PHL - Ethics Lesson

Ethics

Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

- Immanuel Kant

Ethics - The field of ethics (or moral philosophy) involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.

Ethics seems to be the practical application of philosophy. How should we behave in certain situations? These situations are often called moral dilemmas. Often we assume right and wrong are eternal truths--and in some cases, this may be true, but the study of ethics examines the nuances that appear in the code of morality. For instance, most people accept as truth that one should not kill another human being, however, in the case of war, society asks our soldiers to do exactly that. So ethics is less about establishing right or wrong, but analyzing the perspectives and language that are offered for certain behaviors.

As with most topics in philosophy, the Greeks started the conversation in Western civilization. The following lecture was given at Oxford University in England concerning the difference in opinion between Plato/Socrates and Aristotle concerning ethics. Please read closely and take notes.

Reading Assignment: "A Lecture on the Good" by Kelley L. Ross, Ph.D.

Click here to read "A Lecture on the Good" by Kelley L. Ross, Ph.D. Links to an external site.

Reading Assignment: "The Generalized Structure of Moral or Ethical Dilemmas"

Aristotle acknowledged the difficulty in analyzing the intrinsic worth of a particular moral stance. He considered philosophy to be a strict science and ethics presents dilemmas to this notion. The dilemmas are like puzzles.

Read the following essay that delineates very specific cases of moral dilemmas. Click here to read "The Generalized Structure of Moral or Ethical Dilemmas." Links to an external site.

Ethical considerations often are determined by our role in society. Do teachers and police officers have the same ethical perspectives? What about doctors and ministers? Some occupations are based on the person's ability to discern the ethical consideration for an organization, like a bioethicist in a hospital.

Look up the word "ombudsman."

Time for some ethical thinking and critical analysis of moral dilemmas.

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