HUM 2 - Ethics Lesson 2 - PDF

Lesson 2 - ETHICS DEFINED Because of the development of science and technology, man’s concept of goodness has changed. Before, his concept of goodness is related so much on norms of morality. But when the human person began to taste a more pleasurable life brought abo...

Lesson 2 - ETHICS DEFINED Because of the development of science and technology, man’s concept of goodness has changed. Before, his concept of goodness is related so much on norms of morality. But when the human person began to taste a more pleasurable life brought about by technological advancements, man’s concept of goodness is now related to the physical pleasures. For this reason, the greatest issue in the modern times now lies on the problem of morality. With the human person’s inclination to pleasure; he began looking at things as moral if it provides pleasure for the human person and if it prevents him from suffering pain. A. Ethics defined ▪ Ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos”, which means customs, usage, or character. It is the traditional manners, customs, habits, character or attitude of a community or a group, which pertains to the group’s standards or norms. In other words, ethics is a set of rules of human behavior, which has been influenced by the standards set by the society or by himself in relation to his society (Reyes 1989) ▪ Ethics is more clearly defined as “practical and normative science, based on reason, which studies human acts, and provides norms for their goodness and badness (Timbreza 1993, 3). ▪ As a practical science, ethics deals with a systematized body of knowledge that is applicable to human action. The primary consideration of Ethics is the application of human knowledge and its practicality to human experience. ▪ As a normative science, ethics sets a basis or a norm for the direction and regulation of human actions. It sets its rules and guidelines to maintain a sense of direction to human actions. As normative science, ethics aids man in distinguishing whether one’s action can be considered good or bad. ▪ Ethics is a science, it should, therefore, be based on reason. All ethical theories and all moral decisions must have its basis from the power of reason. Ethics studies human acts. Human acts are those actions that are done by the human person based on knowledge and the full consent of the will. Acts of man HUM 2 – Ethics 1  are those actions that are done in the absence of either knowledge or will or of both knowledge and will. ▪ Ethics provides norms for the goodness and badness of a certain act. B. Branches of Ethics ▪ First is Normative Ethics in which actions are judged by their merits, allowing societies to develop codes of conduct for behaviour. The Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is a classic example of normative ethics, since you are determining morality through your actions. ▪ Descriptive Ethics try and define how people should act, descriptive ethics ask what do people this is moral. This branch of ethics does not actually claim that things are right or wrong, but simply studies how individuals or societies define their morals. C. The Importance of Studying Ethics ▪ It satisfies basic human needs ▪ It creates credibility ▪ It unites people and leaders ▪ It improves decision making ▪ It brings long term gains ▪ It secures the society D. Ethics and Its relation to other Sciences 1. Ethics and Logic. Ethics is understood as the science of right living. Logic is defined as the science and art which helps the human mind to distinguish between the correct from the incorrect arguments. In other words, Logic deals with the method of acquiring right thinking. A human person will not be able to acquire the knowledge of right living without having obtained the knowledge of right thinking first. No person can live properly or morally without first thinking rightly or logically. 2. Ethics and Psychology. Psychology comes from the Greek words psyche which means “soul” and logos which means “study” or “science”. From the point of view of HUM 2 – Ethics 2  the philosophers, the soul is the principle of life and the principle of the human thoughts. They believed that the soul is the source of reason, and therefore, the source of the behaviour of the human person. In other words, the soul is that which makes a ma think and behave. Ethics is connected with psychology because both sciences deal with the study of man, the human nature and the human behaviour. If psychology studies how a man behaves, ethics deals with how man ought to behave. This oughtness in behaviour presupposes proper living. Ethics is the means in order for the human person to have a kind of behaviour appropriate to a human person. 3. Ethics and Sociology. Sociology is the study of the relations of man to a society. This relation of man to his society is based on proper order, which can only be acquired through the proper observance of the moral laws and principles. Since Ethics deals with the moral order, which necessarily includes the social order, it is therefore, proper to say that Ethics and Sociology are related to one another. 4. Ethics and Economics. Ethics became connected to economics because as one works to earn a living, he has to consider others. As a social being, man should always bear in mind that he must also consider the welfare of others and not only his own welfare. 5. Ethics and Education. Education plays a very important role in the life of people as it gives direction, goal worth and meaning to human beings. In order to help the students in making his life’s goal and direction clearer, it is necessary to integrate Ethics into the curricula. Students must be taught the importance of correct living so that by doing so, they will be able to realize that this life should be made truly worth living for (Montemayor, 11). 