ETHICS:

AN INTRODUCTION
ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

► Greece is believed to be the birthplace of western philosophy.

► Mythos and Philos
► Search for primary substance (inner working of nature) that underlies the
manifestation of cosmic change through theoretical experiments.
► Greek wise men (Greek philosopher) as the first natural scientists.
► Thales said, it’s water.
► Anaximander, student of Thales, said it’s something unidentifiable or the apeiron.
► Anaximenes, student of Anaximander, said it’s air.
► Anaxagoras, said it’s the “nous,” or the cosmic mind.
ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

► They have different views but they all inquire and understand what they believe to be
as the primary substance.
► They desire to know.
► Pythagoras described this search as Philo and Sophia or the love of wisdom.
► Socrates (5th century BC): From the seeking for the changes in the cosmos to
seeking the nature of the human person or the self.
► Plato paid attention to Socrates’ regular outdoor lectures.
► Plato took over Socrates’ task when the latter was executed for allegedly
corrupting the minds of the youth.
► Know yourself
ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

► An unexamined life is not worth living.

► Plato’s Dialogues is a set of philosophic treaties in conversational style with
Socrates as the main spokesperson.
► Plato believed that human life is about living in accordance to a certain idea or
form of what life ought to be.
► Aristotle, a student to Plato, discussed the importance of finding one’s purpose
and practicing moderation in life to achieve eudaimonia or happiness in his work,
Nichomachean Ethics.
► A happy life is not only about doing or acquiring something. It is about knowing
the purpose of doing and acquiring (Aristotle).
ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

► One must exercise the virtue of phronesis or careful deliberation or prudence

(Aristotle).
► We must weigh options (Aristotle).
ETHICS AND MORALITY

► The common perception about Philosophy is that Philosophy is all about concepts,
detached from reality.
► Ethics shows that there is a unity between thought and action, or theory and
practice,
► Ethics is considered philosophical because it is rooted in our desires to make sense
of human condition.
► Ethics is a philosophical reflection on the realities of life for a fuller and more
meaningful human experience (Carino, 2018).
► Whereas Morality is about commandments, rules and traditions (authoritative and
unchangeable), Ethics attempts to confront the situation at hand without making any
premature judgement that may obscure the main issue in question (Carino, 2018)
ETHICS AND MORALITY
ETHICS AND MORALITY

► Big Brother is inspired by the novel 1984 by George Orwell.

► Thomas Hobbes’ Notion of the State or Political Authority
► Human beings are by nature disposed to do harm to each other, hence the necessity of a
powerful state to prevent the emergence of chaos.
► What do you think will happen to humanity if all will submit to the will of a
person claiming to be the most powerful?
► Aristotle said, we are rational beings. We have this ability to think for ourselves.
ETHICS AND MORALITY

► The focal concern of Ethics is, it seeks to impart the need to be reflective,
discerning and decisive in circumstances when existing rules or standards can no
longer help individuals act adequately in their daily struggles (Carino, 2018).
► Ethics allows people to be more in touch with their humanity.
► The dignity of the human person comes from their ability to respond to situations
which can help them see better who they are, what they can do, and who they can
be (Carino, 2018).
META-ETHICS AND
NORMATIVE ETHICS
► Arguments that dispute or affirm the threats to ethics are the main concern of
meta-ethics
► Threats to ethics include: death of God, relativism, egoism, evolutionary theory,
determinism and futility (pointless), unreasonable demands and false consciousness.
► Ethics: A Very Short Introduction by Simon Blackburn (2003)
► Meta-ethics deals with the question of whether or not ethics or ethical theory
exists.
► Meta-ethics examines the validity of standards that make such judgement of right
or wrong possible.
META-ETHICS AND
NORMATIVE ETHICS
► Normative Ethics determines the ethical quality of particular cases. It deals with
what theory is applicable in the light of a given situation (Carino, 2018). This will
be the focal concern of our discussions.
► Normative Ethics supplies the questions that fuel the critical examination of
meta-ethics. Meta-ethics provides the clarification necessary for a more enriched
treatment of normative ethics (Carino, 2018).

Source:
Carino, Jovito V.(2018). Fundamentals of Ethics. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.
Thank you!