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P R E P A R E D B Y

Y U S U F R A H A T H

MORAL PHILOSOPHYA GENERAL INTRODUCTION

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Introduction

Ethics is the branch of philosophy. It is also calledthe moral philosophy.

It asks basic questions about the good life, about

what is better and worse, about whether there anyobjective right and wrong, and how we know it, ifthree is.

Ethics does not attempt simply to codify commonly

accepted beliefs concerning moral questions.

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But attempts to find the grounds for reasonablemoral 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 orought not to do in moral situations

The purpose of ethics is to find justifications for amoral beliefs

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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 balancegoods 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, thatcan be used in discussion and debate in support ofpositions on moral issues

The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of

good moral reasoning to allow the student to enter intoethical discussions in an intelligent and reasonablemanner and also to make them aware of existing ethicaldebates

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Meta ethics and Ethics

Meta ethics seeks to understand the meaning ofethical terms and judgement. So questions about thenature of ethics are actually matters of meta ethics.

Discussions about whether ethics is relative andwhether we always act from self- interest areexamples of meta ethical discussions.

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Meta ethics and Ethics

Normative ethicsis interested in determining thecontent of our moral behaviour.

Normative ethical theories seek to provide action-

guides; procedures for answering the PracticalQuestion (What ought I to do?).

The moral theories of Kant and Bentham areexamples of normative theories that seek to provide

guidelines for determining a specific course of moralaction.

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Meta ethics and Ethics

Applied ethics attempts to deal with specificrealms of human action and to craft the criteria fordiscussing issues that might arise within thoserealms. Eg: Business Ethics, Computer Ethics, andEngineering Ethics.

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Ethics and Religion

Many people get their ethical or moral views fromtheir religion

Some philosophers, however, believe that ethics does

not necessarily require a religious grounding. Ratherthan relying on religious books, philosophical ethicsuses reason and experience to determine what isgood or bad.

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Ethical and other types of evaluation

Difference between evaluative or normativejudgements and descriptive judgements

By descriptive judgement we state certain factualbelieves (eg: that is a red pen) by evaluative

judgement we make judgement on the matters (thatis a good pen).

Moral judgements are evaluative because they placea value, negative or positive, on some action.

These evaluations also relay on beliefs about what isgood or bad

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These judgements are known as normative becausethey 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 thatthe knife is morally good

General ethical terms

Good - bad Right wrong

Just unjust

Ought ought not

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Ethics and Reason

When we evaluate an action as right or wrong wemust 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 oremotions enter into our decision making

Good reasoning in ethics must have an implicit orexplicit reference to an ethical theory

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Ethical Theory

An ethical theory is a systematic exposition of aparticular view about what is the nature and basisgood or right

The theory provides reasons for judging acts to beright or wrong.

It provides ethical principles that express certainvalues

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Type of Ethical Theory

Historically, philosophers have disagreed about whatthe basic question of ethics is. They fall into twocamps

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:

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Act-oriented approaches:

Consequentialism or teleological moral theories:

Look at the consequences and choose the actionthat 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