This document provides an overview of ethics and morality. It defines ethics as the philosophical study of morality, and morality as the standards that individuals or groups have about what is right and wrong. It discusses the difference between descriptive and normative morality. It also examines the relationship between morality, religion, law, and social etiquette. The document poses questions about the nature and function of morality. It explores different views on the sources and purposes of morality. Finally, it discusses some prominent philosophers like Peter Singer and debates around the idea of moral expertise.
This chapter introduces the concepts of ethics and morality. It discusses what ethics is, the nature of morality, and why morality is needed. It explores different ethical theories regarding the basis of morality and how morality relates to concepts like religion, law, and social etiquette. Key aspects of morality discussed include moral principles, how actions, consequences, character, and motives are evaluated, and the purposes and goals of having a system of morality.
INTRODUCTION THINKING ETHICALLY A Framework for Moral Decisio.docxnormanibarber20063
INTRODUCTION:
THINKING ETHICALLY A Framework for Moral Decision Making
***This article updates several previous pieces from Issues in Ethics by Manuel Velasquez - Dirksen Professor of Business Ethics at Santa Clara University and former Center director - and Claire Andre, associate Center director. "Thinking Ethically" is based on a framework developed by the authors in collaboration with Center Director Thomas Shanks, S.J., Presidential Professor of Ethics and the Common Good Michael J. Meyer, and others. The framework is used as the basis for many programs and presentations at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
TAKEN FROM: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html
Moral issues greet us each morning in the newspaper, confront us in the memos on our desks, nag us from our children's soccer fields, and bid us good night on the evening news. We are bombarded daily with questions about the justice of our foreign policy, the morality of medical technologies that can prolong our lives, the rights of animals or perhaps the fairness of our children's teachers dealing with diverse students in their classrooms.
Dealing with these moral issues is often perplexing. How, exactly, should we think through an ethical issue? What questions should we ask? What factors should we consider?
WHAT IS ETHICS?
Simply stated, ethics refers to standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on.
According to The National Institute of Health: “Ethics seeks to determine what a person should do, or the best course of action, and provides reasons why. It also helps people decide how to behave and treat one another, and what kinds of communities would be good to live in.”
“Bioethics is a subfield of ethics that explores ethical questions related to the life sciences. Bioethical analysis helps people make decisions about their behavior and about policy questions that governments, organizations, and communities must face when they consider how best to use new biomedical knowledge and innovation”.
WHAT ETHICS IS NOT:
• Ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide important information for our ethical choices. Some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, but many people feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And often our feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard.
Ethics is not religion. Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do advocate high ethical standards but sometimes do not address all the types of problems we face.
• Ethics is not following the law. A good system of law does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it..
Ethical issues in biotechnology and related areas.
For soft copy of this document please feel free to contact us on info@biotechsupportbase.com or snjogdand@gmail.com
Introduction to the concept of ethics.pptxRavenMiradora
This document provides an introduction to ethics by exploring several key concepts and topics. It begins by defining ethics as the study of moral principles that guide human behavior. The origin of the word and some definitions are then given. The document outlines several contexts and branches of ethics including global ethics, environmental ethics, and business ethics. It also briefly defines ethical dilemmas. Several major areas of ethics are then explored such as meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Major ethical theories like utilitarianism and deontology are also summarized. The document differentiates between concepts like value and good. It also discusses morals, moral issues in the Philippines, and moral dilemmas and agents. Key terms are concisely defined throughout
This document provides an overview of key concepts in health care ethics including ethics, morality, law, bioethics, and cultural diversity. It discusses ethical theories like deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics. It also covers ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, and justice. The document notes that ethics and law are interrelated and influence each other. It presents examples of ethical dilemmas and discusses how cultural values impact decision making. Finally, it introduces a decision making model called ADPIE that can be used to analyze ethical issues.
This document provides an overview of a course on Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. The course objectives are to explain the nature and importance of business ethics, examine various ethical theories as they relate to firms, dimensions of corporate social responsibility, and the relationship between organizations, sustainability, and the environment. It discusses concepts like the origins of ethics in philosophy, normative and meta ethics theories, and applied ethics issues. It also covers corporate social responsibility and how organizations are part of society, the principles of CSR around sustainability, accountability, and transparency.
The document discusses several key topics related to ethics including:
- The three main branches of ethics: descriptive, metaethics, and normative ethics.
- The importance of studying ethics to understand one's values and make ethical decisions.
- How culture influences moral development and behavior through shared symbols, language, beliefs, values, and norms.
- The concept of cultural relativism and criticisms of it, including that some cultural practices can promote harm.
- Characteristics of moral standards and differences between moral standards and other codes like laws or policies.
- Ambivalent nature of Filipino values and traits which can be positive or negative depending on how they are applied.
Business ethics refers to standards of conduct governing morally right and wrong behavior in business. While law defines minimum standards, ethics outlines proper behavior beyond legal requirements. Understanding business ethics is essential for companies and professionals. Setting ethical objectives guides organizations to apply values like trustworthiness, respect, fairness and caring to goals and actions. While law is a formal system of rules, ethics provides moral principles and guidelines to determine right from wrong individually and socially.
This chapter introduces the concepts of ethics and morality. It discusses what ethics is, the nature of morality, and why morality is needed. It explores different ethical theories regarding the basis of morality and how morality relates to concepts like religion, law, and social etiquette. Key aspects of morality discussed include moral principles, how actions, consequences, character, and motives are evaluated, and the purposes and goals of having a system of morality.
