This document discusses the difference between ethics and ethos. Ethics addresses how we should live our lives based on reason, while ethos refers to conforming to social conventions and norms. Philosophical ethics seeks to distinguish what values people have from what they should have through reflection. It demands reasons for decisions rather than just following customs. Business ethics similarly asks us to reflect on how business decisions affect lives and whether current practices align with how we ought to live.

1. Sec 1-5:
Ethics and Ethos

2. • Ethics addresses one question: How should we
live our lives?
• Greek philosopher Socrates: Ethics deals “with no
small thing, but with how we ought to live”.
• Greeks had a set of believes, attitudes, and values
that guided their lives.
• Ethics derived from Greek word ethos which
means customary or conventional
• To be ethical in the ethos sense, is to conform to
what is typically done, to obey the conventions
and rules of one’s society and religions.

3. • Philosophical Ethics denies that simple
conformity and obedience are the best guides
to how we should live.
• Philosophy rejects authority as the source of
ethics, defends the use of reason as the
foundation of ethics.
• Philosophical ethics seeks a reasoned analysis
of custom and a reasoned defense of how we
ought to live.

4. Philosophical ethics
• distinguishes what people do value from what
people should value.
• Requires us to reflect upon whether or not
what is done, should be done, and whether
what is valued should be valued.
Difference between ethics and ethos: the
difference of what is valued and what ought to
be valued

5. Philosophical Ethics:
• demands reasons for each decision
• does not reject or disagree with the
customary norms and standards
Business Ethics asks us to:
• To step back from daily decisions
• Step back from the ethos of business
• To reflect upon how business decisions affect
our lives.

6. • Philosophical Ethics require conscious
reflection
and analysis of those beliefs and values upon
which we act.
• Socratic wisdom: “the unexamined life is not
worth living”.
• Examination of business ethics is reflecting
upon daily events and echoing Socrates’
question:
“HOW WE OUGHT TO LIVE?”