Chapter 2

Moral Philosophy/Ethics

It is good to note that Philosophy exists when man began to wonder about the reality around him.
This claim is based on the idea that philosophy is a way of life.

In the same manner, ethics or moral philosophy also started when man began to wonder about how
he should treat others and how he should live his life with others morally.

It is believed that the first one who wondered about the morality of man’s action and at the same
time study man as the only moral being was Socrates. So being the first moralist in the history of
philosophy, he was regarded as the father of moral philosophy/ethics.

I would like you to know that this field of study, so to speak Ethics is very essential to you as the hope
of this nation, why? Because it deals with the development of virtue and moral character.

I believed that developing such character you will know the right thing to do, and you will be able to
live the right way of life. But the question is, what is precisely the right way of life? If we reflect on
this question and borrow the mind of the great moralist (Socrates), the answer is the examined life.
What does it mean by saying “examined life”? Take note, an examined life is a life guided and
enriched by self-awareness and self-knowledge.

In other words, Self-examination simply means knowing your desires, choices, motivations, and
beliefs if they are morally agreeable and morally acceptable.

According to Socrates, the first ethical imperative that you should observe is “know thyself” it means
that you as a moral being you should know yourself. Meaning it is your obligation to rediscover your
humanity. Here, therefore, we can conclude that morality is life itself. This is what you do rightly
every day.

However, many people nowadays either directly or indirectly would prefer to sacrifice morality in
favor of practicality. (For what reason? Their personal interest and the so-called economic progress.
Bear in mind class that this false ethical theory or such kind of belief is a great manifestation of the
moral decadence and upheaval in our contemporary or the so called millennial society.

Now if we just leave or let this thought ruined your time, then, my question is, what will happened to
the new generation? (My son and your children’s time)

That’s why today which I believed, there is a dire need of spreading morality aggressively, especially
to you (students, youth), for you to become a good and a responsible member of our society. Which
generally you are branded as the hope of our nation. Always put it in your mind class, that YOU as a
student (youth) today are the future members and leaders of our society, you are the engineers of
your family’s future.

Therefore, you are the one who urgently needs to study Ethics, because if you will not commit
yourself to this moral formation, you might graduate from this institution who are bereft of vital
affirmation, firm conviction and social commitment.

That’s why I am calling you to be one with us, as we build a community of persons who are willing to
be formed and to commit to what is right and proper to be worthy called a human person. I want you
to be equipped with the necessary virtues for you to smash the fetters that hinder you to attain your
moral ideals.

Now, as a bearer of truth, you have to be cautious of the misrepresentation and howling on wearing-
out the web of morality. I believed that academic institution is a very influential venue for effecting
this sound formation and transformation of a human person, so I would say, start now!

I-Meaning of Ethics or Moral Philosophy

The term Ethics and Moral Philosophy are used to mean the same thing, so from time to time these
terms are used interchangeably

Etymologically, the term ethics is derived from the Greek word ethicos, or that which pertains to
ethos, which means “characteristic way of acting, habit, or customs” the Latin term for this is mos or
moris (mores), which means also customs or norms, from which comes the word moral or morality.
Thus ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy that deals on the principles of man’s right and
moral actions as endowed by his reason and free will.

Ethics as a philosophical science is a normative philosophy, which means that it is a systematic

In other words, ethics requires you to act properly as a human being. So to speak, ethics requires you
to do what is good and what is right. Thus “ethics is concerned with the questions such as;

What makes my action right or wrong, moral or immoral and good or bad? And how could I know it?
How should I live my life? How should I treat other human beings and how should I be treated?” And
why do I need to be moral? So on and so forth.

Based on what we have discussed above, we can infer that ethics is not a chance discipline/subject
or topic, because it was born out of human experienced and out of the necessity to know how man
should fashion his existence with the existence of other human beings in a given situation or
community or society and the world of man in general.

II-The importance of studying Moral Philosophy/Ethics

Reflecting those facts mentioned above about ethics, it is indeed enough to say that ethics is of very
significant in your life as human being as you continually search the beauty and meaning of your
existence.

The significance of ethics, manifests in its offer to help man secure his moral elevation and to make
his world a better place to live in. So, explicitly the reward of studying ethics is not material progress,
but moral uprightness, the discovery of the true value of life, and the inspiration to live morally with
self-respect and self-worth, deeper understanding, and appreciation, love, respect, service, and a
better life. In other words, ethics will guide you to rediscover your humanity.
In addition, ethics is fundamental to the sciences of Law, Sociology, Politics, Economics, Medicine,
Teacher, Engineers, agriculturists, business, management, and the like. It is in consequence of this
fact that Ethics is very important science.

NB:

Lastly, Faulty ethical theories, as well as the lack of definite ethical Principles, have been and are still
the causes of great disorder in the political, social, religious, and economic world of man.

III-Object of Ethics

There are two object of ethics namely; the material and formal object.

The material object of ethical study is the human act; here we are going to discover what this must
be that would agree with the dictates of reasons. Hence, the special aim and point of ethics is the
right morality. Therefore, the formal object of ethics is the rectitude of human acts.

The material object in ethical studies is the human acts, meaning an action performed by a person
(you) with full knowledge and motive, from here, the formal object comes in, it is now the task of the
formal object to determine or evaluate or analyzed to whether the action performed by a certain
person (you) is right or wrong, good or bad, proper or improper, and or, if it is moral or immoral.

Human acts or human conduct, as the material object of ethics we mean only such human activity as
deliberate and free. A deliberate and free act is an act performed with advertence (awareness, full
knowledge) and motive, it is an act determined by the free will,

Examples of these acts, like, working, reading, studying, shopping, playing, praying, and signing a
contract.

However, an act performed by a human being without the advertence is called Acts of man. The act
of man is referred to the instinctive activity of human beings, such as the physiological and
psychological movements like breathing, feeling happy, falling in love. Ethics does not study the acts
of man in themselves but as factors affecting man’s judgment and volition (decision)