"Ethics is the most important and
functioning branch of philosophy today. In general, ethics is a moral
philosophy. The term ethics is derived from the Greek term Ethos, which means
custom and character. This is related to our values and virtues. Therefore, our
actions and our experiences in everyday life are the subjects of ethics. We can
think about our choices, so we are responsible for all our decisions and actions."
- Science Direct
Abstract
In
our everyday life, we often disagree about value questions. These types of questions are
sure to expose divergent ideas about what is right or wrong. If ethical theories are to be useful in practice, they need to affect the
way human beings behave. Some philosophers think that ethics does do this. Some
argue that if a person realizes that it would be morally good to do something,
then it would be irrational for that person not to do it. However, human beings
often behave irrationally - they follow their 'gut instinct' even when their
head suggests a different course of action.
It is often seen as ethics
must answer the core question of what morality requires from us. However, there
are other questions of similar importance, such as: Why be moral? How moral can
we be in a non-ideal world? Are we moral by nature? Are moral judgments true?
Such questions cannot be avoided when we confront the problems of life,
particularly in a non-moral world. However, the questions themselves are
relevant in our contemporary lifestyle. It is
the method by which we categorize our values and pursue them at a higher level.
Do we sacrifice ourselves, or do we pursue our happiness for a greater cause?
Keywords: ethics, morality, descriptive, normative,
meta-ethics
This is an article about ethics, about good and bad, and
about right and wrong in human life. But can we tell the moral right from wrong
or vice versa? Many people think that morality is not like science, which deals
in facts, but a matter of values, about which we can only have personal
opinions. This point of view tells us that there aren’t any moral facts, and
this explains why people disagree so much over ethical questions. While morality
is essentially subjective, science is the objective.
Ethics is about character -- the sum of
qualities that defines a person. These qualities include a person's intellect,
thoughts, ideas, motives, intentions, temperament, judgment, behavior,
imagination, perception, emotions, love, and hate. In virtue ethics, the
character is all about what a well-intentioned person with good character would
do. Character counts, as the saying goes, and it is the sum of who we are, what
we stand for (Mintz, 2017).
Ethics and Morality
The word “ethics” is derived from the Greek
word ethos (character), and the Latin word ‘mores’ (customs). Derived
from the Greek word “ethos,” which means “way of living”, ethics is a
branch of philosophy that is concerned with human conduct. It consists of a
code of conduct of human beings living in a society. Ethics examines the
rational justification for our moral judgments; it studies what is morally
right or wrong, just or unjust. Together, they combine to define how
individuals choose to interact with one another. In philosophy, ethics defines
what is good for the individual and society and establishes the nature of
duties that people owe to themselves and one another. It aims at individual
good as well as a social good, the good of mankind as a whole (http://www.kkhsou.in)
Ethics is an attempt to guide human conduct and it
is also an attempt to help a man in leading a good life by applying moral
principles. Ethics refers to well-based standards of right and wrong that
prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations,
benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics is related to issues
of propriety, rightness, and wrongness. What is right is ethical and what is
wrong is unethical. The words 'proper',' fare' and 'just' are also used in
place of right 'and 'ethical'. If it is ethical, it is right, proper, fair, and
just. Ethics is a matter of practical concern. It tries to determine the good
and right thing to do; choices regarding right and wrong, good and evil;
questions of obligation and value. Ethics is to consider the practice of doing
the right actions or what we may call the art of living the good life (Lillie,
2011).
It is also defined as the science of the highest
good. Mackenzie (1901) defines ethics as “the study of what is right or good in
human conduct” or the “science of the ideal involved in human life”. So, ethics
is the study that determines the rightness or wrongness of actions.
Applied ethics is the practice of ethics that aims
to guide the moral judgment governing the decisions we make in all areas of our
lives. Issues of right and wrong are related to one’s values. In the context of
ethics, values are our standards of right and wrong.
Morality originated from the Latin word morality
(which means manner, character, and proper behavior), which is the
differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are
distinguished as proper and those that are improper. Morality is the moral
beliefs, views, and attitudes of given individuals, societies, and groups.
Ethics is systematic reflections on moral views and standards (values and
norms) and how one should assess actions, institutions, and character traits
(Khatibi,& Khormaei,2016).
Descriptive and normative Morality
In its descriptive sense,
"morality" refers to personal or cultural values, codes
of conduct, or social
mores from a society that provides
these codes of conduct in which it applies and is accepted by an individual. It
does not connote objective claims of right or wrong, but only refers to that
which is considered right or wrong. Descriptive ethics is the branch of philosophy that
studies morality in this sense (Gert, 2016).
According to Gert (2016), in its normative sense, "morality" refers to whatever (if anything) is right or wrong, which may be independent of the values or mores held by any particular peoples or cultures. Normative ethics is the branch of philosophy that studies morality in this sense.
Scope of Ethics
Meta-Ethics: Meta-ethics comprises the
area of situational ethics and deals with logical questions like 'What do we
mean by 'freedom' and 'determinism' etc. It delves into the nature of ethical
properties, attitudes, and judgments. For example, a media critic's description
of a TV series as 'good drama' does not necessarily denote that the program is
morally sound. It is the function of meta-ethics to define such vague concepts
in ethical terms. Some of the theories of Meta-Ethics are Naturalism,
Non-Naturalism, Emotivism, and Prescriptivism.
