GE 105 ETHICS Lesson 1 Ethics - Greek word ethos meaning 'characteristic way of living'. Latin is mos, mores meaning tradition or custom. It is defined as the science of the morali... GE 105 ETHICS Lesson 1 Ethics - Greek word ethos meaning 'characteristic way of living'. Latin is mos, mores meaning tradition or custom. It is defined as the science of the morality of human acts. Ethics is also said to be the study of human motivation, and ultimately, of human rational behavior. Ethics is morality. Human Acts - are actions performed by human, knowingly and freely also called intentional or deliberate actions or voluntary. Acts of Man - it is involuntary, and instinctive and unintentional. Morality - is the quality of human acts by which they are determined as good, bad, or indifferent. Ethics as Valued Education - by guiding individuals in choosing wisely his values and in acting upon them. It is also the rational foundation of any attempt at Values Education. It explains human values in relation to the ultimate purpose of human existence. The Art of Correct Living Ethics is an art because: 1. It is the breath of life - It pulsates with the desire for growth and development. 2. It is master plan - It indicates where man must go and what he/she ought to do in order to live well. Importance of Ethics - It is an indispensable knowledge. Moral integrity - is the only true measure of what man ought to be. Morality - is the foundation of every human society. Two Ethical System 1. Atheistic Approach - This approach assumes that only matter exists and that man is only responsible to himself since there is no god who creates and rules the universe. Its followers are called atheist. 2. Theistic Approach - God’s will be the core of this approach. It believes that God is the point of origin. With God’s will, man must exercise his freedom. Propose Principles of the Atheistic Approach: 1. Matter is the only reality. 2. Man is matter and does not have spiritual dimension. 3. Man is free and must exercise his freedom to promote society’s welfare. 4. There is no life after death. 5. Man is accountable to the state. Postulated Truths of the Theistic Approach: 1. God is the Supreme Creator and Lawgiver. 2. Man is free and must use his freedom to promote his personal and social interests along with his fellowmen. 3. Man has an immortal soul which cannot die. 4. Man is accountable for his actions, both good and evil. Religion - is a system and practices based on faith and revelation. - composed of a unified hierarchy, teaches ethics and continues to enrich with its moral insights. - is a frontrunner of ethics. Law - don’t judge man’s thoughts and feelings. - can be moral or immoral. - the basis of ethics. Professional Ethics - are regulated by norms so not to produce any unwanted effect on their side as they practice it. Each profession is subject to a set of moral code. • Code of Ethics – a professional is a person who has the obligation to listen to the 'dictates of reasons'. Components of Professional Ethics 1. Honesty - this refers to the truthfulness and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating or theft. 2. Integrity - the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. 3. Transparency - implies openness, communication, and accountability. 4. Accountability - is blameworthiness, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. 5. Confidentiality - is a set of rules or a promise that limits access or places restrictions on certain types of information. 6. Respect - gives a positive feeling of esteem or deference for a person or other entity. 7. Obedience to the law - faithfulness and being truthful to the law. Foundation of Morality in Ethics - humans face multiple social problems; they have multiple moral values they rely on multiple 'foundations' when making moral decisions. Moral Foundations: • Care – protecting • Fairness – rendering justice • Loyalty – or ingroup standing with group or nation • Authority – submitting to tradition and legitimate authority. • Sanctity – or purity. Lesson 2 Moral Agent - is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Culture - is the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time. Culture in Moral Behavior - Observing or watching them, people develop a set idea of what is right and wrong, and what is acceptable and what is not. Cross-Cultural Relationship - is the idea that people from different cultures can have relationships that acknowledge, respect and begin to understand each other’s diverse lives. Cultural Relativism - is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not to make judgments using the standards of one’s own culture. • Absolute – everything that happens within a culture must and should not be questioned by outsiders. • Critical - creates questions about cultural practices in terms of who is accepting them and why. Stages of Moral Development Lawrence Kolhberg (1927-1987) - was an American psychologist. Three levels of moral reasoning that encompassed the six stages: • Pre-conventional Morality – young children under the age of 9. • Conventional Morality - older children, adolescents, and most adults. • Post-conventional Morality - rare with adolescents and few adults. Six Stages: STAGE 1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation STAGE 2: Individualism and exchange STAGE 3: Good Interpersonal Relationships STAGE 4: Maintaining the social order STAGE 5: Social Contract and Individual Rights STAGE 6: Universal Principles Moral Reasoning – is sometimes affected by emotions which blind us from deciding and seeing what acts are needed to do what is right from wrong. STEPS IN ORDER TO FAIRLY DO AN ACT AND NOT BE BIAS ABOUT ANYTHING: 1. Gather the facts. 