INTRODUCTION THINKING ETHICALLY A Framework for Moral Decisio.docxnormanibarber20063
INTRODUCTION:
THINKING ETHICALLY A Framework for Moral Decision Making
***This article updates several previous pieces from Issues in Ethics by Manuel Velasquez - Dirksen Professor of Business Ethics at Santa Clara University and former Center director - and Claire Andre, associate Center director. "Thinking Ethically" is based on a framework developed by the authors in collaboration with Center Director Thomas Shanks, S.J., Presidential Professor of Ethics and the Common Good Michael J. Meyer, and others. The framework is used as the basis for many programs and presentations at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
TAKEN FROM: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html
Moral issues greet us each morning in the newspaper, confront us in the memos on our desks, nag us from our children's soccer fields, and bid us good night on the evening news. We are bombarded daily with questions about the justice of our foreign policy, the morality of medical technologies that can prolong our lives, the rights of animals or perhaps the fairness of our children's teachers dealing with diverse students in their classrooms.
Dealing with these moral issues is often perplexing. How, exactly, should we think through an ethical issue? What questions should we ask? What factors should we consider?
WHAT IS ETHICS?
Simply stated, ethics refers to standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on.
According to The National Institute of Health: “Ethics seeks to determine what a person should do, or the best course of action, and provides reasons why. It also helps people decide how to behave and treat one another, and what kinds of communities would be good to live in.”
“Bioethics is a subfield of ethics that explores ethical questions related to the life sciences. Bioethical analysis helps people make decisions about their behavior and about policy questions that governments, organizations, and communities must face when they consider how best to use new biomedical knowledge and innovation”.
WHAT ETHICS IS NOT:
• Ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide important information for our ethical choices. Some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, but many people feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And often our feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard.
Ethics is not religion. Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do advocate high ethical standards but sometimes do not address all the types of problems we face.
• Ethics is not following the law. A good system of law does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it..
Ethical issues in biotechnology and related areas.
For soft copy of this document please feel free to contact us on info@biotechsupportbase.com or snjogdand@gmail.com
Introduction to the concept of ethics.pptxRavenMiradora
This document provides an introduction to ethics by exploring several key concepts and topics. It begins by defining ethics as the study of moral principles that guide human behavior. The origin of the word and some definitions are then given. The document outlines several contexts and branches of ethics including global ethics, environmental ethics, and business ethics. It also briefly defines ethical dilemmas. Several major areas of ethics are then explored such as meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Major ethical theories like utilitarianism and deontology are also summarized. The document differentiates between concepts like value and good. It also discusses morals, moral issues in the Philippines, and moral dilemmas and agents. Key terms are concisely defined throughout
This document provides an overview of key concepts in health care ethics including ethics, morality, law, bioethics, and cultural diversity. It discusses ethical theories like deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics. It also covers ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, and justice. The document notes that ethics and law are interrelated and influence each other. It presents examples of ethical dilemmas and discusses how cultural values impact decision making. Finally, it introduces a decision making model called ADPIE that can be used to analyze ethical issues.
This document provides an overview of a course on Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. The course objectives are to explain the nature and importance of business ethics, examine various ethical theories as they relate to firms, dimensions of corporate social responsibility, and the relationship between organizations, sustainability, and the environment. It discusses concepts like the origins of ethics in philosophy, normative and meta ethics theories, and applied ethics issues. It also covers corporate social responsibility and how organizations are part of society, the principles of CSR around sustainability, accountability, and transparency.
The document discusses several key topics related to ethics including:
- The three main branches of ethics: descriptive, metaethics, and normative ethics.
- The importance of studying ethics to understand one's values and make ethical decisions.
- How culture influences moral development and behavior through shared symbols, language, beliefs, values, and norms.
- The concept of cultural relativism and criticisms of it, including that some cultural practices can promote harm.
- Characteristics of moral standards and differences between moral standards and other codes like laws or policies.
- Ambivalent nature of Filipino values and traits which can be positive or negative depending on how they are applied.
Business ethics refers to standards of conduct governing morally right and wrong behavior in business. While law defines minimum standards, ethics outlines proper behavior beyond legal requirements. Understanding business ethics is essential for companies and professionals. Setting ethical objectives guides organizations to apply values like trustworthiness, respect, fairness and caring to goals and actions. While law is a formal system of rules, ethics provides moral principles and guidelines to determine right from wrong individually and socially.
The document provides an overview of ethics and differentiates it from morals. It discusses how ethics refers to external rules from societies and professions, while morals are internal principles of right and wrong. The document examines different views on what constitutes ethics and finds that ethics cannot be reduced to feelings, religion, laws, or social acceptance alone. It concludes that ethics seeks to determine the best course of action in any situation.
The document discusses different views of what ethics means and settles on two key definitions. First, ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe human behavior in terms of rights, obligations, virtues, and benefits to society. Second, ethics refers to continually studying and developing one's moral standards and examining whether institutions align with reasonable, well-founded principles. It notes feelings, laws, and social norms can deviate from ethics, so self-examination is needed.
This document discusses ethics from two perspectives. First, it defines ethics as well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe obligations to society through virtues, rights, and prohibitions against harmful acts. Second, it defines ethics as the study and development of one's moral standards to ensure they are well-reasoned and that individuals and institutions uphold these standards. It then discusses the ethical process of gathering information through experience, understanding it, and making reasoned judgments.
A Utilitarian Perspective On Business EthicsJoe Andelija
This document provides an overview of utilitarianism and business ethics from a utilitarian perspective. It discusses the meaning and origins of utilitarianism, which stems from the works of Jeremy Bentham and William Stanley Jevons. It then uses the example of the Ford Pinto, where the car's rushed development process prioritized style over safety, resulting in vulnerable gas tanks that could rupture in rear-end collisions. The document examines the moral responsibility of Ford in this case from a utilitarian standpoint of weighing costs and benefits. Overall, the summary introduces utilitarianism and applies its principles to analyze an example of questionable business decisions and their ethical implications.
This document provides an overview of morality and ethics. It defines philosophy and explains how ethics relates to the study of morality. It outlines two approaches to studying morality - descriptive and philosophical. The philosophical approach includes normative ethics, which deals with standards of behavior, and meta-ethics, which analyzes the logic and reasoning behind ethical systems. The document also discusses where morality comes from, including objective theories based on supernatural beings or natural laws, and subjective theories that see morality as residing within humans. It explores the relationships between morality, law, religion and culture.
Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe how humans ought to act. These standards include obligations to avoid harming others and virtues like honesty. However, ethics cannot be defined by feelings, religion, laws, or social acceptance alone, as these can deviate from ethical standards. Ethics also involves continuously examining and improving one's moral standards through philosophical study and striving to align one's behaviors and institutions with reasonable, well-founded principles of right conduct.
9.5 Moral TheoriesAll moral claims are grounded in some moral th.docxransayo
9.5 Moral Theories
All moral claims are grounded in some moral theory. It is the nature of such claims that they are based on a system of beliefs about what is right and wrong, just and unjust.
The table below lists a handful of the moral theories you are most likely to encounter in ethical arguments today. It’s important to note that each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Moral theories give you general guidelines, but you still usually have to apply moral reasoning in individual cases to test them out. For example, none of these theories explicitly claim that killing is wrong. The theories are more about how you would ground your claim that killing is wrong.
Moral theories are also not mutually exclusive. The argument that killing is wrong could be grounded in all of these theories.
Whether they know it or not, everyone has a moral theory. It is inescapable. Even if their moral theory is that there are no morals, that still represents a moral theory. But not all moral theories are equal—some hold up to critical thinking better than others.
You may see wisdom in all of these perspectives, or you may strongly identify with a single one. Regardless, it's important for you to recognize the potential weaknesses in any moral theory you favor, and it's helpful for you to understand why others find legitimacy in the moral theories they employ.
Theory
Criticisms
Kantian Ethics
· Immanuel Kant put forth the categorical imperative, which states that you should only act on moral principles that you would be willing to turn into universal laws mandating that everyone act the same way.
· This is a version of the question, “How would you like it if everyone did that?”
Any two people who want to get married should be able to.
· This theory is so absolute that it sometimes goes against moral common sense.
It’s wrong to kiss my spouse because I would not like it if everyone kissed my spouse.
Utilitarianism
· The morally right course of action is the one that will produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
· The only thing that matters is the consequences of the action, not the intentions behind the action (the ends justify the means).
· Ignores people’s rights, duties, and intentions.
· Could be used to justify an act that most would consider morally wrong because it inflicts harm on one person unjustly, even if it brings great happiness to many others.
It’s okay to steal money from my neighbor and take my family on a vacation, because then my whole family would be happy, and only my neighbor would be harmed.
Ethical Egoism
· Doing whatever is best for your own interests or would make you happy.
· This is not necessarily the same thing as doing whatever you want in the moment, because that might not be in your best interests in the long term.
· Can be used to justify terrible actions.
Ethical Altruism
· Doing whatever is best for others or would bring the greatest amount of happiness to people besides yourself.
· Some.
Health Care Ethics documents designed foCynthiaLuay3
This document discusses health care ethics and various ethical concepts and theories related to health care. It begins by defining ethics and different types of ethics including general ethics, social ethics, and principal ethics. It then discusses key concepts in bioethics like autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Two major ethical theories - deontology and utilitarianism - are explained along with thinkers like Kant and Mill. The document also covers ethical principles in health care like informed consent, confidentiality, and virtues of health care workers.
This document provides an introduction to ethics by defining key terms and concepts. It explains that ethics comes from Greek words meaning character and custom. Ethics studies morality and human conduct. The document outlines the branches of ethics as normative, applied, and meta-ethics. Meta-ethics explores the origins and meaning of moral values and language. The document also distinguishes between ethics, morality, feelings, religion, law, and culture. It discusses how ethics applies to different fields and examines the link between freedom, responsibility, and human dignity.
A Framework for Thinking EthicallyThis document is designed as a.docxransayo
A Framework for Thinking Ethically
This document is designed as an introduction to thinking ethically. We all have an image of our better selves-of how we are when we act ethically or are "at our best." We probably also have an image of what an ethical community, an ethical business, an ethical government, or an ethical society should be. Ethics really has to do with all these levels-acting ethically as individuals, creating ethical organizations and governments, and making our society as a whole ethical in the way it treats everyone.What is Ethics?
Simply stated, ethics refers to standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on.
It is helpful to identify what ethics is NOT:
· Ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide important information for our ethical choices. Some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, but many people feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And often our feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard.
· Ethics is not religion. Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do advocate high ethical standards but sometimes do not address all the types of problems we face.
· Ethics is not following the law. A good system of law does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it. Law can be a function of power alone and designed to serve the interests of narrow groups. Law may have a difficult time designing or enforcing standards in some important areas, and may be slow to address new problems.
· Ethics is not following culturally accepted norms. Some cultures are quite ethical, but others become corrupt -or blind to certain ethical concerns (as the United States was to slavery before the Civil War). "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is not a satisfactory ethical standard.
· Ethics is not science. Social and natural science can provide important data to help us make better ethical choices. But science alone does not tell us what we ought to do. Science may provide an explanation for what humans are like. But ethics provides reasons for how humans ought to act. And just because something is scientifically or technologically possible, it may not be ethical to do it.
Why Identifying Ethical Standards is Hard
There are two fundamental problems in identifying the ethical standards we are to follow:
1. On what do we base our ethical standards?
2. How do those standards get applied to specific situations we face?
If our ethics are not based on feelings, religion, law, accepted social practice, or science, what are they based on? Many philosophers and ethicists have helped us answer this critical question. They have suggested .
This document discusses professional ethics and provides an overview of key concepts. It begins by stating that professional ethics has become more important over time as occupations become more specialized. It then discusses how professional bodies develop codes of ethics to provide guidance to professionals. The document outlines different approaches to ethics including virtue ethics, duty ethics, and different normative and metaethical frameworks. It discusses how professionals can use codes of ethics to resolve dilemmas and make ethical choices.
