فلسفة الأخلاق والمبادئ الأساسية

Introduction to Ethics

• This document discusses ethical philosophy.
• The author is Professor Mohammad Taqi Mubashshir Yazdi.
• The publication date is 1948.

Definition of Ethics

• Ethics can refer to virtuous character traits.
• Alternatively, ethics can refer to actions that are praiseworthy or blameworthy.
• The text focuses on the latter, but also touches briefly on the other two perspectives.

What is an Ethical Question?

• An ethical question concerns voluntary actions.
• The moral implication is either obligatory, forbidden, or similar (e.g., "ought," "should," "right," "wrong").
• This obligation differs from logical or philosophical necessity.
• Moral "goodness" and "badness" are not properties of physical objects or ideas.

Source of Ethical Standards

• Some believe ethical conduct stems from a higher authority, typically God.
• The text argues this fits with Ash'ari doctrine.
• Others suggest conscience as a source, drawing a parallel to the sense of the divine according to Rousseau.
• However, some counter that conscience is a product of societal norms.
• Others emphasize the social aspect, claiming that morals develop within the community.
• Another perspective proposes that ethics come from natural law, mirroring the evolution of human nature.
• A final perspective posits that ethics arise from reason, prioritizing pleasure and the avoidance of suffering aligned with reason's discernment of future consequences.