CHAPTER 2 3. Met ethics - a branch of Normative Ethics.

In some
other ways, both Normative and Descriptive Ethics
A. Ethics and Philosophy
involve some mathematical activity. Met ethics is
What is Philosophy? concerned with analysis of the meaning of words and
logic of moral reasoning.
Philosophy, etymologically, came from two Greek words
“philos,” which means love, and “sophis,” which means E. Deontological versus Teleological Approach to
wisdom. Philosophy means “love of wisdom.” As a Ethical Evaluation of the Human \Conduct\\\\
science, philosophy is interested with the meaning of
Deontological Ethics
reality, including our human experiences.
Is a body of ethical theories that measures and
B. Definition of Ethics
evaluates the nature of a moral act based on the validity
 Ethics is a practical science that guides us in our of the motive of an act. This means that the motive or
actions that we live rightly and well. intention is good, then regardless of the consequences,
 Ethics is a practical science of the morality of the whole action is good.
human acts.
Examples:
 Ethics is the study of conduct from the standpoint
of morality. Kantianism - Is also known as the categorical imperative
 Ethics is the science which lays down the approach, the idea that one should always base his
principles of right living. action on maxims or rules that are believed to be
universal.
C. Ethics and Morality
Divine Command Theory - holds that the standard of
Morality right and wrong is the will or law of God
- Refers to the quality of goodness or badness in
human act. Good is described as moral and bad
is described as immoral. It means conformity to Teleological Ethics
the rules of the right conduct.
The morality of an action based on its consequences
D. Ethics as Normative Science and not in the motive or intention of the actor. If the
consequences is good, regardless of the motive, then
- Ethics is a branch of philosophy and it is act is always morally good.
considered as a normative science because it is
concerned with the systematic study of norms
of human conduct. Ethics is a normative science
The “Moral Sense “In Us
because it involves a systematic search for
moral principles and norms that are used to The Synthesis of Man According to St. Thomas Aquinas
justify our moral judgments.
According to Aquinas, the moral sense in man is
manifested and expressed in three ways;

a. Man is able to distinguish or to know what is

good or what is bad. Of all creatures, only man
has the capacity to know the difference
between good and bad action.
b. Man is always obligated to do well and to avoid
evil. In any given circumstance, man is the only
1. Descriptive Ethics - consists of studying and creature who feels time primary duty to do
describing the morality of people, culture, or society what is good and to avoid what is evil.
c. Man knows that he is accountable for his
Examples: actions- good or bad. Of all creatures, only man
a. Psychological Egoism realize that the performance if an action entails
b. Cultural Relativism reward and punishments. If he does an evil
action he expect punishment.
2. Normative Ethics - involves moral judgment based on
ethical norm or theory. This consists both of the basic 2. Freud’s Theory of the Id, Ego, and the Superego -
moral principles and values and the particular moral believes that the human mind has three important
rules that govern people’s behavior, which is right or components, that of the preconscious, conscious, and
moral and wrong is immoral. unconscious. No other psychologist except Freud has
studied the unconscious part of the human mind.
3. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

ETHICS AND SOCIOLOGY

Sociology deals with the study of social order while

Ethics deals with the study of moral order in the society.
There is no social order if there is no moral order.

Society depends on Ethics for its underlying principles,

Sociology deals with human relations in a society, but
human relations are based on the proper order and the
proper order comes only with the proper observance of
Kohlberg believe that the people progressed in their moral laws and principles which regulate the actions of
moral reasoning through a series of stage. His theory of men and women in a community.
moral development was based on the earlier works of
Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. Kohlberg help to clarify
the general cognitive development approach of Piaget, ETHICS AND ECONOMICS
through the analysis of changes in moral reasoning or
Economics as a science deals with the study of wages,
extending the approaches into a series of stage.
labor, production, and distribution of wealth. The study
of these issues also involves relationships among
individuals. According to Wilber, there are 3 ways in
Chapter 3: THE RELATIONSHIP OF ETHICS WITH OTHER which Ethics enters Economics.
SCIENCES AND OTHER PHASES OF HUMAN
 First, economists have ethical values that help
INTRODUCTION shape the way they do economics.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature  Second, economic actors (consumers, workers,
and the morality of human conduct. business owners) have ethical values that help
shape their behavior.
Ethics is related to other sciences because it also deals  Third, economic institutions and policies impact
with the investigation of the nature of man as a rational people differentially and thus, ethical
being and a being in relation with other beings. But evaluations, in addition to economic
unlike other sciences, the focus and the locus of Ethics evaluations, are important.
is to study man’s nature and his behavior from the
standpoint of morality. The material object of Ethics is RELATIONSHIP OF ETHICS WITH OTHER PHASES OF
the human conduct and the object is morality. HUMAN LIFE

THE RELATIONSHIP OF ETHICS WITH OTHER SCIENCES ETHICS AND LAW

 Ethics and logic Ethics and law are closely related. Ethics deals with
 Ethics and psychology morality, and when we speak of morality, we mean
 Ethics and sociology primarily the moral law.
 Ethics and economics Law may be defined as crystallized ethics.

However, there is a difference on what is moral and

ETHICS AND LOGIC what is legal. Laws are intended to regulate the external
actions of man while ethics investigates and probes the
Ethics is the study of correct action or doing, while Logic internal disposition of man, such as his motivations and
studies the process of correct and organized thinking. his thoughts.
Logic therefore is aimed at the right thinking and Ethics
is aimed at the right acting or right doing and behavior.
ETHICS AND RELIGION

ETHICS AND PSYCHOLOGY Ethics is a disciple or set of moral principles and values
governing an individual or institutional behavior.
Both Ethics and Psychology deals with the study of man Religion generally refers to the service and worship of
and his behavior. However, Psychology studies how God and is typically expressed as a personal or
man behaves, while Ethics studies how man ought to institutional set of beliefs, attitudes and practices.
behave.
Ethics evaluate the behavior of man against his values
Psychology is not interested in the morality of human regardless of the source of those values. While religion
behavior, while Ethics is concerned with man’s moral certainly can create an impact on individuals and may
obligation or the result of his behavior. actually include mandates for ethical behavior.
ETHICS AND THE PROFESSIONAL CODES OF CONDUCT

Professional is relating to or characteristics of a

profession; engaged in one of the professions.

Professionalism on the other hand is the conduct that

characterizes a profession of a professional person; or it
can also be the pursuit of a profession fore gain of
livelihood.

 Professional code of ethics is a set of behavioral

guidelines that members of a profession are required by
their association to observe in the course of their
professional practice.

ETHICS AND EDUCATION

Education is defined as an instruction or training by

which people learn to develop and use their mental,
moral, and physical powers and abilities. It is also one
way of gaining experience about human life. Since man
however primarily a rational moral being, the purpose
of education is to protect the moral character in man.

 Great educator once said “education is co-extensive

with life.” Hence, we can say that ethics is life because it
is the one that gives life its direction, purpose, and
meaning.

ETHICS AND ART

Art is concerned with the use of imagination to make

things of aesthetics significance. Ethics is aimed at
conforming to an accepted standard of good behavior.
Ethics also stands for moral goddess, art, and beauty.

Both true art and true ethics have the same aim; That is,
to arouse and inspire the noble emotions of man,
thereby creating no conflict at all. Consequently, an art
which arouses the lower impulses of man defeats the
very purpose of art.