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Moral Situations: An Overview

This document provides an overview of different moral and ethical systems and contemporary moral trends. It discusses major ethical frameworks like relativism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It also examines different views on what constitutes "right" action, such as actions that bring pleasure, promote the greatest good for the most people, or are determined by God's will. The document aims to explore different approaches to evaluating morality and determining right from wrong.

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Erika Sawajiri
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24 views

Moral Situations: An Overview

This document provides an overview of different moral and ethical systems and contemporary moral trends. It discusses major ethical frameworks like relativism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It also examines different views on what constitutes "right" action, such as actions that bring pleasure, promote the greatest good for the most people, or are determined by God's will. The document aims to explore different approaches to evaluating morality and determining right from wrong.

Uploaded by

Erika Sawajiri
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MORAL SITUATIONS

AN OVERVIEW
IS IT RIGHT?

WHAT AM I TO DO?

WHAT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE?

IS IT WRONG?
Contemporary Moral Trends
Might is right
Morals are mores
The individual is the measure
The human Race is the basis of right
Right is moderation
Right is what brings pleasure
Right is the greatest good for the greater number
Right is what is desirable for it's own sake
Right is indefinable
Right is what God wills
What is Ethics/Morality?
Etymology
Ethics from the greek “Ethos”
Morals from the latin “Mos”
Which means: customs or practices

Morality refers to the rightness or


wrongness of an action.
Ethics refers to the study concerned with
what is morally good and bad, right and
wrong
Encyclopedia Brittanica 1994-2002
ETHICAL SYSTEMS
Relativism
Right or wrong, good or bad is variable and relative,
depending on the person, circumstance or social
situation.
Cultural Relativism – Moral standards are a product
of culture. What is right in one culture may be wrong
in another.
Morality changes through time.
Secular Humanism
Emphasis on the human.
“A search for viable individual, social and political
principles of ethical conduct, judging them on their
ability to enhance human well-being and individual
responsibility” (Council for Secular Humanism)
ETHICAL SYSTEMS
Virtue Ethics
Happiness is achieved through the development of
“good habits:” intellectual (for example knowledge) and
practical action and emotion (for example courage).
“Golden Mean” – neither excess nor deficiency.
Seeks to develop individual character. A good person
will make a good decision.
Hedonism
What brings pleasure to an individual is good.
Ethical Egoism
Focuses on the pursuit of self-interest in human
conduct.
ETHICAL SYSTEMS
Teleological Ethics
From the Greek “telos” meaning “end” or “goal.”
Concerned with the end-point or results of an action
– Consequentialism
Utilitarianism (Universal Hedonism)
The greatest good or happiness for the greatest number
of people.
Deontology
The good is found in the action itself and not based on
its consequences or results.
Thus it is our duty to do the right action
Kantian Ethics
“Act as if the principle on which your action is based
were to become a universal law of nature.”
Ethical Systems
Determinism
Everything is caused and determined (even human
actions and choices) by previously existing causes that
preclude free will and the possibility that humans could
have acted otherwise.
Fatalism
Stoicism
Theonomous Ethics: Morality and religion go
together
Divine Command
Being good is doing whatever a sacred text tells you.
Christian Ethics
Looking at the person of Christ as the norm of all thought
and action.
Ethical Systems

Absolutism
It is not limited by exceptions or
restrictions.
It is not to be doubted or questioned –
positive, certain and unconditional.
Cultural absolutism
There exists moral absolutes that do not
vary from culture to culture.
Contemporary Moral Trends
Might is right
Relativism
Hedonism / Egoism
Absolutism
Morals are mores
Cultural Relativism
The individual is the measure
Relativism / Subjectivism
Egoism
The human Race is the basis of right
Secular Humanism
Right is moderation
Aristotle’s “Golden Mean”
Contemporary Moral Trends
Right is what brings pleasure
Hedonism / Egoism
Right is the greatest good for the greater number
Utilitarianism
Right is what is desirable for it's own sake
Deontological Ethics
Right is indefinable
Ethical Relativism
Determinism
Right is what God wills
Theonomous Ethics
Absolutism
References
Ismael Ireneo Maningas. Filipino Christian Morality. St.
Pauls, 1998.
Karl Peschke. Christian Ethics.
Professor Dean R. Bork. Fundamentals of Ethical Systems.
Lecture Notes.
http://www.lar.arch.vt.edu/Resources/courses/LAR-3034/Not
es/Ethics.html
Louis D. Whitworth. Measuring Morality: A Comparison of
Ethical Systems. Probe Ministries, 1995.
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/measmor.html
“Ethics” Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2004.
“What is Secular Humanism?” Council for Secular
Humanism. Last updated 8/11/2004.
http://www.secularhumanism.org/intro/what.html

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