Carlo C.

Moncano 08-01-2019
BSIT -2A
Ethical Teachings of Aristotle

If Plato, Aristotle’s master, claims that ethics or morality a matter of

nature because virtues for the former are in rate. Aristotle claims that ethics
is a matter of planning ,purpose and decision a matter of character.For
Aristotle ,it is not natural for man to be moral,but for man to be moral is
something demanded by nature. Plato ethical theories stand in contrast to
each other.Since Aristotelian ethics is also an ethics of self-actualization,
Aristotle cannot help but admit that happiness is dependent on one’s self-
actualization. Put differently, morality for Aristotle which is centered in his
happiness doctrine is exactly not in rate but something which has to develop
by non-Aristotle mountains,is of two kinds.They are intellectual and moral
intellectual virtues arises out of teachings or intellectual virtue surfaces
through one’s contemplation of theoritical moral truths and one’s discovery
of rational principles that ought to control our action.

On the other hand, moral virtue arises as a a result of habit or moral

virtue comes to be fare out of one’s habitual choice of action in consonance
with rational principles.Virtue for Aristotle means the excellence of a thing
to perform effectively its proper function. Virtue is a mean between two
vices. The mean lies between vice in context of excess and vice in the
context of defect .Aristotle also quick to recognize that this”Doctrine of the
Man” cannot applied to all actions.He then enumerates the actions that are
immune from the clutches of the mean due to their being con tragically bad.
Ethical Teachings of St. Thomas Acquinas

Acquinas as an avid follower of Aristotelian philosophy in general and

of Aristotelian ethics christianized the Pagan moral philosophy of Aristotle.
This suggest that one cannot appreciate Thomistic ethics of one does not
appreciate Aristotelian ethics. Acquinas the co natural virtues and the
supernatural virtues will equip with necessary requirements towards man’s
well being here on earth as well as for his eternal life in heaven. As a whole,
the Aristotelian virtues and supernatural virtues which are faith , hope and
love will help man attain the beatific vision. Now let us consider the angelic
thinkers concept of human actions. According to Acquinas, every agent acts
for an end. Human actions are always geared towards ends. When these
ends attained, they also become means for the attainment of other ends.
Accordingly, the misthic ethics is centered on the concept of the Natural
Law and Eternal Law for Acquinas, God in his divine providence plans for
all things and directs all things to their proper order to their proper purpose
Carlo C. Moncano 08-01-2019
BSIT -2A
or to their proper ends.

Natural Law and the Natural Moral Law are manifestations and
reflections of the Eternal Law. Since the Natural Law is the reflection of
Eternal Law ,Acquinas says that the Natural Law and Eternal Law are one.
The Natural Law on the other hand is the Eternal Law acquired and
understood by man through his reason. It is reason that serve as a medium of
the Eternal Law to be known by human context of Natural Law.
Situation Ethics

Situation ethics has no philosophical origin. It instead stems from a

religious beginning. It originated in Germany. Situation ethics is a
protest against over legalistic interpretations of Catholic and Protestants
Christian life. Despite the claim of Fletcher that Situation ethics is the
middle ground between legalistic ethics. Which teaches that there are
absolute moral imperatives that have to be followed. Adantonomian
ethics which teaches that there are no absolute Moral Laws to be obeyed
.Critics of this branch of ethics hold that Situation ethics is akin to
Antinomian ethics. This is the reason why some scholars classify
Situation Ethics into two: Antinomian Situational Ethics and Christian
Situational Ethics .For Fletcher, there are no intrinsically good or evil
actions. He is convinced that goodness and badness are not antological
properties of action but mere conditions and predicaments of action of
Fletcher can only become good or evil depending upon the con
commitment circumstances in which the act is situated.

Since situations and circumstances vary in every case, therefore

there can be no universal rules or judgments that are applicable. In this
perspective ,Fletcher claims that morality is relative since there are no
absolute laws. Fletcher recognizes one absolute guide which is for him is
nothing else but Love Law for Fletcher does not qualify to be absolute
basis of Situation Ethics because it imposes just as at austerely demands
compliance.