This document provides an introduction to ethics and ethics in business in the context of Rwandan culture. It defines ethics as the study of human conduct and morality, and examines the sources and objectives of ethics. Ethics is a normative science that evaluates human behavior based on principles of right and wrong. The primary sources of ethics discussed are genetic inheritance, religion, legal systems, philosophical systems, codes of conduct, and cultural experience. The document also explores the relationship between ethics and other fields of knowledge such as psychology, economics, politics and law.
This document discusses ethics in education over several pages. It covers topics like the nature of ethical inquiry, including descriptive, meta-ethical and normative inquiry. It also discusses phases of morality and moral development in children. Additionally, it examines the concepts of subjectivism and moral relativism, questioning whether moral judgments are just personal views or can be true/false. Cultural relativism is defined as the view that morality is determined by cultural standards. Some arguments for and against cultural relativism are presented.
This document provides a framework for ethical decision making. It begins by defining ethics as standards of behavior for how humans ought to act in different situations, rather than being based on feelings, religion, laws, social norms, or science alone. It then discusses two challenges in identifying ethical standards: determining the basis and applying standards to specific situations. Five approaches are described for deriving ethical standards: utilitarianism, rights, fairness, common good, and virtues. While these approaches may provide different answers, they often lead to similar conclusions. The document concludes by outlining a 10-step process for recognizing ethical issues, gathering facts, evaluating options, making a decision, implementing it, and reflecting on the outcome.
This document provides an overview of ethical thinking and decision making. It discusses that ethics relates to how individuals and groups should behave and interact. The document then examines what ethics is and is not, including that ethics is not based solely on feelings, religion, laws, social norms, or science. It explores five sources of ethical standards: utilitarianism, rights, fairness, common good, and virtues. The document notes challenges in applying these standards but also how they often lead to similar ethical outcomes. It concludes by outlining a framework for ethical decision making.
The document provides an introduction to ethics, including definitions of key terms like ethics, morality, metaethics, normative ethics, and descriptive ethics. It discusses three broad categories of moral philosophy: metaethics, normative ethics, and descriptive ethics. It also summarizes different ethical theories like deontology, consequentialism, relativism, and ethical egoism. Finally, it outlines some principles of ethical decision making like considering stakeholders, consequences, guidelines, and reviewing decisions.
This document provides an overview of key concepts in ethics. It discusses what ethics is, different views of morality, and relationships between morality, religion, law, and etiquette. It also examines domains of ethical assessment such as actions, consequences, character, and motives. Different ethical theories are outlined, including deontological theories that emphasize duties and teleological theories that focus on consequences.
This document discusses the key branches and areas of ethics. It begins by explaining that ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with concepts of right and wrong conduct. It then outlines the four main areas of ethics: value theory, which examines what constitutes a good life; normative ethics, which proposes moral theories and principles of right action; metaethics, which examines the nature of ethics; and applied ethics, which addresses practical problems in various fields. The document provides examples and explanations of theories within each area, such as utilitarianism and deontology in normative ethics, and cognitivism vs. non-cognitivism in metaethics. It concludes by emphasizing some important distinctions for doing ethics, such
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The document provides an overview of ethics and differentiates it from morals. It discusses how ethics refers to external rules from societies and professions, while morals are internal principles of right and wrong. The document examines different views on what constitutes ethics and finds that ethics cannot be reduced to feelings, religion, laws, or social acceptance alone. It concludes that ethics seeks to determine the best course of action in any situation.
The document discusses different views of what ethics means and settles on two key definitions. First, ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe human behavior in terms of rights, obligations, virtues, and benefits to society. Second, ethics refers to continually studying and developing one's moral standards and examining whether institutions align with reasonable, well-founded principles. It notes feelings, laws, and social norms can deviate from ethics, so self-examination is needed.
This document discusses ethics from two perspectives. First, it defines ethics as well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe obligations to society through virtues, rights, and prohibitions against harmful acts. Second, it defines ethics as the study and development of one's moral standards to ensure they are well-reasoned and that individuals and institutions uphold these standards. It then discusses the ethical process of gathering information through experience, understanding it, and making reasoned judgments.
A Utilitarian Perspective On Business EthicsJoe Andelija
This document provides an overview of utilitarianism and business ethics from a utilitarian perspective. It discusses the meaning and origins of utilitarianism, which stems from the works of Jeremy Bentham and William Stanley Jevons. It then uses the example of the Ford Pinto, where the car's rushed development process prioritized style over safety, resulting in vulnerable gas tanks that could rupture in rear-end collisions. The document examines the moral responsibility of Ford in this case from a utilitarian standpoint of weighing costs and benefits. Overall, the summary introduces utilitarianism and applies its principles to analyze an example of questionable business decisions and their ethical implications.
This document provides an overview of morality and ethics. It defines philosophy and explains how ethics relates to the study of morality. It outlines two approaches to studying morality - descriptive and philosophical. The philosophical approach includes normative ethics, which deals with standards of behavior, and meta-ethics, which analyzes the logic and reasoning behind ethical systems. The document also discusses where morality comes from, including objective theories based on supernatural beings or natural laws, and subjective theories that see morality as residing within humans. It explores the relationships between morality, law, religion and culture.
Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe how humans ought to act. These standards include obligations to avoid harming others and virtues like honesty. However, ethics cannot be defined by feelings, religion, laws, or social acceptance alone, as these can deviate from ethical standards. Ethics also involves continuously examining and improving one's moral standards through philosophical study and striving to align one's behaviors and institutions with reasonable, well-founded principles of right conduct.
9.5 Moral TheoriesAll moral claims are grounded in some moral th.docxransayo
9.5 Moral Theories
All moral claims are grounded in some moral theory. It is the nature of such claims that they are based on a system of beliefs about what is right and wrong, just and unjust.
The table below lists a handful of the moral theories you are most likely to encounter in ethical arguments today. It’s important to note that each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Moral theories give you general guidelines, but you still usually have to apply moral reasoning in individual cases to test them out. For example, none of these theories explicitly claim that killing is wrong. The theories are more about how you would ground your claim that killing is wrong.
