GECETH-module-1.pdf

GECETH MODULE 1 SCOPE AND MEANING OF ETHICS Course contents COURSE OUTCOMES: CLO1. Differentiate between moral and non-moral problems. CLO2. Describe what a moral experience is as it happens in different levels of human experience. CLO4. Describe the eleme...

GECETH MODULE 1 SCOPE AND MEANING OF ETHICS Course contents COURSE OUTCOMES: CLO1. Differentiate between moral and non-moral problems. CLO2. Describe what a moral experience is as it happens in different levels of human experience. CLO4. Describe the elements of moral development and moral experience. Why do we need to study Ethics? Definition of Ethics  Ethics is about matters such as the good things that we should pursue and the bad thing that we should avoid; the right ways in which we could or should act and the wrong ways of acting. It is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in human behavior. It may involve obligations that we are expected to fulfill, prohibitions that we are required to respect, or ideals that we are encouraged to meet.  Ethics as a subject for us to study is about determining the grounds for the values with particular and special significance to human life. General Ethics General Ethics is a philosophical inquiry concerning norms of morality, its clarification, justification, and application in relation to good life. General Ethics Elements What is goodness? Aristotle According to Aristotle, the goodness of an action lies in the action itself whatever consequences it may occur. For instance, the act of “truth telling”, whatever consequences it may incur, is good itself. What is essential is you do the right things base on your deliberation on what is good. It is very important to understand this idea of good because there are situations where some of our actions accrued negative consequences even though we have good intention in performing an action.  The good for Aristotle is attainable by action. It is not something beyond the practical life of man. For Aristotle, however, the good is a human act and not an abstract idea. Value According to the Voluntarist conception, valuing is the ground value. A thing can only be valuable when it is valued; therefore, it has no intrinsic value. Good in relation to Value On the contrary, if value are will, choice or desire independent, how can it be an action guiding? How can it stimulate action if it is not valuable to a person? Good is everything that is desirable but we know for a fact that there are things that we do not value but valued by others. In other words, not just because a thing is not desirable for me, it does not have value. On the other hand, the value of something may not be intrinsic but in the state potentiality which can be actualized and achieved through valuation. Virtue it is formed through action, by performing an action. Virtue is a disposition or character that enables it’s possessor to perform a noble or good action according to the mean as determined by practical wisdom. It is a character formed through habit Virtue If an action is done by a person of good character, that action can be called virtuous action. Virtue is a character and a person who has a virtuous character performs a good action and performs for the sake of performing good action, not for other reason. For instance, a person may perform a generous act but intends other people to see his action. However, to a virtuous person, what is significant is the performance of good action and not the reaction of other people towards the action. Different Applied Fields in Ethics Bioethics/Biomedical Ethics - 1. concerned with the rightness or wrongness of procedures that are performed in the practice of medicine and the provision of health care systems. Different Applied Fields in Ethics 2. Environmental Ethics It covers acceptable or unacceptable actions affecting the environment (De Castro & De Villa, 2012). As what one of the green movements’ slogan is saying, “harm to the environment will bring harm to the people.” So this particular ethical field promotes the welfare of human beings by promoting the well being of the environment since we are part of it. Different Applied Fields in Ethics 3. Business Ethics - concerned with what is acceptable and unacceptable business code of conducts are affecting the business enterprises. And when speaking of the business enterprise, it includes both the owner or investor and or the consumer. This field measures and establishes guidelines for the economic dynamics as a whole, including the moral aspect of the supply and demand, the benefits-cost-profit ratio, rule of competition and fair opportunity for the consumers. Different Applied Fields in Ethics 4. Legal Ethics - norms of conduct or standards that law practitioners, such as judges, lawyers, notary public, law makers, must follow in the practice of the profession Relation of Ethics With Other Sciences Ethical science is particularly concerned with the study of man and human conduct and is, therefore, especially related to all those sciences dealing with the study of human nature and human living. Relation of Ethics With Other Sciences Relation of Ethics With Other Sciences Morality and Other Phases of Human Life Ethics and Education Education develops the whole man: his moral, intellectual and physical capacities. Since man, however, is primarily a rational moral being (endowed with reason and will, which ranks him above brute creation), the primary objective of education should be the development of these powers in man, which consists his true perfection. Morality and Other Phases of Human Life Morality and Other Phases of Human Life Religion and Ethics The relationship between religion and ethics is the closest among the phases of human activity. This is evident from the following considerations: A) Both of these are based on the same postulates: 1. The existence of a Creator 2. Freedom of the will of man 3. Immortality B) Both have the same end- the attainment of man’s supreme purpose or man’s ultimate end. C) Both prescribe the same means for attaining the goal of man: right living. The Importance of Ethics The Importance of Ethics  Thank you!