ETHICS

ETHICS (ETYMOLOGY)
Ethics is derived from the Greek word ‘ethos’ which means character or
conduct.

Morality is derived from the word ‘mos’, which means customs or habits.
ETHICS
Ethics is the philosophy of life and that it delves into the deepest whys and
wherefore of human existence, men’s actions, problems and destiny.

To live well and happy, we must know what we are living for. This taught by
ethics that investigates the meaning and purpose of human life. And that
according to Socrates the unexamined life is not worth living for man.
NATURE OF ETHICS
Ethics refer to guide what human
ought to do, usually in terms of
right, obligations, fairness and
specific virtue. It is related to issues
of propriety –rightness and
wrongness, what is right in ethical,
what is wrong in unethical.
Sometimes the word ‘proper’, ‘fair’
and ‘just’ are also used in the place
of right and ethical.
WHY STUDY ETHICS?
We study ethics to help us make sound judgments, good decisions,
and right choices; if not right choices, then better choices. Ethics
allows you to live an authentic life. An authentic and meaningful life
requires you to live with a sense of integrity.

(1) studying ethics can help you appreciate ethical problems;

(2) behaving ethically may help the long-term success of a business,
and
(3) behaving ethically is often correlated with behaving legally.
INTRO TO ETHICS AS PHILOSOPHY
ETHICS – it is a branch of philosophy that used to study ideal human behavior
and ideal ways of being. Ethics is the philosophical study of morality, study of
human acts and conduct. It deals with principles of ethical behavior in a
modern society at the level of the person, society and in interaction with the
environment and other shared sources.
As a philosophical discipline of study, ethics is a systematic approach to
understanding, analyzing, and distinguishing matters or right and wrong,
good and bad, and admirable and deplorable as they relate to the well-being
of and the relationships among beings.
INTRO TO ETHICS AS PHILOSOPHY
Ethics deals with values relating to human conduct. It focuses on the
rightness and wrongness of actions, as well as the goodness and badness
of motives and ends. Ethics encompasses the decision-making process of
determining ultimate actions—that is, answering the questions What
should I do? and Is it the right thing to do? Ethics is an expression of how
individuals decide to live with one another within accepted boundaries
and how they live in harmony with the environment as well as one
another. Ethics is concerned with human conduct as it ought to be, as
opposed to what it actually is.

Ethics is the primary vehicle for men to reach the very purpose of life –
the pursuit of happiness.
Other definition of Ethics:
1. Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human actions.
2. Ethics is the scientific inquiry into the principles of morality.
3. Ethics is the study of human conduct from the standard of morality.
4. Ethics is the science of human acts with reference of right and
wrong.
MORALS
Morals are rules or principles that a person may apply in daily life that are
fundamentally founded on what is considered right or wrong.
Morals are specific beliefs, behaviors and ways of being derived from doing
ethics. One’s morals are judged to be good or bad through systematic ethical
analysis. The reverse of morality is immorality, which means that a person’s
behavior is in opposition to accepted societal, religious, cultural or professional
ethical standards and principles.
We get our morals from our family, tradition, culture, society, and personal
values set. Different societies have different standards of moral values. This
means there's no clear set of rules of morals that suits every situation.
What’s the Difference Between Morality
and Ethics?
ETHICS
Ethics are a formal system of beliefs that guide
our behavior.
Ethics are usually based on logical reasoning
and a shared set of values.
Ethics are transcendent, they govern all
aspects of life.
Ethics applies to groups and organizations.
Ethics asks people to think about what they do
before they act.
MORALITY
Morality is more personal and can vary from
individual to individual;
Morality is often based on gut instinct or
religious beliefs;
Morality deals with specific issues such as
politics, economics, religion and family
matters.
Morality applies to individuals.
Morality asks people to examine their actions
after the act.
The concept of MORALITY
MORALITY – it pertains to the standards of right and wrong that an
individual originally picks up from the community
MORALITY – it is the quality of goodness or badness in a human
conduct.
Morality often requires that people sacrifice their own short-term
interests for the benefit of society.
IMMORALITY
Immorality is wrong or bad moral behavior. It is living in a way that goes
against the way society says life should be lived.

Being immoral is when the individual is not concerned with the principles
of right and wrong. An immoral person goes against the accepted
standards of behavior. Such a person would engage in behavior that is
considered as deviant by the society.

For example, an immoral person can steal, lie, hurt, etc. This is because
the sense of morality in the person is minimal.
AMORAL
It is a term used to refer to actions that can normally be judged as moral or
immoral, but are done with a lack of concern for good behavior.
Example: murder is immoral, but if a person commits murder with absolutely no
sense of remorse or maybe even a sense of pleasure, the person is acting in an
amoral way.
Another example, an infant, unlearned in what is right and wrong, is amoral;
someone who lacks the mental ability to understand right or wrong due to
illness
MORAL AND NON-
MORAL STANDARDS
STANDARDS
It is something set up by authority or
by general consent as a rule for
measuring or as a model. a standard of
weight. standards of good manners;

A basis of comparison and acceptable

benchmark; criterion; guideline.
MORAL STANDARDS
Moral standards are norms that individuals or groups have about the kinds of actions believed
to be morally right or wrong, as well as the values placed on what we believed to be morally
good or morally bad.

Moral standards normally promote “the good”, that is, the welfare and well-being of humans as
well as animals and the environment.

Moral standards, therefore, prescribe what humans ought to do in terms of rights and
obligations.
NON-MORAL STANDARDS
Non-moral standards refer to standards by which we judge what is good or bad and right or
wrong in a non-moral way.
These are matters of taste or preference.
It refers to rules that affect the choice of a person but are not linked to moral or ethical
considerations.
The immoral person knowingly violates human moral standards, the amoral person may also
violate moral standards because he/she has no moral sense.