ETHICS

etymology : Gk word
ethicos, or that
pertains to ethos the
English translation of
which is “custom” or
“character”.
VARIOUS DEFINITIONS
 Ethics is the practical science of the
morality of human conduct.
 Ethics is the philosophical science
dealing with the morality of the human
acts.
 Ethics is the systematic study of
human actions from the point of view
of their rightness or wrongness as
means for the achievement of ultimate
happiness.
VARIOUS DEFINITIONS
 Ethics is the normative science of the
conduct of human beings living in
societies – science which judges this
conduct to be right or wrong, to be
good or bad…
 Ethics means a philosophical study of
morality, of the foundation on which
morality is based, and of the practical
implications of a systematic moral
outlook.
VARIOUS DEFINITIONS
 Ethics is the normative science based
on reason, which interprets specific
and paramount facts, the elements of
which are conduct and oughtness.
ETHICS AS A PHILOSOPHICAL SCIENCE

it means that ethics

is one of the
disciplines in
philosophy (critical
study of fundamental
beliefs)
DISCIPLINES OF PHILOSOPHY

 Descriptive or  Practical Philosophy

Speculative Philosophy - reflects upon truth in
- What is the nature relation to action (logic)
(essence or substance)
of reality? (metaphysics)
 Critical Philosophy
- What is truth?
 Normative Philosophy (epistemology)
- What is good and what
is bad or what is right
action or wrong action?
ETHICS AS A NORMATIVE PHILOSOPHY

 it systematically establishes standards or

norms of human conduct
 qualifies human conduct as to whether it
is good or bad and right or wrong
 requires definitive human conduct –
requires man to act appropriately as man
 ethics idealistically requires man to do
what is good and what is right
MORALITY OF HUMAN ACT

 refers to the goodness or the

badness, the rightness or the
wrongness of human acts.
 Ethics is a normative
philosophical science that deals
with the goodness or badness,
the rightness or the wrongness of
human acts.
HUMAN ACTS (MONTEMAYOR)

 Free voluntary acts of man

 Acts done with knowledge and consent
 Acts which are proper to man as man
 Acts which we are conscious, are under
our control which we are responsible
 Are those of which man is master
ELEMENTS OF HUMAN ACTS (BABOR)

 Knowledge – the agent has the

intellectual knowledge; agent has
awareness of the means to employ in
performing an act.
 Freedom – agent does an act under the
control of his will
 Voluntariness – requires the presence of
knowledge and freedom; willful act
What is the
difference
between morality
and ethics?
ETHICS MORALITY
 Etymology : Greek word ethos  Latin word mos or moris also
meaning customs means custom
 theoretical science of good and
bad or right and wrong actions
 provides principles on the morality
of human acts
 equips man with a theoretical
knowledge of the morality of
human acts
 ethics does not actually guarantee
that man will be moral
 One can only be moral when one
applies ethics.
ETHICS MORALITY
 provides principles or bases  actualizes the theory
of right or wrong and good or
bad actions  translates these theories into
 outlines theories of right or real actions
wrong and good or bad
actions

MORALITY IS NOTHING ELSE BUT A DOING

OF ETHICS.
RELATION OF ETHICS WITH OTHER SCIENCES

 Ethics and Logic

Logic is the science of right
thinking
Ethics is the science of right
living
 Both aim at rectitude: logic – right
thinking; ethics right doing
RELATION OF ETHICS WITH OTHER SCIENCES

 Ethics and Psychology

Psychology is not interested in
the morality of human behavior;
studies how man behaves.
Ethics studies how man ought to
behave; concerned with moral
obligation
RELATION OF ETHICS WITH OTHER SCIENCES

 Ethics and Sociology

Sociology deals with human
relations in a society
Ethics deals with moral order –
social order; focus on the proper
observance of moral laws and
principles
RELATION OF ETHICS WITH OTHER SCIENCES

 Ethics and Economics

Economics deals with topics as
wages, labor, production and
distribution of wealth
Ethics deals with moral relations
in business based on justice and
charity.
THANK YOU! 