ETHICS - is a philosophical study of wrong conduct, including good
morality habits, duties, and consequences
of behavior on others.
PHILOSOPHY - are the following
1. involves providing reasons or NORMATIVE ETHICS
arguments for our beliefs 1. Deontology - duty bound
2. always involves critical inquiry, 2. Consequentalism - consequence
questioning what we and others centered
believe to determine if there are 3. Virtue - building good virtues/good
good reasons for those beliefs. character to improve moral self
3. often “creates tension between
philosophy and societal institutions APPLIED ETHICS - involves examining
specific controversial issues like abortion,
MORALITY infanticide, animal rights, environmental
1. personalized form of ethics, with concerns, homosexuality, capital
different people setting different punishment, or nuclear war (social,
sets of morals for themselves individual or hyphen)
2. It refers to a set of beliefs that
people believe in and practice MORAL DERIVIATION
accordingly ● human actions = reactions
3. help a person choose a course of ● emotions and will are
action during dilemmas and serve uncontrollable at some point
as a guiding force in life ● gives us groundwork what is right
4. principles or habits relate to right or or wrong
wrong conduct, based on an ● stability and peace
individual’s own compass of right ● for survival
and wrong ● rights and freedom
● sense of fairness
ETHICS ● for a healthy and functioning
1. involves systematizing, defending, society
and recommending concepts of
right and wrong behavior MORAL STANDARDS - involve rules
2. philosophical reflection of moral about morally right and wrong actions, and
values values on morally good and bad objects
3. pursuit to "Eudaimonia.
- not linked to being religious
ETHICAL THEORIES - apply to both individuals and
1. Descriptive: form of empirical society
research into the attitudes of 1. Moral standards involve serious
individuals and groups of people. wrongs or significant benefits.
2. Meta Ethics: aim is to better 2. Ought to be preferred to other
understand the logical, semantic values.
and pragmatic structures of moral 3. Not established by authority
and ethical argumentation as such, figures.
their origin and meaning. 4. Based on impartial considerations.
3. Normative: takes on a more 5. Associated with special emotions
practical task—to arrive at moral and vocabulary
standards that regulate right and
NON-MORAL STANDARDS - refer to Moral Concepts
rules unrelated to moral or ethical
considerations ● Moral Issue: situation needing
moral valuation; potential to help or
Examples include rules of etiquette, harm.
fashion standards, game rules, and house ● Moral Decision: choice based on
rules ethics, morals, and proper
behavior.
Religious rules, some traditions, and legal ● Reasoning: answers “why” behind
statutes are technically non-moral actions.
principles, though they can be ethically ● Moral Judgment: evaluation of
relevant depending on the circumstances action, intention, motive, or
character.
AMORAL - areas of interest exhibiting ● Moral Dilemma: conflict between
indifference to and not abiding by the actions with moral reasons for
moral rules or codes of society each.
Sources of Authority
THE ETHICAL DIMENSION OF HUMAN
EXISTENCE ● Law: regulator of behavior or
actions.
● Ethics: a discipline dealing with ● Religion: divine authority as
what is good and bad; the study of ethical foundation.
human actions. ● Culture: experiences and
● Morals: standards of behavior or knowledge affect valuations.
beliefs about acceptable actions. ● Senses of the Self: ethics
● Values: include aesthetics, centered on the self.
etiquette, and technical, each with
its own value. Ethical Theories of the Self
○ Aesthetics: “Aesthesis” –
● Subjectivism: a person’s thinking
sense or feeling, personal
is the center of moral valuations.
approval/disapproval.
● Psychological Egoism: the
○ Etiquette: proper behavior
motive of voluntary action is one's
in a certain situation.
own welfare.
○ Technical: proper way of
● Ethical Egoism: each individual
following steps.
should seek only their own welfare.
Ways to View Ethics
● Descriptive: moral valuation
without judgment.
● Normative: looks into value before
judgment.
Human Actions
● Actions with end goal or
intention; requires knowledge,
freedom, voluntariness.