Introduction:

Key Concepts in
Ethics
 WHAT IS ETHICS?
•Ethics -Derived from the Greek word “ethos”, which means “character”, or, in
plural, “manners”.
•It is the branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness or
wrongness of human conduct. Morality speaks of a code system of behavior in
regards to standards of right or wrong behavior.
•It stands to queries about what there is reason to do. Dealing with human
actions, ethics is also concerned with character.
•Also called ‘moral philosophy’, ethics evaluates moral concepts, values,
principles, and standards. Because it is concerned with norms of human
 The Importance of Rules to
Social Beings
•Rules – refer to explicit or understood regulations or
principles governing conduct within a specific activity or
sphere. (“Rule,” n.d.). Rules tell us what is do not allowed in a
particular context or situation. It also serves as a foundation
for any healthy society.
 The Importance of Rules to
Social Beings
•Rules benefit social beings in various manners:

• a) Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior. Rules build

boundaries that place limits on behavior. One of the reasons people follow
accepted rules is to avoid negative consequences.
• b) Rules help to guarantee each person certain rights and freedom. Each
person is guaranteed certain rights as the government is limited in its power
to ensure that it does not become powerful enough to suppress liberty.
Rules on divisions of power and checks and balances further protect
 The Importance of Rules to
• c) Rules produce a sense of justice among social beings. Rules are needed
Social Beings
in order to keep the strong from dominating the weak, that is, to prevent
exploitation and domination. In effect, rules generate a stable system that
provide justice, in which even the riches and most powerful have limitations
ion what they can do. If they transgress rules and such laws and ordinances
and take advantage of people, there are consequences both socially and
criminally.
• d)Rules are essential for a healthy economic system. Without rules
regulating business, power would centralize around monopolies and
 The Importance of Rules to
Social Beings
• In short, society could not soundly function without rules and regulations.
Rules are necessary to protect the greater goods. Even the freest societies
ought to have rules in order to avoid exploitations and tyranny while
upholding the common welfare.
 Moral vs. Non-moral
Standards
• Not all rule are moral rules. That is, not all standards are moral standards.
⚬ Morality – refers to the standards that a person or a group has about what is
right and wrong, or good and evil.
⚬ Moral Standards -are those concerned with or relating to human behavior,
especially the distinction between good and bad (or right and wrong)
behavior. It involves the rules people have about the kind of actions they
believe are morally right and wrong, as well as the values they place on the
kinds of objects they believe are morally good and morally bad.
 Moral vs. Non-moral
Standards
• Non-moral standards – refer to rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical
considerations. Either these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or
by nature lack ethical sense. Basic examples of non-moral standards include
rules of etiquette, fashion standards, rules in games, and various house rules.
Technically, religious rules, some traditions, and legal statutes (i.e. laws and
ordinances) are non-moral principles, though they can be ethically relevant
depending on some factors and contexts.
 Moral vs. Non-moral
Standards
• The following characteristics of moral standards further differentiate them from
non-moral standards:
⚬ a. Moral standards involve serious wrongs or significant benefits. Moral
standards deal with matters which can seriously impact, that is, injure or
benefit human beings. For instance, following or violating some basketball
rules may matter ion basketball games but does not necessarily affect one’s
life or wellbeing.
⚬ b. Moral standards ought to be preferred to other values. Moral
standards have overriding character or hegemonic authority. Moral
 Moral vs. Non-moral
⚬ Standards
c. Moral standards are not established by authority figures. Moral
standards are not invented, formed, or generated by authoritative bodies or
persons such as nations’ legislative bodies. In principle therefore, moral
standards cannot be changed or nullified by the decisions or particular
authoritative body. One thing about these standards, nonetheless, is that its
validity lies on the soundness or adequacy of the reasons that are considered
to support and justify them.
 Moral vs. Non-moral
⚬ Standards
d. Moral standards have the trait of universalizability – it means that
everyone should live up to moral standards. It entails that moral principles
must apply to all who are in the relevantly similar situation.
⚬ This characteristic is exemplified in the Gold Rule, “Do unto others what you
would them do unto you (if you were in their shoes)” .
⚬ Universalizability is an extension of the principle of consistency that is, one
ought to be consistent about one’s value judgments.
 Moral vs. Non-moral
Standards
⚬ e. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations. Moral
standards does not evaluate standards on the basis of the interests of a
certain person or group, but one that goes beyond personal interests to a
universal standpoint in which each person’s interests are impartially
counted as equal.
￭ Impartiality is usually depicted as being free of bias or prejudice.
Impartiality in morality requires that we give equal and/or adequate
consideration to the interests of all concerned parties.
 Moral vs. Non-moral
Standards
⚬ f. Moral standards are associated with special emotions and vocabulary.
These moral standards are generally put forth as injunction or imperatives
(such as, ‘Do not kill,’ ‘Do no unnecessary harm,’ and ‘Love your neighbor’).
These principles are proposed for use, to advise and to influence to action.
This feature is used to evaluate behavior, to assign praise and blame, and to
produce feelings of satisfaction or of guilt.
Thank You