ETHICS NOTES

Lesson 1: Ethics and Morals

You, as a member of society, are obeying the rules and conduct of your community. That is when
ethics and morals enter into the culture of society. But, what is ethics and morals?

The word ETHICS is derived from a Greek word “Ethikos” or “Ethos” which means character.
The word MORALS is derived from a Greek word “Mos” which means custom.

Morals are the customs established by a group of individuals, while ethics defines the character of an
individual.

Morals are concerned with principles of right and wrong, ethics are related to right and wrong conduct of
an individual in a particular situation.

Morals are the social, cultural and religious beliefs or values of an individual or group which feels us what
is right and wrong. They are the rules and standard mode by the society or culture which is to be, followed
by us while deciding what is right.

Some moral principles are:

 Do not client
 Be loyal
 Be patient
 Always tell the truth
 Be generous

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the principles of conduct of an individual or a group. It
works as a guiding principle as to decide what is good or bad. They are the standards which govern the
life of a person.

Ethics is also known as moral philosophy some ethical principles are:

 Truthfulness
 Honesty
 Loyalty
 Respect
 Fairness
 Integrity
 Faithfulness
 Love and
compassion
 Kindness
 Charity
 Courage
 Justice
Remember……
Ethics and morals are different to each other but related when it comes to applying it to society.

Lesson 2: Areas and Domains of Ethics

Ethics are studied by the philosophers, but in reality, ethics are learned and applied. There are
some areas and domains of ethics. Find out in this lesson.

Ethics affect how people make decisions and lead their lives.
Ethics covers the following dilemmas:
1. How to live a good life
2. Our rights and responsibilities
3. The language of right and wrong
4. Moral decision – what is good and bad

Our concepts of ethics have been derived from religion, philosophies and culture.
Philosophers divide ethical theories into three areas:
 Metaethics
 Normative ethics
 Applied ethics

3 major areas of study within ethics recognized today

1. Metaethics – deals with the nature of moral judgement. It looks at the origins and meaning of
ethical principles.
2. Normative ethics – is concerned with the content of moral judgement and the criteria for what is
right or wrong.
3. Applied ethics – looks at controversial topics like war, animal rights and capital punishment.

These are two general domains of ethics:

1. Descriptive ethics – consists in the study of what person (or societies) actually believe or act on,
in terms of right and wrong, virtue and vice, goodness and badness.
2. Evaluative ethics – inquiry into what should be evaluated as right or wrong, virtue or vice, good
and bad.

Remember……
Ethics has a distinctive domains and areas studied by philosophers.