Moral theories are also not mutually exclusive. The argument that killing is wrong could be grounded in all of these theories.
Whether they know it or not, everyone has a moral theory. It is inescapable. Even if their moral theory is that there are no morals, that still represents a moral theory. But not all moral theories are equal—some hold up to critical thinking better than others.
You may see wisdom in all of these perspectives, or you may strongly identify with a single one. Regardless, it's important for you to recognize the potential weaknesses in any moral theory you favor, and it's helpful for you to understand why others find legitimacy in the moral theories they employ.
Theory
Criticisms
Kantian Ethics
· Immanuel Kant put forth the categorical imperative, which states that you should only act on moral principles that you would be willing to turn into universal laws mandating that everyone act the same way.
· This is a version of the question, “How would you like it if everyone did that?”
Any two people who want to get married should be able to.
· This theory is so absolute that it sometimes goes against moral common sense.
It’s wrong to kiss my spouse because I would not like it if everyone kissed my spouse.
Utilitarianism
· The morally right course of action is the one that will produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
· The only thing that matters is the consequences of the action, not the intentions behind the action (the ends justify the means).
· Ignores people’s rights, duties, and intentions.
· Could be used to justify an act that most would consider morally wrong because it inflicts harm on one person unjustly, even if it brings great happiness to many others.
It’s okay to steal money from my neighbor and take my family on a vacation, because then my whole family would be happy, and only my neighbor would be harmed.
Ethical Egoism
· Doing whatever is best for your own interests or would make you happy.
· This is not necessarily the same thing as doing whatever you want in the moment, because that might not be in your best interests in the long term.
· Can be used to justify terrible actions.
Ethical Altruism
· Doing whatever is best for others or would bring the greatest amount of happiness to people besides yourself.
· Some.
Health Care Ethics documents designed foCynthiaLuay3
This document discusses health care ethics and various ethical concepts and theories related to health care. It begins by defining ethics and different types of ethics including general ethics, social ethics, and principal ethics. It then discusses key concepts in bioethics like autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Two major ethical theories - deontology and utilitarianism - are explained along with thinkers like Kant and Mill. The document also covers ethical principles in health care like informed consent, confidentiality, and virtues of health care workers.
This document provides an introduction to ethics by defining key terms and concepts. It explains that ethics comes from Greek words meaning character and custom. Ethics studies morality and human conduct. The document outlines the branches of ethics as normative, applied, and meta-ethics. Meta-ethics explores the origins and meaning of moral values and language. The document also distinguishes between ethics, morality, feelings, religion, law, and culture. It discusses how ethics applies to different fields and examines the link between freedom, responsibility, and human dignity.
A Framework for Thinking EthicallyThis document is designed as a.docxransayo
A Framework for Thinking Ethically
This document is designed as an introduction to thinking ethically. We all have an image of our better selves-of how we are when we act ethically or are "at our best." We probably also have an image of what an ethical community, an ethical business, an ethical government, or an ethical society should be. Ethics really has to do with all these levels-acting ethically as individuals, creating ethical organizations and governments, and making our society as a whole ethical in the way it treats everyone.What is Ethics?
Simply stated, ethics refers to standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on.
It is helpful to identify what ethics is NOT:
· Ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide important information for our ethical choices. Some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, but many people feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And often our feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard.
· Ethics is not religion. Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do advocate high ethical standards but sometimes do not address all the types of problems we face.
· Ethics is not following the law. A good system of law does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it. Law can be a function of power alone and designed to serve the interests of narrow groups. Law may have a difficult time designing or enforcing standards in some important areas, and may be slow to address new problems.
· Ethics is not following culturally accepted norms. Some cultures are quite ethical, but others become corrupt -or blind to certain ethical concerns (as the United States was to slavery before the Civil War). "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is not a satisfactory ethical standard.
· Ethics is not science. Social and natural science can provide important data to help us make better ethical choices. But science alone does not tell us what we ought to do. Science may provide an explanation for what humans are like. But ethics provides reasons for how humans ought to act. And just because something is scientifically or technologically possible, it may not be ethical to do it.
Why Identifying Ethical Standards is Hard
There are two fundamental problems in identifying the ethical standards we are to follow:
1. On what do we base our ethical standards?
2. How do those standards get applied to specific situations we face?
If our ethics are not based on feelings, religion, law, accepted social practice, or science, what are they based on? Many philosophers and ethicists have helped us answer this critical question. They have suggested .
This document discusses professional ethics and provides an overview of key concepts. It begins by stating that professional ethics has become more important over time as occupations become more specialized. It then discusses how professional bodies develop codes of ethics to provide guidance to professionals. The document outlines different approaches to ethics including virtue ethics, duty ethics, and different normative and metaethical frameworks. It discusses how professionals can use codes of ethics to resolve dilemmas and make ethical choices.
This document provides an introduction to ethics and ethics in business in the context of Rwandan culture. It defines ethics as the study of human conduct and morality, and examines the sources and objectives of ethics. Ethics is a normative science that evaluates human behavior based on principles of right and wrong. The primary sources of ethics discussed are genetic inheritance, religion, legal systems, philosophical systems, codes of conduct, and cultural experience. The document also explores the relationship between ethics and other fields of knowledge such as psychology, economics, politics and law.
This document discusses ethics in education over several pages. It covers topics like the nature of ethical inquiry, including descriptive, meta-ethical and normative inquiry. It also discusses phases of morality and moral development in children. Additionally, it examines the concepts of subjectivism and moral relativism, questioning whether moral judgments are just personal views or can be true/false. Cultural relativism is defined as the view that morality is determined by cultural standards. Some arguments for and against cultural relativism are presented.