Normative Ethics: Normative ethics deals with
standards or norms by which we can judge human actions to be right or wrong. It
deals with the criteria of what is morally right or wrong. For example, if
someone murders a person, everyone will agree that it is wrong. The question
is: Why is it wrong to murder someone? There are a lot of different answers we
could give, but if we want to specify a principle that stated why it is wrong,
the answer might be: Murder is wrong because when we kill someone, we violate
their right to live. Another perspective might be – To inflict unnecessary
suffering on the person being murdered or their family is wrong, that's why
killing a person is wrong.
Applied Ethics: Applied ethics is the
problem-solving branch of moral philosophy. It uses the insights derived from
meta-ethics and the general principles and rules of normative ethics in
addressing specific ethical issues and cases in a professional, disciplinary,
or practical field. Applied ethics is the vital link between theory and
practice, the real test of ethical decision-making. Applied ethics often
requires not only theoretical analysis but also practical and feasible
solutions (https://nehakubms.wordpress.com).
Ethics is a central component of any happy, healthy, and mature life.
But some critics still question the value of studying ethics and living an
ethical life. According to Panza (2010),
some great reasons to resist those critics include the following:
- Ethics
allows you to live an authentic life. An authentic
and meaningful life requires you to live with a sense of integrity.
Integrity is making commitments and sticking to them through thick and
thin — no matter how much violating them may benefit you. Having a firm
character or set of principles to guide your life and the choices you make
is what ethics is all about.
- Ethics
makes you more successful. You may think that
ethics can hold you back in all kinds of ways, but the truth is the
opposite. Ethical people embody traits that unethical people have to work
at to fake — they're honest, trustworthy, loyal, and caring. As a result,
ethical people are perfectly suited not only for interpersonal
relationships generally but also more specifically for the kinds of
interactions that make for a thriving business. Unethical people generally
don't do so well at these things.
- Ethics
allows you to cultivate inner peace. Lives
that are lived ethically tend to be calmer, more focused, and more
productive than those that are lived unethically. Most people can't turn off
their sympathy for other human beings. Hurting people leaves scars on both
the giver and the receiver. As a result, unethical people have stormier
internal lives because they have to work to suppress their consciences and
sympathies to deal with the ways they treat others. When they fail to
properly suppress their sympathies, the guilt and shame that comes with
harming or disrespecting one's fellow human beings take deep root within
them.
- Ethics provides for a
stable society. When people live
ethical lives, they tell the truth, avoid harming others, and are
generous. Working with such people is easy. On the other hand, callous and
insensitive people are distrusted, so it’s difficult for them to be
integrated well into social arrangements. A stable society requires a lot
of ethical people working together in highly coordinated ways. If society
were mostly composed of unethical people, it would quickly crumble.
- Ethics may help out in the afterlife. Some religious traditions believe ethics is the key to something even greater than personal success and social stability: eternal life. No one can be sure about eternal life, but people of faith from many different religions believe that good behavior in this life leads to rewards in the next life.
Conclusion
Ethics
asks basic questions about the good life, about what is better and worse, about
whether there are any objective right and wrong, and how we know it if there
is. It is a must for human life and helps us in deciding
what course of action is to be done. It can
give real and practical guidance to our lives. Ethical values (i.e. honesty,
trustworthiness, responsibility) help guides us along a pathway to deal more
effectively with ethical dilemmas by eliminating those behaviors that do not
conform to our sense of right and wrong – our best rational interests – without
sacrificing others.
Ethics is about character -- the sum of qualities
that defines a person. These qualities include a person’s intellect, thoughts,
ideas, motives, intentions, temperament, judgment, behavior, imagination,
perception, emotions, loves, and hates. Character is all about what a
well-intentioned person with good character would do. Character counts because
it defines who we are and what we stand for. We need to be ethical
because it defines who we are individually in society. These are norms of
behavior that everyone should follow. As a member of society, we might fall
into chaos if we accept that each of us could pick and choose what the right
thing to do is. Some people may lie; others may not do what they say they will
do; still, others act irresponsibly and engage in harmful behavior.
References
Gert, B.,
Gert, J. (2016). In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). The Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2016 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab,
Stanford University retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu
Khatibi M and Khormaei F. (2016).
Morality and Ethics: A Brief Review. J. Life Sci. Biomed. 6(3): 66-70
retrieved from www.jlsb.science-line.com
LaFollette,
H. (Ed.). (2020). Ethics in practice: an anthology. John Wiley
& Sons.
Lillie, W.
(2011). An introduction to ethics. Allied Publishers.
Mackenzie,
J. S. (1901). A manual of ethics. Hinds & Noble.
Mintz, S.
(2017). Why Do
We Need Ethics? Retrieved from https://www.ethicssage.com.
Panza,
C. & Potthast A. (2010). Ethics For Dummies retrieved from https://www.dummies.com
Singer, P. (2011). Practical
ethics. Cambridge university press retrieved from https://books.google.com.ph
Williams, B. (2012). Morality: An introduction to ethics. Cambridge University Press.
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