Ethics
1.0 Introduction Different cultures have different way of thinking. With the coming of Christianity, a new set of ideas emerged. The Christians, like the Jews, viewed God as a lawgiver, and so laws will be the key to righteous living. For the Greeks, the life of virtue was in related to the life of reason. But Saint Augustine, the influential fourth-century Christian thinker, distrusted reason and believed that moral goodness depends on subordinating oneself to the will of God. Thus, modern moral philosophers has different subject from ancients by asking What is the right thing to do? Instead of asking What traits of character make someone a good person? This led them in a different direction. Following are theories develop by them:
Ethical Egoism: Each person ought to do whatever will best promote his or her own interests.
The social Contract Theory: The right thing to do is to follow the rules that rational, self-interested people would agree to follow for their mutual benefit.
Utilitarianism: One ought to do whatever will lead to the most happiness.
Kant’s theory: Our duty is to follow rules that we could accept as universal laws – that is, rules we would be willing for everyone to follow in all circumstances. (Ruggeiro. V.R. ,2011)
2.0 What Is a Virtue?
The first systematic description of virtue ethics was written down by Aristotle in his famous work Nichomachean Ethics. Aristotle said that a virtue is a trait of character manifested in habitual action. The word “habitual” here is important. The virtue of honesty, for example, is not possessed by someone who tells the truth only occasionally or only when it benefits her. The honest person is truthful as a matter of course; her actions “spring from a firm and unchangeable character.” (Ruggeiro. V.R. ,2011) When people acquire good habits of character, they are better able to regulate their emotions and their reason. This, in turn, we will reach morally correct decisions during making difficult
Ethical Egoism: Each person ought to do whatever will best promote his or her own interests.
The social Contract Theory: The right thing to do is to follow the rules that rational, self-interested people would agree to follow for their mutual benefit.
Utilitarianism: One ought to do whatever will lead to the most happiness.
Kant’s theory: Our duty is to follow rules that we could accept as universal laws – that is, rules we would be willing for everyone to follow in all circumstances. (Ruggeiro. V.R. ,2011)
2.0 What Is a Virtue?
The first systematic description of virtue ethics was written down by Aristotle in his famous work Nichomachean Ethics. Aristotle said that a virtue is a trait of character manifested in habitual action. The word “habitual” here is important. The virtue of honesty, for example, is not possessed by someone who tells the truth only occasionally or only when it benefits her. The honest person is truthful as a matter of course; her actions “spring from a firm and unchangeable character.” (Ruggeiro. V.R. ,2011) When people acquire good habits of character, they are better able to regulate their emotions and their reason. This, in turn, we will reach morally correct decisions during making difficult