PHILOSOPHY.

ETHICS

I. ETHICS AND MORALS

Ethics studies behavior and analyses action wheras morality studies concrete actions,
whether they are bad or not.
II. MORAL ACTION
They are accompanied by moral conscience, they include the following
 They are Conscious actions
 They are free and voluntary actions
 They are considered good or bad.
III. ETHICS OF MINIMUMS
Based on the idea of justice, it deals with rights, and its respected by all members, its
common and universal
IV. ETHICS OF MAXIMUMS
Any ethical reflection aspiring to a happy full life, invitation to a way of life, its a
personal fufilment
V. RELATIVISM AND MORAL UNIVERSALISM
Moral relativism defends there is no absolute truths, all depends on circumstances.
Moral universalism affirms that moral valued are objective and universal.
I. RELATIVISM AND SOPHISTS
They were excellent teachers and they focused on persuasive methods of speaking. They
are represented by protagoras. He said no man was wrong, peoples ideas were different
but all true to that individual. They taught political virtue. To succeed as a citizen:
 Impressing the assembly with speeches
 Adapting to conventions
 They wonder how justice is understood not wonder what justice is.
II. UNIVERSALISM: SOCTRATES AND PLATO.
Values are objective and universal, those who aspire to true knowledge are virtuous and
can distinguis evil and good.
Socrates did not intend to teach but to help with his questions.
Whoever is virtuous, knows what is good, virtue and wisdom are united, moral
intelectuallism.
Evil comes from ignorance and error.
They confronted sophists:
 They consideres ethical valued to be subject to opinion
 They taught persuasion to achieve success not to seek truth.
III. ARISTOTLE
  Teological ethics: morality derives duty from what is good.
All human activities seek the good and the ultimate goal is the greates good.
HAPPINESS
Greek happiness is calles eudaimonia, also known as eudemonism.
It cannot be money, pleasure or fame. They are necessary but need more than that.
Happiness cannot be temporary.
VIRTUE
Aims to achieve excellence, and good. He distinguishes the human in two times, the
volitional one; desires and acts. And the rational one; deliberates. Virtuous life consists
of controlling passion and desires. This is accomplished through habit, and submitting to
the principles of reason, sculpting desires.
THE GOLDEN MEAN
Decisions guide behaviour, they can be good or bad, habits are created and allow us to
make good decions more easily.
A good decision is in the middle between two extremes. It is always relative and
depends on the cirsumstances.
It allows us to be cautious, it is learnt, it is practical and it arises from experience.
IV. Hellenistic schools
 CYNICISM
Any form of social life is rejected, idea that humans are totally integrated with nature,
social conventions criticized as it was thought they separarted individuals,
representative was: drogens of sinope
 STOCISM
The purpose of life was to have a good life, man can be happy with authentic harmony
with nature. Born in Greece but represented in Rome. Nature is deterministic. Accept
problems of life without being disturbed, we can’t dominate them.
 EPICURIANISM
By Epicurus, solves problems of happiness, avoids physical and mental pain, eliminate
main causes of anguish.