Transcript Materialy/07/Definition of Ethics

Slovak University of Technology
Faculty of Material Science and Technology in Trnava
Manager ethics
Definition of Ethics
Ethics

The word "ethics" is derived from the
Greek word ethos (character), and from
the Latin word mores (customs).

Together, they combine to define how
individuals choose to interact with one
another.
Ethics
 In
philosophy, ethics defines what is
good for the individual and for society
and establishes the nature of duties
that people owe themselves and one
another
"What does ethics mean to you?"

A few years ago, sociologist Raymond
Baumhart asked business people, "What
does ethics mean to you?" Among their
replies were the following:
„Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell
me is right or wrong.“
"What does ethics mean to you?"
„Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.“
 „Being ethical is doing what the law
requires.“
 „Ethics consists of the standards of
behavior our society accepts.“
 „I don't know what the word means.“

What is ethics?

First, ethics refers to well based standards
of right and wrong that prescribe what
humans ought to do, usually in terms of
rights, obligations, benefits to society,
fairness, or specific virtues.
What is ethics?

Ethics, for example, refers to those
standards that impose the reasonable
obligations to refrain from rape, stealing,
murder, assault, slander, and fraud.
What is ethics?

Ethical standards also include those that
enjoin virtues of honesty, compassion, and
loyalty. And, ethical standards include
standards relating to rights, such as the right
to life, the right to freedom from injury, and
the right to privacy. Such standards are
adequate standards of ethics because they
are supported by consistent and well
founded reasons.
What is ethics?

Secondly, ethics refers to the study and
development of one's ethical standards. As
mentioned above, feelings, laws, and social
norms can deviate from what is ethical.
What is ethics?
So it is necessary to constantly examine
one's standards to ensure that they are
reasonable and well-founded.
 Ethics also means, then, the continuous
effort of studying our own moral beliefs
and our moral conduct, and striving to
ensure that we, and the institutions we
help to shape, live up to standards that are
reasonable and solidly-based.

What is Morality?

It is necessary at the outset of this article to
distinguish between morality and ethics, terms
not seldom employed synonymously. Morality is
antecedent to ethics: it denotes those concrete
activities of which ethics is the science. It may
be defined as human conduct in so far as it is
freely subordinated to the ideal of what is right
and fitting.
What is virtues?
Virtues may be divided:
 intellectual
 moral
 theological.
Intellectual virtue

Intellectual virtue may be defined as a
habit perfecting the intellect to elicit with
readiness acts that are good in reference
to their proper object, namely, truth.
Moral Virtues




are admirable character traits; generally
desirable dispositions, which contribute, among
other things, to social harmony
enable us to act in accordance with reason
enable us to feel appropriately and have the
right intention
are orientations towards the mean, rather than
the extremes (vices relate to extremes)
The theological virtues



Faith
Hope
Charity
Emotions
Biological, cognitive, social, physiological,
neurological, psychological, cultural
perspectives
 Emotions facilitate reasoning
 Thinking and feeling
 Experience and anticipate

Conscience

the complex of ethical and moral principles
that controls or inhibits the actions or
thoughts of an individual.
Conscience

Through conscience and its related notion,
synderesis, human beings discern what is right and
wrong. While there are many medieval views about
the nature of conscience, most views regard
human beings as capable of knowing in general
what ought to be done and applying this knowledge
through conscience to particular decisions about
action. The ability to act on the determinations of
conscience is, moreover, tied to the development
of the moral virtues, which in turn refines the
functions of conscience.
Thank you for your attention!
Questions?