overcome suffering.
 1. The truth of suffering (dukkha)
• Suffering exists: Life is suffering. Suffering is real and almost
universal. Suffering has many causes: loss, sickness, pain, failure,
and the impermanence of pleasure.
2. The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
• There is a cause of suffering. Suffering is due to attachment. It is the
desire to have and control things. It can take many forms: craving of
sensual pleasures; the desire for fame; the desire to avoid unpleasant
sensations, like fear, anger or jealousy.
3. The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
There is an end to suffering. Attachment can be overcome. Suffering ceases
with the final liberation of Nirvana (Nibbana). The mind experiences
The
complete freedom, liberation and non-attachment. It lets go of any desire or
Buddha's Eightfold Path consists of: Panna: Discernment, wisdom:
craving.
1. Samma ditthi: Right Understanding of the Four Noble Truths. The right
4. The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)
View is the true understanding of the four noble truths.
In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path. There is a
2. Samma sankappa: Right thinking; following the right path in life. Right
path for accomplishing this.
Aspiration is the true desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and
Eightfold Path hatefulness.
• The Buddha taught his followers that the end of suffering, as 3. Samma vaca: Right speech: No lying, criticism, condemning, gossip,
described in the fourth Noble Truths, could be achieved by harsh language. Right Speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or
following an Eightfold Path.  hurtful talk.
• In no particular order, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism teaches the 4. Samma kammanta Right conduct or Right Action involves abstaining
following ideals for ethical conduct, mental disciple and achieving from hurtful behaviors, such as killing, stealing, and careless sex. These are
wisdom: called the Five Precepts.
5. Samma ajiva: Right livelihood: Support yourself without harming others.
Right Livelihood means making your living in such a way as to avoid
dishonesty and hurting others, including animals.
6. Samma vayama: Right Effort: Promote good thoughts; conquer • The idea of KARMA is that in every actions there's consequence.
evil thoughts. Right Effort is a matter of exerting oneself in regards Karma: The intentions and action of this lofe affect how we live in
to the content of one's mind: the next life.
7. Samma sati: Right Mindfulness: Become aware of your body, • Karma is a Sanskrit term that literally means "action" or "doing". In
mind and feelings. Right Mindfulness the Buddhist tradition, karma refers to action driven by intention
which leads to future consequences.
8. Samma samadhi: Right Concentration: Meditate to achieve a
higher state of consciousness. Ethical Teachings in Confucianism
The Five Precepts  Confucianism is developed from the teachings of Confucius and his
disciples. Confucius attempted to add a moral dimension to many
These are rules to live by. They are somewhat analogous to the
accepted ideas, beliefs, and social categories.
second half of the Ten Commandments in Judaism and Christianity
that part of the Decalogue which describes behaviors to avoid. For Confucius, "Dao" meant the "moral Way". He believed that a
virtuous life would bring people into harmony with the "way".
However, they are recommendations, not commandments. Believers
Confucius promoted his own concepts of what proper moral
are expected to use their own intelligence in deciding exactly how to
behavior should be.
apply these rules: 
Confucian ethical teachings
The Five Precepts 
1. Do not kill. This is sometimes translated as "not harming" or an
absence of violence. 
2. Do not steal. This is generally interpreted as including the
avoidance of fraud and economic exploitation. 
3. Do not misuse sex. For monks and nuns, this means any departure Jen
from complete celibacy. For the laity, adultery is forbidden, along
with any sexual harassment or exploitation, including that within Jen is the keynote of Confucian ethics. Jen variously translated as
marriage. “love”, “goodness”, “humanity”, and “human-heartedness”. It is the
highest Confucian virtue that represents human qualities at their
4. Do not lie. This is sometimes interpreted as including name- best. In human relations, Jen is manifested in Chung, faithfulness to
calling, gossip, etc. oneself and others.
5. Do not consume alcohol or other drugs

The Idea of KARMA

Other important Confucian virtues

Zhi
De wisdom
inherent character, integrity

Li The Five Relationships

ritual, propriety The Five Relationships are the basis of all social connections between
persons.
Hsiao Parents and children
filial piety
Husband and wife
Elder brother and younger brother
Shu Ruler and subject
reciprocity
Friend and friend
The Five Relationships

