What is Morality?

▪ is the behavior and beliefs that a society deems acceptable

▪ it refers to the set of standards that enable people to live cooperatively in groups. It’s what societies
determine to be right and acceptable.

▪ Acting in a moral manner means individuals must sacrifice their own short-term interests to benefit
society. Individuals who go against these standards may be considered immoral.

Introduction to Ethics

Let us differentiate ...

▪ Describes someone who purposely commits an offensive act, even though they know the difference
between what is right and wrong.

▪ Describes someone who acknowledges the difference between right and wrong, but who is not
concerned with morality.

How Morals are Established?

▪ Morality is not FIXED.

▪ What is considered acceptable in your culture might not be acceptable in other culture. Geographical
regions, religion, family and life experiences all influence morals.

How Morals are Established?

There are several theories that have gained attention over the years.

▪ FREUD’s morality and the superego

Moral development occurred when setting aside their selfish needs and replaced by values.

▪ PIAGET’s theory of moral development

Focused on social-cognitive and social-emotional perspective. Children learn to adopt moral behaviors
for their own sake.

▪ B.F SKINNER’s behavioral theory

Focused on the power of external force that shaped an individual’s development.

▪ KOHLBERG’s moral reasoning

Focused on the six stages of moral development:

▪ KOHLBERG’s moral reasoning

Focused on the six stages of moral development:

ETHICS is that branch of philosophy that deals with how we ought to live, with the idea of the GOOD,
and with concepts such as “RIGHT” and “WRONG.”
What is Ethics?

LOUIS P. POJMAN and JAMES FIESER

- authors of the book Ethics, Discovering Right and Wrong

ETHICS is a set of beliefs on understanding of what is morally right philosophy DICTATING behaviors that
are encouraged or discouraged.

▪ There is a common belief.

▪ More defined and coded.

▪ “ethos” means custom

▪ is a highly personal thing, a matter of private opinion.

▪ others claim that our values come from family upbringing

▪ others think that ethics is a set of social principles, the codes of one’s society or particular groups
within it.

▪ others think that many people get their ethical beliefs from their religion.

What is Ethics for others?

is concerned with VALUES – Moral Values

Through WEIGHING our we DETERMINE what is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in our We DECIDE what is
the:

 ▪ greatest good
 ▪ what goals we should pursue in life
 ▪ what virtues we should cultivate
 ▪ what duties we should or should not fulfill
 ▪ what values we should put