Ethics PDF

**ETHICS** \- ethics refers to the principles of good and evil that are generally agreed upon a community. \- this also refers to specific rules and actions or behaviours that is accepted by the community. \- critical reflection to morals **MORALS VS ETHICS** \- morals refers to the sense of ri...

**ETHICS** \- ethics refers to the principles of good and evil that are generally agreed upon a community. \- this also refers to specific rules and actions or behaviours that is accepted by the community. \- critical reflection to morals **MORALS VS ETHICS** \- morals refers to the sense of right and wrong and there is a guiding principle that underscores it. \- morals are the prevailing standards of behavior that enable people to live cooperatively in groups. \- it also pertains to **manner, character, and proper behavior.** ***Always remember that our ethics refers to the rules that the society or social system provides us while morals refers to our own principle.*** **IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS AND MORALS** \- we can help make our society better \- following the standards of ethics makes us a better citizen far from judgement \- having morals can make us more likely to other people **ETHICS ARE BRANCH OF PHILOSOPHY** \- ethics is a **branch of philosophy that contemplates what is right and what is wrong.** \- it explores the nature of morality and examines how people should live their lives in relation to others. \- etymologically, it came from the Greek word ethos which means as a customary way and manner of acting and behaving. \- it explores the nature of morality and the principles that guide human behaviour. It involves critical reflection on the meaning and justification of moral concepts such as justice, freedom, and responsibility. **BRANCHES OF ETHICS** \- ethics has three branches that are unique to each other. - META-ETHICS - NORMATIVE ETHICS - APPLIED ETHICS **META ETHICS** \- this focuses on the morality itself. This investigates the big picture questions such as "**What is morality? What is justice? Is there truth?"** **NORMATIVE ETHICS** \- this focuses on providing a framework for deciding ***what is right or wrong.*** The common frameworks are deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics. **Deontology**: is an ethical theory that suggest an individual to do what they believe are morally right ***regardless of the consequences.*** **Utilitarianism**: is a form of consequentialism. This means that the person should determine the right from wrong b**y focusing on outcomes.** **Virtue Ethics**: is a moral philosophy that emphasizes individuals ***character and personality traits instead of their actions.*** **APPLIED ETHICS** \- this addresses specific, practical issues of moral importance such as war and capital punishment. Applied ethics also tackles specific moral challenges that people face daily such as whether they should lie to help a friend or co-worker. \- this answers the question **"How people should act in specific situations?"** **PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY** \- is a method geared towards arriving at a clear meaning of common human issues in everyday life. People have been and are exposed to different perceptions of the world. They are expected to **respond to a variety of human issues.** There are may philosophical approaches people can apply to effectively understand human nature and its relationship to everyday situations. \- i**n order to address philosophical questions, a philosopher must be logical.** **LOGIC** \- Logic is the **science and art of correct thinking.** It uses the methods to achieve accuracy and objectivity in explaining what is valid logical argument. In logic, an argument is composed of premises and a conclusion. \- Logic provides a means of analyzing basic concepts to determine if they are true or false, valid or invalid, and consistent or inconsistent. It plays an important role in the history of philosophy. Almost all human knowledge is founded on logical analysis. \- However, logic is not enough to find answers to philosophical questions. In order to arrive at answers to philosophical questions, it is important to prioritize relevant facts surrounding the question. **LOGIC'S PREMISE** \- is an assumption that something is true. From initial premises, philosophers try to work out answers to basic philosophical questions. \- aside from that, it is something that you suppose is true and that you use as a basis for developing an idea. **LOGIC'S CONCLUSION** \- A **conclusion** is a claim that has been reached through the process of reasoning and is justified by preceding premises. **REMEMBER!** **\*Philosophical Inquiry** provides an explanation that only leads to further inquiry which reflects the general nature of philosophy. This is in connection to the aim of ethics at systematic knowledge. People are exposed to many problems and the challenge is to come up with critical and practical solutions using their own thinking and reasoning form their ethical perspective. \*Applying ethical theories to actual life experiences supported by personal evaluation in terms of importance and practicality. Philosophical Inquiry is guided by theories which are crucial for the prediction and control of behavior. **ETHICS IN A SIMPLER PERSPECTIVE** \- Ethics has for its purpose to interpret this fact of human life: the acknowledgment of right and wrong in human conduct. We find in the human race taken generally a tendency to judge that there are three kinds of acts. **3 KINDS OF ACTS WE TEND TO JUDGE** (1)Those that a man ought to do (good) (2)Those that he ought not to do (evil) (3)Those that he may either do or not do (indifferent) **PREUPPOSTION OF ETHICS** \- These are truths or propositions not proved by the science in question but presupposed by it. They are not to be thought of as unwarranted assumptions, but rather as statements