ETHICS

What is Ethics?

-Ethics is about matters such as the good thing that we

should pursue and the bad thing that we should avoid;
the right ways in which we could or should act and the
wrong ways of acting.
-It is about what is acceptable and unacceptable in
human behavior.
-It may involve obligations that we are encouraged to
meet.
When we will say that
what we did is either
good or bad??
For instance, I could say that this new movie I had just seen was a
“good” one because I enjoyed it, or a song I had just heard on the
radio was a “bad” one because it had an unpleasant tone, but
these are not part of discussion of ethics.
-I may have an opinion as to what is the “right” dip (sawsawan)
for my chicken barbecue, or I may maintain that is “wrong” to
wear a leather vest over a Barong Tagalog, and these are not
concern of ethics.
-These are valuations that fall under the domain of aesthetics.
AESTHETICS
-The word “aesthetics” is derived from the Greek word
asthesis which means “sense of feelings” and refers to the
judgments of personal approval or disapproval that we make
about what we see, hear, smell, or taste.

-In fact, we often use word “taste” to refer to the personal

aesthetic preferences that we have on these matters, such as
“his taste in music” or “her taste in clothes.”
 MORALS
- Refer to specific beliefs or attitudes that people have or to
describe acts that people perform. (individual’s personal
conduct)

ETHICS
- Discipline of studying and understanding ideal human
behavior and ideal ways of thinking. Thus, ethics is
acknowledged as an intellectual discipline belonging to
philosophy.
 When we can say that we experiencing moral issue?

For example: Imagine a situation wherein a person cannot

afford a certain item, but then the possibility presents itself for
her to steal it.
(This is a matter of ethics and not just a law insofar at it
involves the question of respect for one’s property. )

When we can say that we experiencing moral decision?

For example: I choose no to take something I did not pay for.

(When one is placed in a situation and confronted by the
choice of what act to perform.)
 When we can say that we experiencing moral judgment?

For example: A friend of mine chooses to steal from a store, and I make an
assessment that it id wrong.
(When a person is an observer who makes an assessment on the actions
or behavior of someone.)

When we can say that we experiencing moral dilemma?

For example: A mother may be conflicted between wanting to feed her
hungry child, but then recognizing that it would be wrong for her to steal.

(Going beyond the matter of choosing right over wrong, or good over bad, and
considering instead the more complicated situation wherein one is torn between
choosing one of two goods or choosing between the lesser of two evils. We have a
moral dilemma when an individual can choose only one from a number of possible
actions, and there are compelling ethical reasons for the various choices.)
 Why do we suppose that a certain
way of acting is right and its opposite
is wrong?
Why do we decide to consider this
way of acting as acceptable while that
way of acting, its opposite, is
unacceptable?
 REASONS/ REASONING
A person’s fear of punishment or desire
for reward can provide him a reason for
acting in a certain way.

For example: I did not cheat on the exam

because I was afraid that I might caught.
 Is this reason good
enough???
This way of thinking seems to be a shallow
way of understanding reason because it does
not show any true understanding of why
cheating on exam is wrong.
The promise of rewards and the fear of punishments
can certainly motivate us to act, but are not in
themselves a determinant of the rightness or
wrongness of a certain way of acting or of the good
or the bad in a particular pursuit.