Ethics Ethics is concerned with what is good
for individuals and society and is also
Origin: The word "ethics" is derived
from the Greek "ethos" (meaning
"custom" or "habit").
Definition:
•moral principles that govern a person's
behavior
• the discipline dealing with what is
good and bad and with moral duty and
obligation
•fundamental principles of decent
human conduct
An example of ethics: code of conduct
set by a business.
• a branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending, and
recommending concepts of right and
wrong conduct
• a system of accepted beliefs that
control behavior, especially such a
system
• the study of what is morally right
Moral Philosophy is a branch of
philosophy that involves systematizing,
defending, and recommending concepts
of right and wrong conduct.
Synonyms:
moral code, morals, morality, moral
stand, moral principles, moral
values, rights and
wrongs, principles, ideals, creed, credo,  -deals with the meaning of
ethos, rules of conduct, standards (of
behavior), virtues, dictates of conscience
Ethics in general
Ethics is a system of moral principles.
They affect how people make decisions
and lead their lives.
described as moral philosophy.
Basic Ethical Principles
1. Respect for Persons
2. Beneficence. …
3. Justice
Code of ethics is made up of five
fundamental
principles:
1,Integrity. Being straightforward,
honest and truthful in all professional
and business relationships
2. Objectivity
3. Professional competence and due
care. ...
4. Confidentiality. ...
5. Professional behaviour.
3 types of ethics
1. Normative - is the branch of ethics
concerned with establishing how things
should or ought to be, how to value
them, which things are good or bad, and
which actions are right or wrong.
-It attempts to develop a set of
rules governing human conduct, or a set
of norms for action.
2. Meta- Ethics - is concerned primarily
with the meaning of ethical judgments,
and seeks to understand the nature of
ethical properties, statements, attitudes,
and judgments and how they may be
supported or defended.
ethical judgments, and seeks to
understand the nature of ethical
properties, statements, attitudes, and
judgments and how they may be
supported or defended.
-A meta-ethical theory, unlike a
normative ethical theory, does not
attempt to evaluate specific choices as
being better, worse, good, bad or evil;
rather it tries to define the essential
meaning and nature of the problem
being discussed.
-It concerns itself with second
order
questions, specifically the semantics,
epistemology and ontology of ethics.
3. Applied ethics - is a discipline of
philosophy that attempts to apply
ethical theory to real-life situations.
-It is strict principle-based
ethical approaches often result in
solutions to specific problems that are
not universally acceptable or
impossible to implement.
-Applied Ethics is much
more ready to include the insights of
psychology, sociology and other
relevant areas of knowledge in its
deliberations.
-It is used in determining
public policy.
Summary
Ethics studies the rightness or
wrongness of a human action.
Raises Questions:
How do human persons ought to act?
2. What is a right conduct and a good
life?
Ethics has no absolute definition
because of constant socio-cultural and
political changes.
Ethics is a science of morals. The
“theory of right action and the greater
good” for “systemic study of the
underlying principles of morality.
Morality is a practice of Ethics. It deals
on the “practice , rigthness or wrongness
of human action for prescribing or
telling us what we ought to do.
Normative Ethics is Prescriptive in
nature.
Metaethics is Descriptive in nature.
Describing or understanding the
nature and dynamic of ethical principles,
and the way we learn and acquire moral
beliefs.
Normative Ethics Do good at all times.
Metaethics What is good?
Applied Ethics
Why should I be moral
Greek Tradition “ good
life”
Judeo Chrisdtian Tradition
“righteousness before God”
“love of God and neighbor”
“happiness”
provides ways to be happy not
necessarily in the present life
“Being Happy” “
Doing what is Right”
History of Ethics
A. Ancient Greek Ethics
Socrates
He asserted that people will
naturally do what is good provided that
they know what is right, and that evil or
bad actions are purely the result of
ignorance: "There is only one good,
knowledge, and one evil, ignorance".
He equated knowledge and
wisdom with self-awareness (meaning to
be aware of every fact relevant to a
person's existence) and virtue and
happiness.
Aristotle are to be avoided as the greatest threat to
"Nature does nothing in vain", so it the integrity and equilibrium of a man's
is only when a person acts in accordance mind.
with their nature and thereby realizes
their full potential, that they will do According to Epictetus, difficult
good and therefore be content in life. problems in life should not be avoided,
He encouraged moderation in all but rather embraced as spiritual
things, the extremes being degraded and exercises needed for the health of the
immoral, (e.g. courage is the moderate spirit.
virtue between the extremes of
cowardice and recklessness), and held
that Man should not simply live, but live
well with conduct governed by moderate
virtue.
Denotes doing the right thing to the
right person at the right time to the
proper extent in the correct fashion and
for the right reason - something of a tall
order.

Cynicism.
Greek philosopher Diogenes of
Sinope, who lived in a tub on the streets
of Athens.
He taught that a life lived according
to Nature was better than one that
conformed to convention, and that a
simple life is essential to virtue and
happiness.
As a moral teacher, Diogenes
emphasized detachment from many of
those things conventionally considered
"good".

Hedonism
affirms that the principal ethic is
maximizing pleasure and minimizing
pain.
Hedonists are people who believe
that the most ethical pursuit maximizes
pleasure and happiness for oneself or
the most people.

Stoicism
Epictetus posited that the greatest good
was contentment, serenity and peace of
mind, which can be achieved by self-
mastery over one's desires and emotions,
and freedom from material attachments.
In particular, sex and sexual desire