GE 118

ETHICS
GROUP 1
 History of ethics
• Origin of
Ethics
• Ancient
Contents
Ethics
• Greek Ethics
• Socrates
• Plato
HISTORY OF
ETHICS
Prepared by:

- ACUÑA -
History of ethics
• Ethics is the branch of philosophy that
examines right and wrong moral behavior,
moral concepts (such as justice, virtue, and
duty), and moral language.
• Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of
philosophy that "involves systematizing,
defending, and recommending concepts of
right and wrong behavior".
• The field of ethics, along with aesthetics,
History of ethics
• Various ethical theories pose various answers to
the question "What is the greatest good?" and
elaborate a complete set of proper behaviors for
individuals and groups.
• Ethical theories are closely related to forms of life
in various social orders.
• Several ancient religions and ethical thinkers also
put forward some version of the golden rule, at
least in its negative version: Do not do to others
History of ethics
• The philosophical history of ethics often surveys
ethical theory from the Ancient Greeks to current
discussions in Western philosophy. However,
ethics has a much deeper history than this. What
counts as a robust and systematic ethical theory
becomes murky when looking at historical
sources of ancient civilizations like Egypt.
History of ethics
• Ancient Egyptian ethics was closely entangled
with their context's religious and political
worldviews, as with any ethical system.

• The Principle of Maat reflects this insofar as it

represents the order in both a cosmological and
social sense, encompassing notions of truth,
justice, and morality.
 7 Principle
• Truth of Maat
• Justice
• Harmony
• Balance
• Order
• Propriety
• Reciprocity
 Origin of Ethics
• The question of where and when ethics
originated is vague.

• Moral thought is at the heart of a social

organization, but its articulation has
historically been via oral tradition. As
such, the farthest we can trace ethics is
through the historical record, such as the
written word.
 Origin of Ethics
Some of the earliest writings describe
ethical systems.
• Egyptian literature
• Mesopotamian literature
• Sumerian literature
 Egyptian
• The area of delicate balance for a
people for a decent life based on
justice, experience and deep
experience.
• Hieroglyphic and Hieratic.
• Egyptian literature, and the social
role of scribes or intellectual elites,
were primarily devoted to ethics
 Mesopotamian
• Mesopotamian literature was
concerned with moral conduct and
the relation between social order and
the gods.
• Even though the highest purpose in
life was to secure as much joy and
happiness as possible, the conviction
was deeply ingrained, particularly in
the minds of the Babylonians, that
 Sumerian
• Sumerian literature constitutes the earliest
known corpus of recorded literature,
including the religious writings and other
traditional stories maintained by the
Sumerian civilization and largely preserved
by the later Akkadian and Babylonian
empires.
• Sumerian literature is the oldest in the world.
• Poems such as Atrahasis, recorded in
Akkadian but with Sumerian roots, and the
 Origin of Ethics
• Before the articulation of ethical
theory by the Ancient Greeks, highly
sophisticated philosophical and
ethical schools were developed in
India and China.
 Origin of Ethics
• From the Vedas (1500-1200 BCE) of Hinduism to the
Dhammapada, sayings of the Buddha who lived between the 6th-
4th century BCE, in Buddhism, Indian philosophy produced a wide
array of ethical texts that bore on the relationship between human
action, knowledge, and the nature of reality.
 Origin of Ethics
• In Ancient China, Confucius "Kongzi" (551-479
BCE) developed perhaps the first robust virtue
theory of ethics, known for its emphasis on piety.

• In opposition, Mozi (5th century BCE)

developed a form of impartial ethics
comparable to utilitarianism.
 Origin of Ethics
• The ethical implications of a third school, Daoism, are quite different.
• Developed by Laozi (6th century BCE) and Zhuangzi (369-286 BCE), this
school rejects knowledge claims of absolute moral principles.
• Laozi, (Chinese: • Zhuangzi, or Chuang-
“Master Lao” or “Old tzu,
Master”) • Most significant early
• The first philosopher of Chinese interpreter of
Chinese Daoism and the Daoism and the
alleged author of the purported author of the
Daodejing, a primary Daoist classic
Daoist.
ANCIENT
ETHICS
- ADJURAN -
OLD ANCIENT
ETHICS
M O R A L P R I N C I P L E S T H AT G O V E R N
A P E R S O N ’ S B E H AV I O R S I N D O I N G
SOMETHING.
 ANCIENT
• Ancient Ethics
•
•
•
ETHICS
Mesopotamia – Code of Ur-Nammu and Hammurabi
Egyptian -religious beliefs
Indus Valley – Concept or dharma
• Chinese – Confucius (Confucianism) and Laozi
(Taoism)
• Hebrew – Torah & 10 Commandments
 SUMMARY
• From the old age all over the world
• Focused on culture, religion, and philosophy.
• Even though its old, we are still influence by it to the
present day.
GREEK
ETHICS
- CARBONERA -
GREEK ETHICS
Greek moral thought has at its center the notion of the
ideal human life, characterized in terms of eudaimonia or
human flourishing, understands the virtues as the personal
qualities essential for eudaimonia, and takes knowledge
or wisdom to have, in some way, a special place among
the virtues.
• GREEK ETHICAL THEORIES ARE THEORIES ABOUT THE
GOOD LIFE.

