Introduction to Ethics

Prepared by: Ethics Instructors

At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles.
They affect how people make decisions and lead their
lives.
Ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals
and society and is also described as moral philosophy.
The term is derived from the Greek word ethos which can
mean custom, habit, character or disposition.
 ETHICS

Ethics covers the following dilemmas:

· how to live a good life

· our rights and responsibilities
· the language of right and wrong
· moral decisions - what is good and bad?
Why is there a need at all
to study ethics as a
subject in college?
What do people
think when they
think ethically?
The Moral Act
Most of the time, we act based on how we feel. We are pleased
when someone compliments us for a job well done, we feel angry
when someone accuses us of a wrongdoing we did not do. We eat
when we are hungry. We seek companionship when we are lonely.
This is something that we share with other animals to a certain
degree. However, unlike animals that are instinctively programmed
to act based on how and what they feel, us humans have the
capacity to evaluate or examine the situation, and make a decision
with respect to how we feel.
O N E WAY O F E N S U R I N G T H E R AT I O N A L I T Y A N D
I M PA RT I A L I T Y O F M O R A L D E C I S I O N S I S T O F O L L O W T H E
SEVEN-STEP MORAL REASONING MODEL.
T H E S E S T E P S C A N S E RV E A S A G U I D E I N M A K I N G
C H O I C E S O F M O R A L I M P O RT.
1 . STOP A ND T HI N K
Before making any decisions, it is best to take a moment to think about the
situation itself, your place in it, and other surrounding factors which merit
consideration, such as the people involved and the potential effects of your
decisions on them.
2 . C LA RI FY GO AL S
It is also necessary to clarify your short-term and long term aims
3. DETERMINE FACTS
Make sure you gather enough information before you make a choice.
4 . D EV ELO P OP TI O NS
Once you are clear in terms of your goals and facts, try to come up with alternative options
to exhaust all possible courses of action.
5. CONSIDER CONSEQUENCES
Filter your choices and separate all the ethical from all the unethical choices bearing in
mind both your motives and the potential consequences of your action.
6 . C HO OS E
Make a decision. If a choice is hard to make, try consulting others who may have knowledge
or experience of your situation.
7. MONITOR AND MODIFY
Monitor what happens after your decision and have enough humility to modify your action or
behavior as necessary.
 ETHICS
From Act to the Person
FO C USI NG E XC L U SI VE LY O N H UM A N A CT S I S L I MI T E D .
CO N T E MPO RA RY E T H I C IST S P OI NT O U T TO T H E I MPO RTA N CE
OF “ PE RSO NH O O D ” . IT IS THE HU M AN BE I N G
H IM SE L F/H E RSE L F W H O G IV E S M E AN IN G A ND RE CE I V E S
SI GN IFI CA NC E FR OM TH E A CT S T HAT HE / SH E E X E CU T E S .

IT IS PE RSO N HO O D T H AT G IV E S A CT IO N S SIG N I FI C AN CE .
PA RTI CUL A R MO RA L A CT IO NS S HA PE T H E “ PE RS ON ” T H AT O NE
D E SIRE S
end.