This document provides a framework for ethical decision making. It begins by defining ethics as standards of behavior for how humans ought to act in different situations, rather than being based on feelings, religion, laws, social norms, or science alone. It then discusses two challenges in identifying ethical standards: determining the basis and applying standards to specific situations. Five approaches are described for deriving ethical standards: utilitarianism, rights, fairness, common good, and virtues. While these approaches may provide different answers, they often lead to similar conclusions. The document concludes by outlining a 10-step process for recognizing ethical issues, gathering facts, evaluating options, making a decision, implementing it, and reflecting on the outcome.
This document provides an overview of ethical thinking and decision making. It discusses that ethics relates to how individuals and groups should behave and interact. The document then examines what ethics is and is not, including that ethics is not based solely on feelings, religion, laws, social norms, or science. It explores five sources of ethical standards: utilitarianism, rights, fairness, common good, and virtues. The document notes challenges in applying these standards but also how they often lead to similar ethical outcomes. It concludes by outlining a framework for ethical decision making.
The document provides an introduction to ethics, including definitions of key terms like ethics, morality, metaethics, normative ethics, and descriptive ethics. It discusses three broad categories of moral philosophy: metaethics, normative ethics, and descriptive ethics. It also summarizes different ethical theories like deontology, consequentialism, relativism, and ethical egoism. Finally, it outlines some principles of ethical decision making like considering stakeholders, consequences, guidelines, and reviewing decisions.
This document provides an overview of key concepts in ethics. It discusses what ethics is, different views of morality, and relationships between morality, religion, law, and etiquette. It also examines domains of ethical assessment such as actions, consequences, character, and motives. Different ethical theories are outlined, including deontological theories that emphasize duties and teleological theories that focus on consequences.
This document discusses the key branches and areas of ethics. It begins by explaining that ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with concepts of right and wrong conduct. It then outlines the four main areas of ethics: value theory, which examines what constitutes a good life; normative ethics, which proposes moral theories and principles of right action; metaethics, which examines the nature of ethics; and applied ethics, which addresses practical problems in various fields. The document provides examples and explanations of theories within each area, such as utilitarianism and deontology in normative ethics, and cognitivism vs. non-cognitivism in metaethics. It concludes by emphasizing some important distinctions for doing ethics, such
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2. 2
What is Ethics?
The philosophical study of morality.
Ethics deals with morality, but it is not
the same as morality. Morality is the
subject matter that ethics studies.
Good and bad; right and wrong.
Distinction between “ethics” and
“morality.”
3. What is Ethics?
What is the basis of morality?
Which ethical theory best justifies
and explains moral life?
What is morality’s relationship with
– religion?
– law?
– social etiquette?
3
4. Questions to Ponder
What is it to be a moral person?
What is the nature of morality?
Why do we need morality?
What function does morality
play?
How do I know what is the good?
4
5. Questions to Ponder
Are moral principles absolute?
Are moral principles relative to
social groups or individual
decisions?
Is morality only in the view of the
person being moral?
Is there a time for me to act
immorally?
How can I justify my moral beliefs?
5
6. 6
What is Morality?
Morality consists of the
standards that an
individual or a group has
about what is right and
wrong or good and bad.
7. Moral:
The term comes from BOTH
the Latin (meaning “mores”)
and
the Greek (meaning “ethos”)
Each derives their meaning from
the idea of custom.
7
8. Morality Refers to
Certain Customs
Certain Precepts
Certain Practices of Peoples and
Cultures
Positive or Descriptive Morality
– used to describe actual beliefs and
customs of a culture
8
9. Moral Philosophy
Refers to philosophical or
theoretical reflection on morality
Ethical theories come from moral
philosophical reflections.
Moral philosophers
9
10. Ethics
Refers to the whole domain of
morality and moral philosophy
Both areas are connected by
common concerns in different ways
through:
Values, Virtues, Principles
And Practices
10
11. Moral Philosophy
The systematic endeavor to
understand moral concepts and
justify moral principles and
theories.
Moral Philosophy analyzes concepts
and terms like: right/wrong,
ought, and good/evil.
11
12. Moral Philosophy
Seeks to establish principles of
right behavior to serve as a guide
for individuals and groups.
Investigates which values and
virtues are important for a
worthwhile life in society.
12
13. Moral Precepts Concern Social
Norms
Morality has a normative aspect in
that it has a distinct guiding
function which is also shared by
religion, law and social etiquette.
Morality functions differently in
religion, law and social etiquette.
13
14. Morality In Religion
Morality is usually essential to the
religion’s practice.
The moral principles are grounded
in revelation and divine authority of
that religious belief system.
14
15. Morality and Law
Laws are instituted to promote
social and individual well being.
Laws resolve conflicts of interest.
Laws promote social harmony.
15
16. Morality and Law
Morality also does all of these
three.
Ethics may judge that some laws
are immoral without denying that
those same laws are valid laws.
16
17. Law and Morality Differ
According to the concept of ‘Intent’
Bad intentions (mens rea) is
factored into the legality of a
criminal act.
But, no one can be punished for
only thinking bad thoughts
according to the law.
17
18. Law and Morality Differ
The enforcement of Law has
physical (imprisonment) and
financial (fines) sanctions.
Sanctions of conscience, guilt,
reputation, etc. enforce
morality.
18
19. Morality and Etiquette
Etiquette determines what is polite
social behavior.
Morality determines what is correct
or right social behavior.
Can not obeying social custom in
some cases be considered immoral?
19
20. Religion, Law, & Etiquette have
limitations in society
Religion –Rests on Authority that
some people question.
Law – Every social ill does not have a
law and all rules cannot be enforced.
Etiquette – Does not go to the depth
of what is existentially important.
20
21. 21
Normative Statements
Distinction between normative and factual
statements (a.k.a. fact/value distinction).
Ethical disagreements are usually not
resolved (if they are resolved at all) by
appealing to facts.
A normative statement expresses a value
judgment of some kind, and its correctness
is determined by reference to a norm or
standard.
