Meaning Of Ethics
Ethics as part of Philosophy:
• The word philosophy comes from the Greek word phlosopha, which literally means "love of wisdom." Philosopher is a person who seeks knowledge, and Philosophy is the love of knowledge.
• Philosophy, in its broadest sense, is an activity in which people seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to one another.
• Rather than a fixed body of knowledge, philosophy is primarily a way of thinking.
• Philosophy is the practice of thinking about what we think, why we think, and how we think. This "thinking about thinking" entails pondering what we know and believe, as well as what we believe is true and false, right and wrong, just and unjust, real and unreal, valuable and worthless, the relationship between language and reality, the nature of consciousness, freedom, justice, truth, happiness, goodness, and a variety of other topics.
• The goal of this philosophical interrogation is to both clarify our own thinking and determine whether we have good reasons for our beliefs.
• As a result, philosophy is an intellectual adventure in which everything is open to questioning and reassessment, rather than a safe haven of certainty. Philosophy is valuable because it teaches us to recognize the limits of what we know while avoiding despair in the face of what we don't know.
• The branch of philosophy known as moral philosophy is one of the most important.
• Moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy concerned with the question of what is right and wrong. Ethics is another name for moral philosophy.
Defination of Ethics:
• The word ethics comes from the Greek word "ethikos," which means "relating to one's character" or "arising from habit." Ethikos is derived from the Greek root word "Ethos," which means "character" or "moral nature." Thus, ethics refers to good character traits that develop when morally correct actions are performed on a regular or habitual basis.
• Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy concerned with "systematising, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior."
• Ethics is a set of standards, norms, principles, or directives that a society imposes on itself and against which individuals' actions are assessed in terms of rightness and wrongness, goodness and badness. Ethical principles also aid in determining whether human motives and goals are good or bad.
• As a result, ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with what is right and wrong. It examines how people should live their lives in relation to others and investigates the nature of morality.
• The rational study of the meaning and justification of moral claims is known as ethics. A moral claim assesses whether an action or a person's character is right or wrong. “Lying is wrong,” for example, asserts that lying is wrong, whereas “One shouldn't be lazy” asserts that a character trait (i.e., laziness) is wrong.
ETHICS AND HUMAN INTERFACE
• Every society strives to maintain "Social Order."
• A stable state of society in which social structures are accepted, social institutions, social customs, and social relations are respected, and social norms that guide good behavior are enforced is referred to as social order.
• The goal of social order is to prevent social chaos and breakdown. A device known as "social control" is used to establish and maintain social order.
• The twin processes of socialization and social sanctions are used to achieve social control.
• Socialization: Individuals learn to behave in a way that is acceptable to society through the process of socialization. Individuals gain knowledge of social structures, customs, relationships, institutions, and practices through socialization.
• Social Sanction: A reward or punishment for a behavior or appearance is known as a social sanction. It is the reaction of others to an individual's or group's behavior or appearance. A positive or negative reaction can occur. (The law frequently enforces the in-captive-punishment model of social sanction.) Ethics is a moral tool that promotes and encourages good and right behavior in order to maintain social order.
ESSENCE OF ETHICS
• In essence, ethics is concerned with defining concepts such as good, bad, evil, right, wrong, virtue, vice, justice, injustice, fairness, foulness, and so on in order to resolve questions of human morality. As a result, ethics is frequently referred to as the "science of moral duty" or "the science of ideal human character."
• Ethics is a set of moral principles that guide people's behavior on a personal, social, and professional level. The goal of an ethical system is to attain "Summum Bonum" (The Highest Good). Cicero, the Roman philosopher, coined the phrase Summum Bonum, which literally means "ultimate good."Summum Bonum is the ultimate goal to be attained; however, different philosophers advocate and recommend different paths to get there.
• In order to comprehend the essence of ethics, we must first comprehend what ethics is not.
1. Ethics is not the same as morality.
2. Ethics is not the same as religion.
3. Ethic is not the same as law.
4. Ethics does not adhere to any set of rules or guidelines.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND MORALITY
• Morality does not require others' consent in the same way that ethics does. Ethics brings other people into the self-realization process. It is possible to be moral without being ethical, but it is not possible to be ethical without being moral. Morality is a personal assessment of what is right and wrong, whereas ethics is a societal assessment of what is right and wrong.
• Example: A moralist may believe that capital punishment is unjust, capital punishment can exist in the society in which he lives. Individual opinions alone have no bearing on societal ethics, so whether capital punishment is right or wrong is ultimately determined by societal ethics.
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Basis of Comparison
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ETHICS
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MORALITY
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DEFINITION
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It is set of standards that society places over itself. |
Personal compass of right and wrong |
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SOURCE |
External: Social Milieu |
Internal: Inherent Conscience |
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WHY WE FOLLOW IT? |
Because society or organization (of which we are part) says it is the right thing to do |
Because we believe it is the right thing to do |
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FLEXIBILITY |
They tend to be consistent within a certain context, but can vary between contexts. |
Usually consistent although it can change if an individual’s belief changes. |
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ACCEPTABILITY AND AUTHORITY |
Governed by law, social customs and sanctions within a particular spatial and temporal context. |
Morality transcends cultural norms (universal in nature) |
• Ethics is less consistent than morality. Even if his external environment (Time-Space) changes, a person's morals rarely change.
• For example, a person who believes cowardice is evil will continue to believe so even if he moves between offices, organizations, or political beliefs. As a result, morality appears to transcend time and space and to be more consistent.
• On the other hand, ethics change relatively quickly as time and space pass; for example, work ethics in different organizations, societal ethics in different countries, and so on.
• Individual moral principles, on the other hand, aid in the development of societal ethical standards or norms.
• It's as if they don't have any morals at all. Similarly, a person may choose to follow a code of ethics simply to fit into the organization, despite being bound by a higher covenant.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND RELIGION
• Religion is an organized set of beliefs, systems, points of view, and obligations that a religious person must adhere to.
• Any religion's main pillars are truth, compassion, and justice.
• A person achieves inner purification and develops a moral understanding of good, bad, right, and wrong through religion. Morality is frequently aided by religion.
• Ethics is not a religion, despite the fact that most religions advocate and recommend high ethical standards.
• Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone, regardless of religion, and even to those who are not religious (atheists). Furthermore, a person can be ethical while not adhering to any religion.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND LAW
• Following the commission of an offence, the law takes effect. Ethics enters the picture right at the start of the offence's conception. To prove an offender's guilt, the law requires hard evidence.
• In ethics, a person's bad intentions are enough to convict them.
• Ethics, on the other hand, cannot be bypassed by finding loopholes in language or procedure; it leaves a permanent impression that lasts a lifetime.
• Hence According to Immanuel Kant, “A man is guilty in law when he violates the rights of others; he is guilty in ethics if he only considers doing so.”
Immanuel Kant point of view:
• Law frequently enforces ethics, and a good legal system does include many ethical standards, but the law can deviate from what is ethical.
• The laws enacted by the British in India, for example, were unethical.
• However, Kant's views are not always correct. For example, while adultery, same-sex marriages, and abortion are no longer illegal in many countries, a large portion of the population still considers these actions to be unethical.
• Furthermore, judging someone on the basis of ethics is difficult, just as peering into another person's mind is difficult.
• As a result, laws and ethics are frequently used to maintain social order.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND CULTURAL CON¬VENTIONS
• Ethics is not adhering to a culturally accepted norm or any societal convention, as such conventions or norms may be completely unethical, such as untouchability or triple talaq.
• As a result, the ethical explanation of "do as the Romans do" is insufficient.