• Their starting point is Socrates' question in the Gorgias (472C-

D) — how should we live to be happy?

• Greek philosophers after Socrates assume that happiness or

living well is an object of desire for everyone.
WHAT WERE THE ETHICS OF ANCIENT GREECE?
• courage
• self-control SOME OF THESE VIRTUES HAD DIFFERENT
• liberality MEANINGS IN ANCIENT GREECE THAN THEY
• magnificence DO TODAY. “LIBERAL,” FOR INSTANCE,
• honor REFERRED NOT TO A POLITICAL OR
• patience ECONOMIC STANCE BUT RATHER TO AN

• amiability ASPECT OF PERSONALITY.

• GREEK MORAL THOUGHT WAS ORIGINALLY BASED ON MYTHOLOGY,
WHICH PROVIDED MORAL MEANING BUT NO COMPREHENSIVE
FRAMEWORK.

• 600S BCE - A NEW MORAL APPROACH EMERGED THAT USED

RATIONAL ARGUMENTS INSTEAD, LEADING TO THE RISE OF
PHILOSOPHY AS A DISTINCT MODE OF THOUGHT. THIS HAS BEEN
ESPECIALLY ATTRIBUTED TO SOCRATES.
SOCRATES
- Castromayor-
WHO IS SOCRATES? THE LIFE OF
SOCRATES.
• C o n s i d e r e d t o b e t h e " F a t h e r o f We s t e r n P h i l o s o p h y. "
• Born around 470 B.C.
• Described as a very ugly man, who often walked barefoot and wore the
s a m e k i n d o f c l o t h e s w h a t e v e r t h e w e a t h e r.
• Live in Athens at the height of its civilization.
• Excellent soldier- he had great physical power and could endure a lot.
• He was a very disciplined person.
• H e w a s i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a p e r s o n ' s m o r a l c h a r a c t e r.
• He lives a virtuous life.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOCRATES
• He was concerned with the questions of ethics (moral behavior)
• He believed that there was definite right and wrong.
• He believed that people could accept it and apply it to their
daily lives.
• Socrates was also concerned with justice
• He wanted life to be fair for all.
• He works to find principles and laws that one can live by and
b e h a p p y.
THE SOCRATIC STYLE

• The Socrates style was distinctive

• He questioned people through discussions or dialogues.
• He chose people who were experts in their field and
who fully understood the topic being discussed.
• He asked thoughtful questions which would bring the
experts to a dead end they would run out of answers.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR
SOCRATES
THE SOUL
• Had to be nurtured and protected
• Gaining wisdom with save the soul
• This would lead the person to live a virtuous life "
Knowing what is good is the same as doing what is
good”?
SOCRATES THINKING IN ACTION
• He believed that an action is right when it promotes
humanity's true happiness.
• Socrates spoke of alcohol - Drunkenness > only shirt
term pleasure is gained - Drunkenness > has long-
term effects
• Socrates believed true pleasure could only be
attained through living a moral life.
In Summary....
• Vi r t u e ( k n o w l e d g e ) i s t h e m o s t v a l u a b l e o f a l l t h i n g s .
• life should be spent in search of goodness.
• Truth is possible to achieve.
• People should focus on self-development rather than
material wealth.
• It is the job of the philosopher to show people how little
t h e y r e a l l y k n o w.
• An action is right when it promoted true happiness.
PLATO
- CLIMACO -
PLATO • P L AT O WA S A N A N C I E N T G R E E K

PHILOSOPHER
• B O R N I N AT H E N S D U R I N G T H E C L A S S I C A L

PERIOD
• I N AT H E N S , P L AT O F O U N D E D T H E A C A D E M Y,

A PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOOL WHERE HE

TA U G H T T H E P H I L O S O P H I C A L D O C T R I N E S

T H AT W O U L D L AT E R B E C O M E K N O W N A S

P L AT O N I S M .
PLATO • P L AT O ' S D E S C R I P T I O N O F V I R T U E R E S E M B L E S
T H AT O F T H E P Y T H A G O R E A N S .