22. 22
Examples of Normative
Statements
Stealing is wrong.
It is never permissible to lie.
You should not cheat on your spouse.
Capital punishment is cruel and
unusual punishment.
Affluent nations have a moral duty to
assist impoverished nations.
23. 23
Paradox of Ethics
Ethics is enormously important
but difficult to think about clearly
and responsibly.
Seems like reasonable people can
have reasonable disagreements
on ethical issues.
24. 24
Sources of Morality
We can get our sources from
Virtually anywhere.
Parents Friends
Teachers Movies
Music Video games
Church Synagogue
Mosque Temple
25. 25
Why is Ethics Important?
Much of what we are and do is
determined by our moral values,
because our values shape our
thoughts, feelings, actions, and
perceptions [Beliefs Actions].
PETA vs. PETA
26. 26
So Why Study Ethics?
On an intellectual level,
studying ethics can help
you participate intelligently
in society’s ethical debates
(e.g., abortion, euthanasia,
capital punishment).
27. 27
So Why Study Ethics?
On a professional level, many
professions (e.g., law, medicine,
engineering, nursing) have rules
of professional conduct to which
you’re expected to adhere.
Disciplinary/ethics boards
28. 28
Consider The Consequences Of
NOT Caring
Demotion, termination, monetary fines,
loss of company reputation, bankruptcy,
imprisonment.
The government may investigate
companies suspected of ethical and legal
improprieties.
– Enron Halliburton
– WorldCom Qwest
– Arthur Andersen Adelphia
30. Need for Morality
Why do we need morality? There are
many responses to this question.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) stated:
Humans create a ‘social contract or
covenant’ to create a standard of
social morals to counteract our
‘state of nature’ as he saw humanity.
30
31. But Don’t We Need
Morality?
Morality is the force in humanity that
can keep us within a human behavior
that advocates decency and respect.
Morals are a set of rules that if
everyone follows them, nearly
everyone will flourish.
31
32. Purposes of Morality
These rules restrain our freedom in
order to promote greater freedom
and well being for us and for all in
society.
There are generally five purposes of
morals that are related but not all
identical.
32
33. Five Moral Purposes
To keep society from falling apart
To ameliorate human suffering
To promote human flourishing
To resolve conflict of interest justly
and in a orderly manner
To assign praise, blame, reward,
punishment and guilt in society
33
34. The Goal of Morality
To create happy virtuous people
To create and support flourishing
communities based on order and
justice
To provide guidelines for people
to achieve the above
To promote the good of morality
34
35. Morality
Extreme view: Morality is the
most important subject on earth.
Without it, we can not promote
the good of humanity.
Moral rules are not relative.
They are not totally absolute;
they can override one another.
35
36. Traits of Moral
Principles
Central to morality are moral principles
which have these five traits:
Prescriptivity
Universalizability
Overridingness
Publicity
Practicability
36
37. Prescriptivity
This refers to the practice or
action guiding nature of
morality.
This trait of moral principles
advises people and influences
action.
37
38. Universalizability
Moral principles must apply to all
who are in relatively the same
situation.
They must apply to all evaluative
judgments.
They must be used consistently.
38
39. Overridingness
An authority that takes precedence
over other considerations including
aesthetic, prudential and legal
concerns.
When principles conflict, one must
override the other(s) for an action to
be morally justified.
39
40. Publicity
Moral Principles must be known by all
and must be made public.
Keeping a moral principle secret would
defeat the purpose of having a moral
principle.
But cf. “cultural defense”
40
41. Practicability
Moral Principles must be workable to all
in the general society.
Rules must not be too much for any one
person.
Rules must take human limitation into
consideration.
Difference in ethical standards occur
over time and place.
41
42. 42
Most well-known and
controversial ethicist in the
philosophical world: Peter Singer
Ira W. DeCamp
Professor of Bioethics,
Center for Human
Values, Princeton
University
http://www.princeton.edu/
~psinger/
43. 43
Protest Letter: Not everyone was
pleased with Singer’s hiring by Princeton.
We the undersigned protest the hiring of
Dr. Peter Singer as the Ira DeCamp
Professor of Bioethics at Princeton
University’s Center for Human Values.
We protest his hiring because Dr. Singer
denies the intrinsic moral worth of an
entire class of human beings – newborn
children – and promotes policies that
would deprive many infants
with disabilities of their basic human
right to legal protection against
homicide. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/2900/psai3.html
44. 44
Is There Any Such Thing As
Moral Expertise?
Is the layman just as
likely to be an expert in
moral matters as the
moral philosopher?
45. 45
Some philosophers make the distinction
between hard experts and soft experts.
Hard Experts
– Mathematics
– Physics
– Chemistry
Soft Experts
– Art
– Religion
– Politics
46. 46
C.D. Broad’s Opinion
“It is not part of the
professional
business of moral
philosophers to tell
people what they
ought or ought not
to do. . . .
47. 47
C.D. Broad’s Opinion
Moral philosophers, as such, have
no special information not available
to the general public, about what is
right and what is wrong; nor have
they any call to undertake those
hortatory functions which are so
adequately performed by
clergymen, politicians, leader-
writers . . .”
48. 48
Peter Singer’s Response
First, his general training as
a philosopher should make
him more than ordinarily
competent in argument and
in the detection of invalid
inferences [logical fallacies].
49. 49
Peter Singer’s Response
Next, his specific experience
in moral philosophy gives
him an understanding of
moral concepts [ethical
theories] and of the logic of
moral argument.
50. 50
Peter Singer’s Response
Finally, there is the simple fact
that the moral philosopher can, if
he wants, think full-time about
moral issues, while most other
people have some occupation to
pursue which interferes with such
reflection.
51. 51
Peter Singer’s Response
Moral philosophers have,
then, certain advantages
which could make them,
relative to those who lack
these advantages, experts
in matters of morals.