6. Ethics and Law. Both Ethics and Law deal with the rightness and goodness. The only difference is that Law deals with the external acts of man, while Ethics deals with the internal acts, which include his thoughts and desires (Montemayor). Law should be connected with Ethics because a human person who follows a law must be able to understand why such law should be followed in order to make the following of law worthwhile and meaningful; otherwise, man will only follow a law HUM 2 – Ethics 3  just because he wanted to avoid punishment. Such following of laws will not be considered good in the ethical viewpoint. In this case, Law and Ethics should go together in order to comprise the holistic goodness of the human person. 7. Ethics and Aesthetics. Aesthetics comes from the Greek word (Aisthesis), which means “order” or “harmony”. Ethics is aiming to obtain a harmonious life with the people in the community. Ethics deal with moral goodness which can be obtained when one learns to live well in a community. As Ethics deals with moral goodness it is related to Aesthetics because goodness and beauty are very much intertwined. 8. Ethics and Politics. Politics aims towards the attainment of good government which centers on ensuring the temporal welfare of its citizens (Montemayor). In order to attain good government, both the leaders and their subordinates must necessarily learn to live a moral life. Hence, if we separate ethics from politics, the goal of politics, which is centered on the attainment of the common good, will never be realized. 9. Ethics and Religion. Both ethics and Religion are connected to one another because they are both based on same postulates, i.e., the existence of a Creator, the freedom of the will in man and the retribution in the afterlife. Ethics and Religion have the same end, i.e., the attainment of man’s supreme purpose on an ultimate end. And both will definitely describe the right living as the means for attaining the goal of man (Timbreza, 4) E. Ethics and Morals Every day we encounter moral and ethical issues. Ethics and morals define the personality, attitude and behavior of a person. The term moral is derived from a Latin word “mos” which means custom while the word ethics is from the Greek work “ethikos” which means character. Morals are the customs established by group of individuals whereas ethics defines the character of an individual. Also, morals are concerned with principles of right and wrong while ethics is related to right and wrong conduct of an individual in a particular situation. Many use the term interchangeably, but there are slight differences between morals and ethics. HUM 2 – Ethics 4  Basically, ethics and morality are set of rules that govern human actions to ensure mutual respect and cooperation. F. Rules Collin’s Dictionary defined rules as instructions that tell what we are allowed to do and what we are not allowed to do. Rules refer to a set of guidelines which have been put in place in different countries and communities and have been accepted by all. They are given to help us achieve success and meet common goals in society. Additionally, rules are imperative statements to govern human conduct in addressing specific and peculiar situations to sustain orderly and healthy human relations. When used appropriately, rules provide a sense of predictability and consistency for people, thereby promoting physical, moral, social and emotional safety. Ethics is concerned with other people’s interests, with the interest of society, with God’s interests, with “ultimate goods”, and so on. So when a person ‘thinks ethically’ they are giving at least some thought to something beyond themselves. At the heart of ethics is a concern about something or someone other than ourselves and our own desires and self-interest. Rules are defined in several ways: 1. Rules are instructions that tell you what you are allowed to do and what you are not allowed to do. 2. A rule is a statement telling people what they should do in order to achieve success or a benefit of some kind. 3. Rules are statement that describe the way things usually happen in a particular situation. 4. Ruel tells you the normal state of affairs. 5. Rules influence or restrict actions in a way that is not good for a person. 6. Rules tell us something that is true or should happen and then the authority has officially decided that it is true. 7. Rules are principles or regulations governing conduct, action, HUM 2 – Ethics 5  procedure, arrangement, etc. Importance of Rule ▪ protect the weaker class in the society ▪ provide a stable environment and human co-existence in a society ▪ maintain peace and order G. Key Differences between Morals and Ethics (Grannan, 2018) 1. Morals deals with what is ‘right or wrong’. Ethics deals with what is ‘good or evil’. 2. Morals are general guidelines framed by the society. Ethics is a response to a particular situation 3. Morals are dictated by society, culture or religion while Ethics is chosen by the person himself who governs his life under the dictate of right reason. 4. Morals may vary from society and culture to culture. As opposed to Ethics, this remains same regardless of any culture, religion or society. 5. Morals are expressed in the form of statements, while the principles of Ethics are translated into an explicit action. References: Corpuz, B. Corpuz R. (2020). Ethics. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City Agdalpen, Renato T. and Francisco Joether. (2019). Ethics Ako at ang Kagandahang Asal Bilang Isang Filipino. Mindshapers Co.Inc. Manila Buenaflor, Lionel E. (2018). Unraveling the Absolute Moral Principle: Ethics for Filipino Students. Book Atbp. Publishing Corp. Mandaluyong City Leano Jr., Roman D. and Gubia-on, Arthur B. (2018). Ethics for College Students. Mindshapers Co.Inc. Manila Ariola, Mariano M. (2018). Ethics. Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. Manila HUM 2 – Ethics 6