MORAL PHILOSOPHY A GENERAL INTRODUCTION

PREPARED BY YUSUF RAHATH

Introduction
Ethics is the branch of philosophy. It is also called

the moral philosophy. It asks basic questions about the good life, about what is better and worse, about whether there any objective right and wrong, and how we know it, if three is. Ethics does not attempt simply to codify commonly accepted beliefs concerning moral questions.

 But attempts to find the grounds for reasonable

moral beliefs. Because of this, ethics should be distinguished from what we commonly call "morality" Morality is simply a set of beliefs accepted by a given culture concerning what a moral agent ought or ought not to do in moral situations The purpose of ethics is to find justifications for a moral beliefs

Why study ethics

There are matters about which it is not easy to judge We dont always know what is best to do, how to balance

goods or what reasons or principles we ought to follow Study of ethics can provide some understanding of basic ethical principles, and strategies of moral reasoning, that can be used in discussion and debate in support of positions on moral issues The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of good moral reasoning to allow the student to enter into ethical discussions in an intelligent and reasonable manner and also to make them aware of existing ethical debates

Meta ethics and Ethics

Meta ethics seeks to understand the meaning of

ethical terms and judgement. So questions about the nature of ethics are actually matters of meta ethics. Discussions about whether ethics is relative and whether we always act from self- interest are examples of meta ethical discussions.

Meta ethics and Ethics

Normative ethics is interested in determining the

content of our moral behaviour. Normative ethical theories seek to provide actionguides; procedures for answering the Practical Question (What ought I to do?). The moral theories of Kant and Bentham are examples of normative theories that seek to provide guidelines for determining a specific course of moral action.

Meta ethics and Ethics

Applied ethics attempts to deal with specific

realms of human action and to craft the criteria for discussing issues that might arise within those realms. Eg: Business Ethics, Computer Ethics, and Engineering Ethics.

Ethics and Religion

Many people get their ethical or moral views from

their religion Some philosophers, however, believe that ethics does not necessarily require a religious grounding. Rather than relying on religious books, philosophical ethics uses reason and experience to determine what is good or bad.

Ethical and other types of evaluation

Difference between evaluative or normative

judgements and descriptive judgements By descriptive judgement we state certain factual believes (eg: that is a red pen) by evaluative judgement we make judgement on the matters (that is a good pen). Moral judgements are evaluative because they place a value, negative or positive, on some action. These evaluations also relay on beliefs about what is good or bad

 These judgements are known as normative because

they relay on norms or standard of good and bad But all evaluations are not moral in nature When we say it is a good knife it does not mean that the knife is morally good
General ethical terms

Good - bad Right wrong Just unjust Ought ought not

Ethics and Reason

When we evaluate an action as right or wrong we

must appeal to certain reason But it does not mean that making ethical judgement is purely rational According to some, good moral judgements require us to be objective and not let our feelings or emotions enter into our decision making Good reasoning in ethics must have an implicit or explicit reference to an ethical theory

Ethical Theory
An ethical theory is a systematic exposition of a

particular view about what is the nature and basis good or right The theory provides reasons for judging acts to be right or wrong. It provides ethical principles that express certain values

Type of Ethical Theory

Historically, philosophers have disagreed about what

the basic question of ethics is. They fall into two camps Two types of questions 1. How ought I to act?

Act-oriented approaches:

2. What kind of person ought I to try to be? Character-oriented approaches:

 Act-oriented approaches:
Consequentialism or teleological moral theories:

Look at the consequences and choose the action that has the best consequences Eg: Egoism, Utilitarianism

Deontology:

Look at the rules and follow the rules (ten commandments, duty, human rights, justice). Kantianism

Character-oriented approaches:

Aristotle on Character and Virtue