2. Determining the ethical issues. 3. Identifying the principles that have a bearing on the case. 4. Listing the alternatives. 5. Comparing the alternatives with the principles. 6. Weighing the consequences. 7. Making a decision. Lesson 3 Fields of Ethics: 1. Meta-ethics - is concerned with the big picture of morality. 2. Normative ethics - is about figuring out what is morally right or wrong. 3. Applied ethics - which deals with the actual application of ethical principles to a particular. Putting those moral principles into practice in real-world situations. Three Broad Types of Ethical Theory: 1. Consequentialist theories - primarily concerned with the ethical consequences of particular actions. 2. Non-consequentialist theories - tend to be broadly concerned with the intentions of the person making ethical decisions about particular actions. 3. Agent-centered theories - are more concerned with the overall ethical status of individuals, or agents, and are less concerned to identify the morality of particular actions. Consequentialist Theories 1. The Utilitarian Approach • Utilitarianism - is a moral theory that advocates actions that promote overall happiness or pleasure and rejects actions that cause unhappiness or harm. 2. The Egoistic Approach • Egoism – is a philosophical theory that suggests that individuals should act primarily in their own self-interest. This approach emphasizes personal happiness, fulfillment, and well-being as the ultimate goals of human action. • Ethical Egoism – is a normative ethical theory that asserts that individuals ought to act in their own self-interest. It’s moral imperative, suggesting that it’s morally right to pursue one’s own good. Ancient Philosopher: • Epicurus - a Greek philosopher who emphasized pleasure and happiness as the highest good, suggesting that individuals should seek their own well-being. Modern Philosophers: • Thomas Hobbes – a 17th century English philosopher who argued that individuals are naturally self-interested and that only through a social contract can they achieve peace and security. • Ayn Rand – a 20th century American novelist and philosopher who advocated for individual rights and self-reliance, often associated with a form or egoism. 3. The common good approach - is an ethical framework that emphasizes the well-being of the entire community or society as a whole. It suggests that individuals should act in ways that promote the flourishing of all members of the group, rather than focusing solely on personal interests. Non-consequentialist theories 1. The Duty-Based Approach - sometimes called deontological ethics, is most commonly associated with the philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). The duty-based approach to ethics, also known as deontology, emphasizes moral obligations and duties that are inherent in being a rational and moral agent. This approach focuses on following rules and principles, regardless of the consequences. 2. The Rights Approach - is based on the belief that individuals have fundamental rights that should be protected and respected. These rights are seen as inherent and inalienable, meaning they cannot be taken away or given up. 3. The Fairness or Justice Approach – emphasizes the importance of treating people fairly and equitably. It seeks to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities and is treated justly, regardless of their personal characteristics or circumstances. 4. The Divine Command Approach – sees what is right as the same as God commands, and ethical standards are the creation of God’s will. Following God’s will be seen as the very definition what is ethical. Is primarily associated with religious traditions that emphasize the authority of a divine being, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. Agent-centered theories 1. The Virtue Approach – emphasizes the development of good character traits or virtues. It focuses on becoming a virtuous person rather than following specific rules and principles. 2. The Feminist Approach - is a framework that seeks to address the systemic injustices and inequalities experienced by women and other marginalized groups. It emphasizes the importance of gender equality and challenges traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Aristotle – argued that ethics should be concerned with the whole of a person’s life, not with the individual discrete actions a person may perform in any given situation. A person of good character would be one who has attained certain virtues. Read more