53. 53
Knowing Your Facts
Of course, to be moral experts,
it would be necessary for moral
philosophers to do some fact-
finding on whatever issue they
were considering. But knowing
the facts does not necessarily
resolve the ethical quandary.
54. 54
What Ethics is Not
(Peter Singer)
1. Ethics is not about a set of
prohibitions particularly concerned
with sex. There are other ethical
issues to discuss.
2. Ethics is not an ideal system that is
noble in theory but no good in
practice.
55. 55
What Ethics is Not
3.Ethics is not something
intelligible only in the context of
religion. It is possible to think
critically and responsibly about
ethical issues independently of
religious consideration.
56. 56
What Ethics is Not
4. Ethics is not relative or subjective.
Is it still possible . . . to give
reasons for choosing one way of life
in preference to another? Is it all a
matter of what will make us
happier, or live a more meaningful
and fulfilling life?
57. 57
One objective in this course
is to reexamine our ethical
intuitions, especially those
that have not been
subjected to rational
scrutiny.
Rational Scrutiny
58. 58
Some Ways Not to Answer
Moral Questions
1. Personal preferences and
opinions.
2. Why thinking it so does
not make it so.
3. The irrelevance of
statistics.
59. 59
The Ideal Moral Judgment
1. Conceptual clarity
2. Information
3. Rationality
4. Impartiality
5. Coolness
6. Valid Moral Principles
60. 60
No Double Standards
Allowed
1. Have important concepts been
analyzed, and if so, have they been
analyzed correctly?
2. Does the author argue from a basis
of knowledge of the real-life
setting(s) in which a moral question
arises?
3. Is the author rational? (Do the
arguments presented observe the
rules of logic?)
61. 61
No Double Standards
Allowed
4. Is there a lack of appropriate impartiality? (Is
someone, or some group, arbitrarily favored
over others?)
5. Are things argued for in a state of strong
emotion? (Are deep feelings rhetorically
vented in the place of hard thinking?)
6. Are the moral principles used valid ones? (Is
any effort expended to show that they meet
the appropriate criteria?)
62. Ethical Assessment
Generally there are four domains which
evaluate rules of right conduct
Action
Consequences
Character
Motive
62
63. 1. Action
Actions are usually termed
right or wrong.
‘Right’ can be an ambiguous term.
Right can mean
Obligatory or
Permissible
63
64. Right Action – 2 Types
Optional Act – An act not obligatory or
wrong to do; not your duty to do or not
to do
Obligatory Act – An act you must do;
you are required to do; you may not
refrain from doing it.
64
65. Wrong Acts
One has an obligation or duty to refrain
from doing the action.
One ought not to do the action at all.
It is not an act that is permissible for
one to do.
65
66. Supererogatory Acts
These actions are within the range of
permissible acts.
These are highly altruistic acts.
These are not required or obligatory
acts.
They exceed what morality requires.
They go beyond ‘the call of duty.’
66
67. Deontological Actions
‘Deon’ is from the Greek word ‘Duty’
These theories emphasize the nature of
an action.
They hold that there is something
inherently good or right about certain
actions and wrong or bad about other
actions.
67
68. 2. Consequences
Actions based on the foreseeable
outcome of a course of decision
Theories that focus on consequences in
determining what is moral/right or
immoral/wrong are termed:
Teleological Ethical Theories
‘Telos’ is Greek and means goal directed.
68
69. 3. Character
Character reflects actions that emphasize
virtue.
Virtue empowers character to do good.
Most moral theories consider virtue
important.
But, virtue is not always central to all
moral theories.
69
70. 4. Motive
Moral actions take into account the
intention or motivation of the actor prior
to the act itself.
The full assessment of an act considers
intention or motive.
Motive and intent are relevant factors in
any given action.
70
Editor's Notes
These are the questions posed by the author in the introductory Chapter One.
Religious and Secular ethics have two different orientations which often generate different moral principles and evaluation standings. However, they need not do this. Both religious and secular ethics can and do agree.
Some aspects of morality are not covered by law. For example: There is no general law against lying except in certain situations like perjury when one is under oath in a court of law.
English law of 1351 against treason made it a crime to think about killing the king, but there was no way the law could enforce or fathom a person’s thoughts or intent. Morality can hold an individual responsible for their intent and a person can suffer punishment for their intent even if they never commit the action.
Social etiquette deals with the customs people in each culture habitually use and term acceptable. These behaviors help our society to flow smoothly. None of the social rituals claim any moral superiority over another. However, once a social custom is adopted, the practice of that custom appears as a moral rule that defers respect to all people in that society. Not obeying the social customs could be termed in some cases immoral by society.
“State of Nature” according to Hobbes means that people in society are insecure because they have reason to fear one another due to the fact of human equality and ability to harm one another and our human desire to fulfill our personal goals. Hobbes emphasized that humans create a ‘social contract or covenant’ and agree to give up personal liberty in order to set up rules over us that we know we must obey. These rules we agree are to be enforced by the might of the ruler or the state. Where there is no enforceable law, there is neither right or wrong, justice or injustice.
Rules formed over time become internalized and hopefully hold us back from violent animal impulse and responses.
The good of morality is constituted in the five purposes: To keep society from falling apart; to ameliorate human suffering; to promote human flourishing; to resolve conflict of interest justly and orderly; to assign praise, blame, reward, punishment and guilt.
Moral rules are not justified by cultural acceptance. They are not relative. They do not change. However, at times moral rules can be overridden by one another. Therefore, they are not absolute in and of themselves when there are several rules involved in any given situation. One moral rule will always be the most applicable and absolute for any given situation and will be the one to which all defer.
Moral principles must have authority to take precedence over other considerations and have the hegemonic authority to do so at any time.
It is necessary for moral principles to be made public so that they are known by all, used and known to prescribe behavior in society, can be used to give advice, and can be used to assign praise or blame.
The rules of right conduct are evaluated and from this decisions are made.
In the optional act, if you did it or did not do it, neither would be wrong.