ETHICS

Introduction
Etymologically, ethics is derived from the Greek “ethos” which means “characteristic way of acting”,
“habit”, or “custom”. The Latin equivalent is mos/mores, from which the word moral and morality.
Ethics studies the characteristics behavior of man as endowed with reason and freewill. It is a system
of moral principles and their application to particular problems of conduct.

• Ethics is often called moral philosophy, a study that deals with the principles and laws
governing

• The morality of the human act. Morality of human acts means the goodness and the
badness, the rightness and wrongness or the acceptability or unacceptability of human acts.

Ethics is a science and a way of life.

• To teach the science with the hope that it will lead to a better appreciation of what life truly
should mean to us.

• Ethics does not seem too important until we realize that society and big business continue
to look for men and women who are not only intellectually competent but, above all,
morally upright.

• It is the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation.
Moral education is necessary to the individual and to society.

• The study of Ethics started with the Greek philosophers, notably Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle. Socrates is regarded as the father of moral philosophy. However, it is Aristotle
who has greatly influenced ethical thinking with three important treatises – the
Nicomachean Ethics, the Eudemian Ethics, and the Magna Moralia (Great Ethics).

Why is ethical management important to business?

• Ethical management is practically considered by all business leaders as relevant to business

survival and corporate reputation.

• Ethics is the science of the morality of human acts. Human acts are reactions done
intentionally and freely, like walking, reading, working, playing, shopping, joining a contest,
or signing a contract.

• Ethics is the study of man as moral being, one who is rationally able to distinguish between
right and wrong. It examines how man is accountable for his actions and its consequences. It
proposes how man ought to live his life – meaningfully.

• Ethics is concerned with morality, the quality which makes an act good or evil, correct or
wrong. Ethics examines and explains the rational basis why actions are moral or immoral. In
other words, Ethics is concerned with the norms of human behavior.
 Moral vs. Immoral

Ethics, as a normative philosophical science, is a

Theoretical science of good and bad or right and wrong action. It is the philosophical discipline that
provides the principles on the morality of human acts. It equips man with a theoretical knowledge
of the morality of human acts. Ethics, however, does not guarantee that the human person will be
actually living an amoral or good life. Simply put, one must be able to apply the theories of ethics for
one to actually living an amoral or good life.

In this regard, morality, then, should be properly called Applied Ethics.

Hence, ethics provides the theories and principles of right or wrong and good or bad actions,
morality actualizes these theories and principles. It is the domain of ethics to outline those theories
and principles of right or wrong and good or bad actions, and it is the function of morality to apply
these theories and principles.

Between Moral and non moral, we simply ask what are ethical and what are not ethical? What is
right and what is wrong? What is acceptable and what is unacceptable?

Example: honest or dishonest, to be faithful to your spouse or unfaithful, to perform your duty or
neglect your duty.

Muslim person who had several wife.

What is dilemmas?

It derived from Greek word di ( two ) and lemma (horn ), is a two horned situation or condition. It
puts the an individual in a situation where he is to choose between two options both of which are
disadvantageous to him as whatever he chooses will put him in the losing end. A dilemma is an is
an argument meant to put an opponent in a position in which he has no way out but to make a
choice however damaging it would be.

Example of moral dilemma:

The president will either allow the rapist to be executed or pardon him.

If he will allow him to be executed, he will get into trouble with the people who were against the
death penalty;

If he will pardon him, he will get ire of the people who wanted the rapist to be executed.
Therefore, he will either get into trouble with the people who were against death penalty or get ire
of the people who were for execution.

• The Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas

1. Individual/Organizational ( business, medical,

and public sector )

2. Structural ( network of institutions )

3. Operative theoretical paradigms ( universal

health care )

Freedom as Foundational for Moral Acts

• Man As Person

Man has an intellect that separates him from all brute creation. Man has the ability to think
before doing a particular action. Man may foresee the consequences of his actions. He has
the capacity to know what is right and what is wrong.

• Ethics is the study of man as a moral being. What goals we assign to ourselves, what actions
we choose to do, and how we treat others – depend on how we understand ourselves as a
human being. Socrates is wise indeed for proposing that the starting point of wisdom is “to
know oneself”.

Man as a Rational Being

• Man’s actions are in accordance with reason. Every action of his has purpose and meaning.
It is the duty of man to be moral. Man as a rational being means his actions are diligently
and intelligently made. He carefully examines and analyze the consequences of his actions