Understanding Ethics in Philosophy

What is Ethics?

• Originates from the Greek word "ethos", meaning custom, characteristic, or habitual way of doing things
• Equivalent to the Latin word "moris", from which the adjective "moral" is derived
• Study of morality (moral philosophy), a branch of philosophy that questions the goodness and badness of an act
• Difficult discipline because it changes over time

History of Ethics

• Greece is considered the birthplace of philosophy
• Greek wise men were recognized as the "first natural scientists" for their efforts to understand nature through theoretical experiments
• Socrates redirected the focus of philosophy from the natural world to the human person
• Plato, a student of Socrates, further enhanced the ethical orientation of philosophy in his dialogues
• Aristotle, a student of Plato, carried on the work of Socrates and Plato, as seen in Nicomachean Ethics

Types of Ethics

• Normative ethics: questions the good or bad of an action
• Metaethics: digs into the morality of ethical claims

Critical Thinking

• Critical thinking involves being one's own critic, rather than being critical of others
• A critical thinker acquires the disposition and skills to be their own critic
• Involves uncovering many aspects of a given problem
• Thinking in the ordinary mode is considered first-order thinking
• Higher-order thinking involves reflection, assessment, and interpretation

Intellectual Standards

• 9 elements of ethical reasoning:
• Clarity
• Accuracy
• Precision
• Relevance
• Depth
• Breadth
• Logic
• Significance
• Fairness

Egocentrism

• The tendency to regard one's own personal opinion as the only correct one
• Failure to recognize or entertain opinions of others, especially those that contradict one's own claims
• Can lead to sociocentrism when applied on a wider context
• Signs of egocentrism:
• Always needing to be right
• Constantly wanting more
• Focusing only on oneself
• Disliking others' successes
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Lacking empathy