Wen In each of the relationships, the superior member (parents, husband, etc.)
art of peace has the duty of benevolence and care for the subordinate member (children,
wife, etc.). The subordinate member has the duty of obedience. The only
exception might be the relationship between friend and friend, which may
actually involve equality. Unless one is older than the other, which would
Xin
turn it into a relationship like that between older and younger brother. With
honesty,
this system, the ideas of loyalty, truthfulness and filial piety can achieve a
trustworthiness
peaceful and ordered society.
• What it is all about and what does it demand To us? Confucianism is
all about humaneness. It’s all about having the right moral behavior
Yi righteousness
in order to achieve peaceful and ordered society with the ideas of
loyalty, truthfulness and filiel piety.
 • Confucianism demands everyone to treat each other equally. No one – Ihsan
should be at a higher level than the others. Everyone should be on
4 AREAS OF MORALITY IN ISLAM
the same boat. Whether you are a president, a rich business owner, a
celebrity or a normal person, everyone should treat each other Among the things on which the Prophet Muhammad has laid the greatest
equally. stress, after belief are:
ETHICAL ▹ Cultivation of Good manners
TEACHINGS IN ISLAM
▹ Noble qualities of mind and character
WHAT IS ISLAM?
▹ Avoiding evil and unseemly behavior
Islam is an Arabic word meaning "submission" and in the religious context
means "submission to the will of God". "Islam" is derived from the Arabic ▹ Keeping away from vicious habits and practices
word "sal’m" which literally means peace. ▹ In the Quran, where the objects of raising up of the sacred
Religion demonstrates peace and tolerance. Prophet are defined, it is, also emphasized that to cleanse men and
make them pure is a special part of his mission.
▹ ISLAMIC ETHICAL RULES
TEN MORAL COMMANDMENTS
▹ According to Islam, whatever leads to the welfare of the individual
or society is morally good and whatever is injurious is morally bad. 1. Worship only God
The ethical system prescribed in Islam is eternally divine and forms 2. Be kind, honourable and humble to one’s parents
the foundation of an Islamic society.
3. Be neither miserly nor wasteful in one’ expenditure
ISLAMIC ETHICS
4. Do not engage in ‘mercy killings’ for fear or starvation
Islamic ethics is the notion that every human being is called to “Command
the good and forbid the evil” in all spheres of life. Muslims understand the 5. Do not commit adultery
role of Muhammad as attempting to facilitate this submission. 6. Do not kill unjustly
FOUNDATION OF ISLAMIC ETHICS 7. Care for orphaned children
The basic of Islamic Ethics 8. Keep one’s promises
– Oneness (Keesaan) 9. Be honest and fair in one’s interactions
– Freedom 10. Do not be arrogant in one’s claims or beliefs
– Justice THE FIVE PILLARS OR ACTS OF WORSHIP IN ISLAM
– Responsibility
The Declaration of Faith (shahada). Belief that “There is no god but God,
and Muhammad is the messenger of God” is central to Islam.
Prayer (salat). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon,
mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Prayer includes a recitation of the
opening chapter (sura) of the Qur’an.
Charity (zakat). In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed
portion of their income to community members in need.
Fasting (sawm). During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of
the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from
food and drink.
Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). Every Muslims whose health and finances
permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-
day Saudi Arabia.
SIX MAJOR BELIEFS IN ISLAM
▹ Belief in the Oneness of God.
▹ Belief in the Angels of God.
▹ Belief in the Books of God
▹ Belief in the Prophets or Messengers of God.
▹ Belief in the Day of Judgment.
▹ Belief in the Divine Decree.
ETHICAL TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY
CHRISTIANITY
• major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of
Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in
the 1st century CE. It has become the largest of the world’s
religions and, geographically, the most widely diffused of all
faiths.
• the religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as
sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic,
and Protestant bodies
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS
Christian ethics begins with God and ends with Him. In this it is
distinguished from other types of ethical thinking which ground
morality within human nature or define human happiness or
perfection as the ultimate goal.
THE CORE ETHICAL TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY
In Christianity, the core ethical teachings are The 10 Commandments,
Beatitudes, and God's Commandment of Love. The 10 Commandments
originated from The Old Testament which defines how to serve God
faithfully, interrelating with their morals and values, and gives them
direction on how to live accordingly.
The Ten Commandments (Old Testament)
1. I am the Lord thy God: You shall have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shall not make idols.
3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not give false testimony against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet.
The Eight Beatitudes • Love your neighbor as yourself.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • Forgive others who have wronged you.
Be the last of all, the servant of all, do not judge others and share all. • Love your enemies.
02. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. • Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.
Consider well the people you and others have lost, the things you have not • Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive
done well, and the things you long for. others.
03. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Be slow to anger • Repentance of sins is essential.