• V I R T U E I S H A R M O N Y, V I C E I S D I S C O R D ; M A N
IS V I RT U O U S IF HIS INNER N AT U R E IS
R I G H T LY O R D E R E D I F T H E PA R T S O F H I S S O U L
HOLD THEIR N AT U R A L R E L AT I O N S TO ONE
ANOTHER; MAN IS WICKED IF THIS INTERIOR
ORDER IS WA N T I N G IF THE PA R T S OF HIS
S O U L A R E U N N AT U R A L L Y AT VA R I A N C E W I T H
ONE ANOTHER.
PLATO • P L AT O B E L I E V E S T H AT C O N F L I C T I N G
I N T E R E S T S O F D I F F E R E N T PA R T S O F
SOCIETY CAN BE HARMONIZED.

• P L AT O , T R U T H D E P E N D S O N B E I N G .

• P L AT O ' S M O S T FA M O U S W O R K I S T H E
R E P U B L I C , W H I C H D E TA I L S A W I S E
SOCIETY RUN BY A PHILOSOPHER.

• H E I S A L S O FA M O U S F O R H I S D I A L O G U E S
( E A R LY, M I D D L E , A N D L AT E ) , W H I C H
S H O W C A S E H I S M E TA P H Y S I C A L T H E O R Y
OF FORMS—SOMETHING ELSE HE IS WELL
KNOWN FOR.
PLATO • A S A M AT T E R O F FA C T, I N M A N Y O F H I S
D I A L O G U E S , P L AT O C O N T E N D S T H AT T H E
TRUE SELF OF THE HUMAN PERSON IS THE
“ R AT I O N A L S O U L ” , T H AT I S , T H E R E A S O N
OR THE INTELLECT T H AT CONSTITUTES
THE PERSON'S SOUL, AND WHICH IS
S E PA R A B L E F R O M T H E B O D Y.

• A GOOD LIFE, ACCORDING TO P L AT O ,

I N V O LV E S LIVING IN HARMONY WITH
ONE'S INNER N AT U R E AND
U N D E R S TA N D I N G THE TRUE N AT U R E OF
R E A L I T Y.
ARISTOTLE
- DOMOSMOG -
 ARISTO
TLE
• ARISTOTLE IS A TOWERING FIGURE IN
A N C I E N T G R E E K P H I L O S O P H Y, W H O M A D E
I M P O R TA N T CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOGIC,
C R I T I C I S M , R H E T O R I C , P H Y S I C S , B I O L O G Y,
P S Y C H O L O G Y, M AT H E M AT I C S , M E TA P H Y S I C S ,
ETHICS, AND POLITICS.

• A R I S T O T L E ' S E T H I C S B U I L D S U P O N P L AT O ' S
W I T H I M P O R TA N T VA R I AT I O N S . A R I S T O T L E
D E F I N E D T H E G O O D A S " T H AT AT W H I C H A L L
THINGS AIM".
ARISTO
TLE
• WHILE MANY DIFFERENT GOODS WERE BEING PURSUED
B Y D I F F E R E N T P E O P L E A N D A C T I V I T I E S , T H AT G O O D
W H I C H WA S B E I N G P U R S U E D F O R I T S O W N S A K E WA S T H E
S U P R E M E G O O D , O R W H AT H E C A L L E D E U D A I M O N I A.

• E U D A I M O N I A H A S B E E N T R A N S L AT E D A S ' H A P P I N E S S' B U T
M AY B E M O R E B R O A D LY D E S C R I B E D A S ' F L O U R I S H I N G' ,
A N D I N V O LV E S " L I V I N G W E L L A N D D O I N G W E L L " , N O T
MERE PLEASURE.

• A " G R E AT- S O U L E D" C I T I Z E N W H O L I V E S A L I F E O F V I R T U E

CAN EXPECT TO ACHIEVE EUDAIMONIA, WHICH
ARISTOTLE ARGUES IS THE HIGHEST GOOD FOR MAN.
ARISTO
TLE
• A R I S T O T L E P L AY S A S I G N I F I C A N T R O L E I N M O R A L
L I F E T O T H E V I R T U E S, F I X E D H A B I T S O F B E H AV I O R
T H AT L E A D T O G O O D O U T C O M E S .

T H E M A I N V I RT U E S

COURAGE JUSTICE PRUDENCE TEMPERANCE

ARISTO
TLE
• H E D I S A G R E E D W I T H P L AT O O N T H E R E B E I N G A
U N I V E R S A L T R A N S C E N D E N TA L G O O D , I N S T E A D
SEEING ETHICS AS PRACTICAL AND
PA R T I C U L A R .

• T H E V I RT U E S S H O U L D B E B A S E D O N F I N D I N G
THE GOLDEN MEAN BETWEEN EXTREMES.
Thank
you