=Ethos –custom or a particular way and manner of acting  Laws are only concerned with actions that are

tions that are usually

Ethics “public” (actions that often harmed those around us)
and behaving  It goes beyond the concern and parameters of law – it
includes human motivations in its investigation.
Custom would also mean as a form of behaviour or
(thoughts and feelings are included and subject them to
character (from the Latin word “mos” moral or “mores” morality
moral analysis and evaluation)
Ethics and Morality  Laws are the product of a collective agreement decided
by a majority vote (What is right is right although no one
 Both deal with the goodness or badness, rightness or is doing it. Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it)
wrongness of the human act or human conduct  Ethics serves as the very foundation of our laws
 study specifically morality
 Morality gives Ethics a particular perspective of what to Ethics and Religion
study about
 Morality provides with a quality that determines and  Ethics solely relies on natural reason, logic and
distinguishes right conduct from wrong conduct experience
(Sambajon 2007:7)  Religion relies primarily and mainly on supernatural
reason (divine revelation or divine authority)
Ethics: a Philosophy of Action
What is Ethics
 The learning of Ethics does not actually guarantee
morality on the part of the person’s concrete and  Practical science of the morality of human act or conduct
practical conduct of behavior and of the good life.
 Ethics, a theory that provides certain principles and  Body of knowledge systematically arranged and
guidelines as to what is good and bad, right and wrong in presented in a manner that it arrives at its conclusions
human conduct, it is morality which actualizes the coherently and logically
theory.  A branch of Philosophy known as Moral Philosophy that
 Hence both Ethics and Morality complement each other deals with how we ought to live.
– as Ethics outlines theories of right and wrong, morality  A Philosophical discipline that deals with the ultimate
translates these theories into real actions. principles and truth concerning the morality of human
conduct using human reason and experience
Ethics: A Practical Discipline
Material Objects of Ethics
 Should be shown as a discipline which has an intimate
connection with the daily lives of man  Human Act or Human conduct – refers to the act that is
 It must be something more than the presentation of done by a human person which he/she is conscious of,
exacting moral theories, a proper interaction between which proceeds from one’s deliberation and freewill, and
knowledge and practice. thus which one is held morally responsible.
 It could become the most basic and fundamental motive
behind one’s day to day conduct (Christian ethics) Formal Object of Ethics

 Morality of the moral rectitude of human act or human

Importance of Studying Ethics
conduct – deals with the human person’s right conduct
 It is indispensable in the living of life which is “truly whether his/her actions conform to right reason which is
human” for without moral perception, man is only an the immediate norm of morality
animal – “without morality man as a rational being is a
failure” (Agapay 1991:3) Division of Ethics
 Human faces several ethical choices in the course of their
 General Ethics – considered as the basic course which
lives – big or small choices and decisions made affect the
mainly deals with the morality of human acts and the
kind of life to a considerable extent
specific determinants of morality
 Making moral decisions is oftentimes difficult – Ethics
 Special or Applied Ethics – essentially applies the
can provide us with certain moral paradigms or
specific and fundamental norms and principles of
perspective that will guide us in determining what is
General Ethics in various specific areas of human life and
right and what is wrong under such condition.
activity
 Enables us to reason out our moral beliefs and why we
Kinds of Valuation and types of Norms
hold them. – by critically examining the ground and
foundation of our moral beliefs and claims, whether they 1. Technical norm – refers to man’s needs which come
are valid or not. from his bodily space-time limitations
 Aids us to widen our horizon as to what is good and bad 2. Societal norm – something to do with the need for
– allow us to broaden our understanding and make us group cohesion and for strengthening the bonds that
appreciate the richness and diversity of ethical views keep the community together.
held by various thinkers 3. Aesthetic norm – refers to typical perceptual forms
 Not only of instrumental value but also valuable in its regarding colour, shape space, movement etc.
own right – knowing the good is good in itself though 4. Ethical or Moral norm – refers to some ideal vision of a
doing the good is even much better than “just knowing” human person which serves as the ultimate goal and
the good. norm.
 Deepens our reflection on the ultimate questions of life. Characteristics of Moral Principles
(What is life and what it means to be truly human?)
 “An unexamined life is not worth living”- Socrates 1. Reasonability
2. Impartiality
Ethics and Law 3. Prescriptivity
4. Overridingness
 Ethical rules are necessary even if we have the laws since 5. Autonomous from arbitrary authority
legality is not identical with morality – (sometimes what 6. Publicity
is legal is not always moral; what is moral is not always 7. Practicability
legal) 8. Universalizability