borrowed from another science whose expertise is to investigate and establish them. \- if one is willing to grant its presuppositions provisionally, ethics might be studied anywhere in the course of philosophy. But because it leans so heavily on its presuppositions to establish even its most preliminary considerations, it is customary to make ethics the last branch of philosophy to be studied. **THE THREE (3) PHILOSOPHICAL TRUTHS** 1. The Freedom of the Will 2. The Immortality of the Soul 3. The Existence of God **THE FREEDOM OF THE WILL** \*Unless the human will is free, a man cannot choose between right and wrong, is not responsible for what he does, and cannot direct the course of his life. All acts of a man are equally right if they are his only possible acts; no acts can be wrong if they cannot be avoided. **THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL** \*Unless the human soul is a spirit that outlives the present life, there is no sufficient motive for doing the right and avoiding the wrong, since we see that virtue often goes unrewarded and vice unpunished in this world. Why be good, especially when it is hard, if it makes no difference in the long run? **THE EXISTENCE OF GOD** \* Unless God exists, there is no Highest Good. God is not only man\'s Creator, the Source from which he comes, but also man\'s Last End, the Goal of all his striving. Without God as the Absolute Lawgiver and Supreme Judge there these are standards by which we judge how good or bad a game iscould be no moral law prescribing what we ought to do, and therefore no ought and no ethics. **MORAL STANDARDS AND RULES** **RULES** - These are prescribed guides for conduct or action. They maintain order, get things done and allow us to live with each other. **STANDARDS** - a level of quality of attainment, an idea or thing used to measure, norm or model in comparative evaluation. **THE USUAL RULES IN OUR LIVES** 1. **ETIQUETTE** - these are standards by which we judge manners to be good or bad; normally dictated by a socio-economic elite. 2. **LEGAL** - these are standards by which we judge legal right or wrong; in a democracy, it is formulated by representatives of the people. 3. **LANGUAGE** - these are standards by which we judge what is grammatically right or wrong, it evolves through use. 4. **ATHLETIC** - these are standards by which we judge how good or bad a game is. 5. **AESTHETIC** - these are standards by which we judge how good or bad an art is, this is usually dictated by small circle of art connoisseurs. **MORAL STANDARDS** - this refers to the norms which we have about the types of actions which we believe to be morally acceptable and morally unacceptable. Specifically, moral standards deal with matters which can either seriously harm or seriously benefit human beings. - the validity of moral standards comes from the line of reasoning that was taken to back or support them, and thus are not able to be formed or changed by particular bodies or entity. - it is important to note that different societies have different moral beliefs and beliefs are deeply influence by our own culture and context. - for this some values do have moral implications, while others do not. - This clearly shows that different cultures have different moral standards. This is where the importance of understanding the difference between moral standards and non-moral-standards. **NON MORAL STANDARDS** - these refers to standards by which we judge what is good or bad and right and wrong in a non-moral way. This are also matter of taste or preference. - these also refers to rules that affect the choice of a person but are not linked to moral or ethical considerations, similar with ethics people use value judgement in dealing with these aspects. **NON MORAL VS. MORAL STANDARDS** - It defines **moral standards** as principles about what is right or wrong that promote human welfare, the good of others, and prescribe human responsibilities and obligations. ( **"Don't steal and kill", "Do not harm innocent people")** - **Non-moral standards** are matters of taste or preference like etiquette or rules of a game. (**"Don't text while driving" ,"Do not wear fitted jeans and skirts")** - Norms are a fundamental concept in the social sciences. They are most commonly defined as rules or expectations that are socially enforced. - Norms may be prescriptive (encouraging positive behavior; for example, **"be honest") or proscriptive (discouraging negative behavior; for example, "do not cheat").** 1. **TECHNICAL NORMS** - Refers mainly to techniques of how certain thinfs pertaining to man's survival should be done and not done; and thus, the community prescribes certain proper ways of working and doing things. (that is the porper way to do the dishes") (" your manner of dribbling the ball is bad")\ (" you ought to do the PowerPoint presentation this way:) 2. **SOCIETAL NORM** - Has something to do with the neeed for group cohesion and for strengthening the bonds that keep the community together.\ ex. "you should knock first before you open the door"\ "one should not pick ones nose in public"\ " one should follow the rituals before one is accepted in a fraternity" 3. **AESTHETIC NORM** - Refers to typical perceptuals forms regarding color, shape, space, and movement. Sound, feeling. Emotions, touch, and texture, taste, scent, and odor. Ex. "pop music is good" " the food at the canteen is terrible"\ "vice ganda's fashion sense is outrageous" 4. **ETHICAL OR MORAL NORM** - Refers to some ideal vision of a human person, an ideal stage or perfection which serves as the ultimate goal and norm. - There are the "**non-negotiable"** that a community considers as the ultimate worth, giving sense and direction to human existence. 1. **THE UTILITARIAN APPROACH** 2. **THE RIGHTS APPROACH**  3. **THE FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE APPROACH** 4. **THE VIRTUE APPROACH** 5. **THE COMMON GOOD APPROACH**