Definition of Ethics and Ethos

The word Ethics is derived from the

Greek word Ethos which translates into
English as custom, a characteristic, or
habitual way of doing things, or action
that is properly derived from one’s
character.
The Latin word Mos or Moris
(and its plural mores) from which
the adjective moral is derived, is
equivalent to Ethos.
Ethics is also called moral
philosophy. Etymologically, ethics
refers to the way people behave, act
or go on with their lives in the
society.
Ethics, generally speaking 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 expected
to fulfill, prohibitions that we are
required to respect, or ideals that we are
encouraged to meet.
Ethics as a subject for us to study
is about determining the grounds
for the values with particular and
special significance to human
life.
Socrates , the father of Ethics and Inquiry
Immanuel Kant, , a German philosopher was the founder of Modern Ethics or Deontological Ethics.
 
KINDS OF VALUATION

Our first point of clarifications is to

recognize that there are instances
when we make value judgements
which are not considered to be part
of ethics.
, 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 a discussion of ethics.
I may have an opinion as to what is the
“right” dip (sawsawan) for my roasted
chicken, or I may maintain that it is
“wrong” to wear a leather vest over a
Barong Tagalog, and these are not
concerns of ethics. These are valuations
that fall under the domain of aesthetics.
The word Aesthetics is derived from the
Greek word Aesthesis (“sense of feeling”)
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 the word “taste” to
refer to the person's aesthetic
preferences.
Similarly, we have a sense of
approval or disapproval
concerning certain actions which
can be considered more
unimportant in nature
I may think that it is “right” to knock politely
on someone’s door, while it is “wrong” to
barge into one’s house. Perhaps I may
approve of a child who knows how to ask for
something properly by saying “please” and
otherwise, disapprove of a woman that I see
nose picking in public.
These and other similar examples belong
to the category of Etiquette which is
concerned with right or wrong actions. A
manner that is either proper or improper,
acceptable or unacceptable to people
according to the convention of their
society and culture.
Another is how a notion of right and wrong actions can easily
appear in a context that is not a matter of ethics. For instance
when learning how to bake, I am told that the right thing to do
would be to mix the dry ingredients first, such as flour or sugar
before bringing in any liquids like milk or cream, this is the
right thing to do in baking, but not one that belongs to a
discussion of ethics. This could also be when learning how to
play basketball. I am instructed that it is against the rules to
walk more than two steps without dribbling the ball; again,
obeying this rule to not travel is something that makes sense
only in the context of the game and is not an ethical
prohibition.
We derive from the Greek word Techne the
English words “technique” and “technical”
which are often used to refer to a proper way
(or right way) of doing thing, but a technical
valuation (or right or wrong technique of
doing things) may not necessarily be an
ethical one.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORAL AND NON MORAL STANDARDS
Ethics is about human acts and their
morality. There are many kinds of acts but
only human acts have ethical values.
Human acts in accord with goodness are
moral like love and justice; moral acts done
by man are right conduct. He correctly
distinguishes what is right from wrong not
only in knowledge but also in practice.
Those in accord with evil are immoral like murder and
corruptions; immoral acts done by man are wrong
conduct. He does not act or behave in conformity with
practiced moral principles or norms.

Acts which are neither good nor bad are amoral or

indifferent like sleeping and taking a bath.
Amoral acts are not human acts, rather they are acts of
man. Done by man, they are not conduct but activity.
The usual act of walking along the street done by people
everyday is an amoral activity. But it may become a
human act and a conduct when done by a person as, for
instance, he walks completely naked along the street
baring the body in front of the whole community. He
does not have the ability to distinguish between what is
a morally good act and what is a morally evil one. It
stands neutral or indifferent to the norm of morality.
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Morality is made for man, not man
for morality. Morality exists only in
the context of humanity.
 
Ethics is defined as the science of morality of human
acts. Ethics is morality. Every culture admits the
importance of morality as a standard of behavior.

In other words, man is endowed by nature with a moral

sense. He is self-conscious of his dignity and submits to
the duty of doing what is good and avoiding what is
wrong. This much is expected of man that he conducts
himself according to the “dictates of reasons”.