Transcript In Search of the Good!

Why be ethical?
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Ethics is the belief in a right/wrong a
good/evil. (Fr. Greek Ta Ethika meaning good
character)
Morality is the translation of that good into our
actions. (Fr. Latin Moralitas having to do with
customs or habits
Some Examples of Moral Systems.
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10 Commandments
Buddhist Precepts
5 Pillars
Talmud/Torah
Business codes of conduct
Student Handbook
Collective agreements in Sports (personal
conduct policies)
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Action/Reaction
Proposed by Ken Melchin in his work “Living
with other People”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLDA_f69
Tzw&feature=fvsr
In this we just react we do something it is a
response.
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The Beggar
This is put forward by Emmanuel Levinas in
his work Totality and Infinity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0buivrv
aXI&featu
This experience is referred often as “The face”
as it is the face of the other that causes us to act.
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This is put forward by Immanuel Kant in the
work “Critique of Pure Reason”
In this we act out of obligation/responsibility
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmRV87
mI2_Y
This is where we act because we feel the
obligation too.
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This reason compels us to act based on injustice
or the intolerable we feel that something must
be done because it is not fair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_tCtvm
Am4M&feature=related
This we proposed by the Church especially
Pope Paul VI
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There are many varied ethical camps which
each try to explain why and how human beings
should go about achieving the good. For our
purpose we will focus on three camps
Aristotle (Telelogical Ethics)
Kant (Deontological Ethics)
Levinas (Relational Ethics)
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Aristotle's ethics are called teleological ethics
from the root word telos which means end
goal/purpose.
Lets examine some of the thought of Aristotle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=175bR_B
U0m8&feature=related
Let us list some of his accomplishments and
flush out his philosophy.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2tvRhodzf0
&feature=related
Deontological ethics based on the root word Deon
which means Duty.
Wrote “Groundwork of the Metaphysics of
Morals” & “Critique of Pure Reason”
Maxims : Categorical Imperative/Means and End
Theoretical Reason
Practical Reason
Objective/Subjective
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Kant believed the only good was a good will
Kant believes we cannot prove God but can
reasonably believe in his existence based on our
seemingly innate need for Justice.
1. God: Someone to Judge
2. Freedom: We cannot be judged if not free
3. Immortality: Since Justice does not happen here
it needs to occur somewhere.
Summon Bonum: Perfect world/Heaven
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Ethics of the Face
We find God in each other not in what is
similar about each of us but what is unique.
Since God is much more that we can
comprehend we find traces of him in what is
unique in each of us. It is our seeing that
uniqueness in each other that we find God.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6RLHK
Rs9D8&feature=related
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Pope John Paul II refers to Levinas in his work
“The New Millennium”
Matt 25 “When I was Hungry you fed me”
illustrates the thought of Levinas.
Psalm 27 “Your face O Lord I seek”
God touches us through the face of the other.
*The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
states “The more one does what is good, the
freer one becomes”