Lecture Philo Ethics Dimension
Lecture Philo Ethics Dimension
-origin of society
-Epic of Gilgames
Code of Hammurabi
Meaning of life
transcendence
Realization of desire
II. Western Philosophy
What is Philosophy:
A. Nominal definition: etymologically from Greek word
Phila( love )and Sophia (wisdom)= love of wisdom
B. Real definition
What is Philosophy- is THE SCIENCE OF ALL THINGS BY THEIR
ULTIMATE CAUSES AND PRINCIPLE KNOWN BY THE LIGHT OF
NATURAL REASON ALONE.
A.What is Philosophy
1. SCIENCE
◼= INVESTIGATE
2. THINGS
EX. TABLE
1. MATERIAL
2. FORMAL
3. EFFICIENT CAUSE
4. FINAL
5. PRINCIPLE
THEORIES, LAWS, RULES . EX. COVID QUARANTINE
6. REASON ALONE
◼LOGIC
Metaphysics
= STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE
Here we focus on our human existence in relation to what value we pursue in life in
relation to real value as good in itself. We will clarify it as there are overlapping value
that we can just ignore because it is there as part of our life.
•CLARIFICATIONS AND TERMINOLOGY
• Recognizing the notions of good and bad, and right and wrong, are the primary concern
• of ethics. In order to start, it would be useful for us to clarify the following points.
•Kinds of Valuation
•Kinds of Valuation
•Our first point of clarification is to recognize that there are instances when we make value judgments
that are not considered to be part of ethics.
• For instance, I could say that this new movie I had just seen was a “good” one because
• I enjoyed it, or a song I had just heard on the radio was a “bad” one because it had an
•unpleasant tone, but these are not part of a discussion of ethics.
Kinds of Valuation
• -Descriptive study of ethics is on how people make their moral stand points without having any
judgement. this type usually work for social scientist.
• on the other hand, a normative study of ethics engages the question: “what could or should be
considered as the right way of acting?”
A normative discussion directs what we want to maintain as bases or standards for moral valuation.
•A moral issue is a situation that calls for moral valuation. the term issue is often used to refer to
situations that can cause a debate.
• To make a moral decision, it is when we are placed in a situation and confronted by the choice of
• what to do. but when one is observing to make an assessment on the chosen behavior, the person
is making a moral judgement
•lastly, when we are on the matter of choosing right over wrong, or good over bad, and considering the
complicated situation wherein we feel torn on deciding, this is called moral dilemma.
• From a number of possible actions, and there are compelling ethical reasons for the various choices.
•A mother may be conflicted between wanting to feed her hungry child, but then recognizing that it
would be wrong for her to steal is an example of moral dilemma.
•
REASONING
•what reasons do we give to decide or to judge that a certain way of acting is either right or wrong?
•-A person’s fear of punishment or desire for reward can provide him a reason for acting in a certain
way.
•-But the question then would be: Is this reason good enough?
•-Why – bring as to higher level of thinking=principle
•- we can define principles as rationally established grounds by which one justifies and maintains her
moral decisions and judgements.
-A moral theory- Guidepost
• -A moral theory is a systematic attempt to establish the validity of maintaining certain moral
principles. Insofar as a theory is a system of thought or of ideas, it can also be ideas, and at the
same time, a structure though which we can evaluate our reasons for valuing a certain decision or
judgement
SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
• Several common ways of thinking about ethics are based on the idea that the standards of valuation
are imposed by a higher authority that commands our obedience in the following section, we will
explore 3 of such ideas: the authority of the law, the authority of one's religion and the authority of
one's culture
• 1. law
• 2. Religion
• 3. Culture
What is cultural relativism?
•The starting point of subjectivism is the recognition that the individual thinking person (the subject)is
at the heart of all moral valuations. She is the one who is confronted. Ex I’ll say when it is right
2.PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM
•2.PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM
•psychological egoism, which is a theory that describes the underlying dynamic behind all human
actions.
• “Human beings are naturally self-centered, so all our actions are always already motivated by self-
interest.”
• psychological egoist can and will insist on his stand no matter how one might try to object.
3.Ethical Egoism-
•3.Ethical egoism-
•-prescribes that we should make our own ends, our own interests, as the single overriding concern.
We may act in a way that is beneficial to others, but we should do that only if it ultimately benefits us.