and drop the ego.
• Don't be hypocritical.
04. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall
Principles: As we seek to develop Christlike character, our actions
be filled. Love peace and be involved in helping others to make peace. Trust
will reflect Christian virtues, such as humility, faith, charity,
everyone and know they may let you down.
courage, self-government, virtue, industry, and wisdom.
05. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Strive to do the
Applications: I will come unto Christ and receive His grace to
right thing. Forgive others then yourself.
develop Christlike character.
06. Blessed are pure in heart, for they shall see God. Look at things from the
10 Things You Should Know about Christian Ethics
eyes of others.
07. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Build your castle with blameless foundations. 1. Christian ethics teaches us how to live.
08. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs Christian ethics teaches us how to live. It is important to study
is the kingdom of heaven. Do not stop doing the right thing because of Christian ethics so that we can better know God’s will, and so that
others. each day we can “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing to him” (Col. 1:10).
New Testament
2. The ultimate basis for Christian ethics is the moral character
1. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
of God.
all your soul and with all your mind.
2. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus's Teachings
• Love God.
God delights in his own moral character, which is supremely good,
unchanging, and eternal. God is love, so he commands us to love (1
John 4:19). He is holy, and he commands us to be holy (1 Peter
1:15). He is merciful, and he commands us to be merciful (Luke
6:36). He is truthful, and he commands us not to bear false witness
(Titus 1:2; Exodus 20:16).
3. Christian ethics is based on the Bible.
One of the purposes of the Bible is to teach us how to live a life that
is pleasing to God (Col. 1:9–10; 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:17). Because
it is the Word of God, the Bible is a higher authority in ethics than
tradition, reason, experience, expected results, or subjective
perceptions of guidance.
4. Christian ethics is essential to the proclamation of the gospel.
Some Christian speakers today downplay or omit any call for
unbelievers to repent of their sins, but evangelism in the New
Testament clearly included a call to repentance. Just before he
returned to heaven, Jesus told his disciples “that repentance for the
forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Similarly, Paul proclaimed
the need for repentance to pagan Greek philosophers in Athens,
warning them that the final judgment was coming.
5. Christian ethics teaches us how to live for the glory of God.
The goal of ethics is to lead a life that glorifies God (“do all to the
glory of God,” 1 Cor. 10:31). Such a life will have (1)
a character that glorifies God (a Christ-like character),
(2) results that glorify God (a life that bears abundant fruit for God’s
kingdom), and (3) behavior that glorifies God (a life of obedience to
God, lived in personal relationship with God).
6. Obeying God brings numerous blessings to our daily lives.
The New Testament teaches at least seventeen specific kinds of
blessings that come to us in connection with living in obedience to
God’s commands in Scripture. These blessings include the joy of
deeper fellowship with God (John 15:10); the joy of pleasing God (2
Corinthians 5:9; Colossians 1:10); the joy of becoming a vessel for
“honorable use” by God (2 Timothy 2:20-21); the joy of being an
effective witness to unbelievers (1 Peter 2:12; 3:1); the joy of
increased answers to our prayers (1 Peter 3:10-12; James 5:16; 1
John 3:21-22); the joy of closer fellowship with other Christians (1
John 1:7); the joy of a clear conscience (1 Timothy 1:5, 19); and
several other blessings.
7. Willful sin brings several harmful consequences to our daily
lives.
It is not too popular to talk about sin today, but it is a huge topic in
the Bible. Searching for the English word “sin” (and other words
with the same root such as “sins” or “sinner”) shows that it occurs
440 times in the New Testament alone. And my copy of the Bible in
the English Standard Version (ESV) has 235 pages in the New
Testament. This means that the topic of sin is mentioned in one way
or another, on average, nearly two times per page through the entire
New Testament. We would neglect such an important topic at our
peril.
8. Christian ethics teaches us to consider four dimensions of any
action, and nine possible sources of information.
Christian ethics is not concerned only with our right and wrong
actions. We are complex people, and life itself is complex.
Therefore, in studying Christian ethics, God wants us to consider not
only (1) the action itself but also (2) a person’s attitudes about the
action, (3) the person’s motives for doing the action, and (4)
the results of the action.
9. We should never think that God wants us to choose a “lesser
sin.”
Although several evangelical ethics books claim that, from time to
time, we face situations of “impossible moral conflict” where all our
choices are sinful and we must simply choose to commit the “lesser
sin,” this idea is not taught in Scripture. It is contradicted both by the
life of Christ, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet
without sin” (Heb. 4:15), and by the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13,
which says that God will always provide a “way of escape.”

10. Using the Old Testament for ethical guidance requires an

understanding of the history of redemption.
Many Christians have read the Old Testament and wondered how we
should understand the detailed laws that God gave to the people of
Israel under the leadership of Moses. This requires an understanding
of the “history of redemption”—the overall progress of the main
storyline of the Bible.