Introduction to Ethics PDF

Introduction to Ethics - Philosophy \[from the Greek *philos* (love) and *sophos* (wisdom), \"love of wisdom\"\] is **the study of fundamental issues and problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language among others**. The earliest beginnings of phil...

Introduction to Ethics - Philosophy \[from the Greek *philos* (love) and *sophos* (wisdom), \"love of wisdom\"\] is **the study of fundamental issues and problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language among others**. The earliest beginnings of philosophy are traced back to the sixth century B.C.E., when the first scientists of Western history, the Pre-Socratics -- among them Thales, Heraclitus and Parmenides -- advanced revolutionary theories concerning the natural world, human knowledge and humansm relationship with the gods. The pillars of philosophy include **theoretical philosophy (metaphysics and epistemology), practical philosophy (ethics, social and political philosophy, aesthetics), logic, and history of philosophy**. - **Popularly, Philosophy is associated with stargazing and asking questions that are as vague as they are irrelevant, and to which there are no answers. However, Philosophy deals in a clear and precise manner with the real world, its complex social and material nature, and our place in it. Because of this, philosophical fields of studies are diverse.** **Philosophy -- the love of wisdom -- is an activity of attempting to understand the world, in all its aspects. There are four pillars of philosophy: theoretical philosophy (metaphysics and epistemology), practical philosophy (ethics, social and political philosophy, aesthetics), logic, and history of philosophy. Theoretical philosophy asks questions about knowledge such as "Is anything absolutely certain?" and "What grounds our belief that the past is a good indicator of the future?" and questions about the world such as "What is the world like independently of human perception?" and "Does God exist?" Studying Practical Philosophy exposes us to such questions as: How ought we to live our lives? Which social and political arrangements are just or legitimate? The study of Logic teaches us what distinguishes good from bad reasoning and thereby enables us to think critically. In History of Philosophy we learn how the greatest thinkers in the history of humankind answered these and similar questions. All of these areas of interest are grounded in facts and responsive to the theories put forth by experts in a myriad of disciplines, such as physics and psychology.** **To study Philosophy is to see the connection between ideas, and to explicate that connection in a reasoned and logical way. In Ethics, an ethicist, for example, might draw upon behavioral psychology to argue that humans should lead a certain kind of life. This argument could have further implications about how government should legislate in order to ensure people can lead the lives they want to lead. A metaphysician or philosopher of science might help provide conceptual clarity and reason through the implications of competing quantum mechanical theories. All fields of inquiry are open to the philosopher's refinement.** - **Ethics is the branch of philosophy that examines right and wrong moral behavior, moral concepts (such as justice, virtue, duty) and moral language**. Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that \"involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior\". Ethics is **the study of questions of morality, the search to understand what is right, wrong, good, and bad**. It is the branch of philosophy that systematically studies moral ideals and goals, motives of choice, and patterns of good and bad conduct. Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.  Ethics is traditionally subdivided into descriptive ethics, **normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics**. - ***1. Descriptive Ethics*** ***2. Normative Ethics*** ***3. Meta Ethics*** ***4. Applied Ethics*** - - ***Similarities of the terms*** - - - - ***Difference/s of the terms*** - - - - One professional example of ethics conflicting with morals is the work of a defense attorney. A lawyer's morals may tell her that murder is reprehensible and that murderers should be punished, but her ethics as a professional lawyer, requires her to defend her client to the best of her abilities, even if she knows that the client is guilty. Another example can be found in the medical field. In most parts of the world, a doctor may not euthanize a patient, even at the patient\'s request, as per ethical standards for health professionals. However, the same doctor may personally believe in a patient\'s right to die, as per the doctor\'s own morality. - Ethics (with Morality) **asks us to consider whether our actions are right or wrong**. It also asks us how those character traits that help humans flourish (such as integrity, honesty, faithfulness, and compassion) play out in everyday living.