Philosophy
Ethics, or Moral Philosophy, is the branch of Philosophy dealing with the questions of what is good and bad, what is right and wrong, trying to assess what moral duty is.
Examples of Ethical Questions:
What is a morally good outcome?
What is a morally right action?
Are moral values universal or relative?
Where do moral values come from?
What is a just political system?
Are you responsible for poverty?
Do we have a right to a good death?
Would you invade a country that is practicing ethnic cleansing or genocide?
THREE AREAS:
Metaethics: where our ethical principles come from (for example, Social invention? Will of God?) and what they mean.
Normative Ethics: propose moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct (for example, What are our duties? Are consequences important?).
Applied Ethics: examining specific areas (for example, business ethics) and specific controversial issues (for example, abortion, capital punishment).
MAIN SOURSE:
Customs;
Rules/samples/norms.
Customs + norms = morality.
Ethics is a practical philosophy.
It has ideas: truth, kindness, beauty, etc.
A moral man: what is it?
Ancient scholars: thought of MORAL VIRTUE first.
The main value in ethics is a HUMAN LIFE, and a human being.
A human being is unique: has consciousness, instincts, memory, soul, plans, mysteries, etc.
Aristotle: “A man is a social/political animal”
Principles of Ethics:
1. Asceticism: a neglect of sensational and material world for the sake of spiritual world.
2. Egoism (lat.) – a life position based on one’s interests and neglects others’ ones. It is a natural feature, dominating among men in personal and social level.
3. Altruism (by O. Comte) is an ethical principle making a human being to act for other people’s benefit. Opposite to egoism.
4. A-moralism and immoralism.
- A-moralism is a deny of moral standards and norms. Questions most of the principles of the existing morality. Often serves a certain interest (for example, a
Examples of Ethical Questions:
What is a morally good outcome?
What is a morally right action?
Are moral values universal or relative?
Where do moral values come from?
What is a just political system?
Are you responsible for poverty?
Do we have a right to a good death?
Would you invade a country that is practicing ethnic cleansing or genocide?
THREE AREAS:
Metaethics: where our ethical principles come from (for example, Social invention? Will of God?) and what they mean.
Normative Ethics: propose moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct (for example, What are our duties? Are consequences important?).
Applied Ethics: examining specific areas (for example, business ethics) and specific controversial issues (for example, abortion, capital punishment).
MAIN SOURSE:
Customs;
Rules/samples/norms.
Customs + norms = morality.
Ethics is a practical philosophy.
It has ideas: truth, kindness, beauty, etc.
A moral man: what is it?
Ancient scholars: thought of MORAL VIRTUE first.
The main value in ethics is a HUMAN LIFE, and a human being.
A human being is unique: has consciousness, instincts, memory, soul, plans, mysteries, etc.
Aristotle: “A man is a social/political animal”
Principles of Ethics:
1. Asceticism: a neglect of sensational and material world for the sake of spiritual world.
2. Egoism (lat.) – a life position based on one’s interests and neglects others’ ones. It is a natural feature, dominating among men in personal and social level.
3. Altruism (by O. Comte) is an ethical principle making a human being to act for other people’s benefit. Opposite to egoism.
4. A-moralism and immoralism.
- A-moralism is a deny of moral standards and norms. Questions most of the principles of the existing morality. Often serves a certain interest (for example, a