Lecture I Introduction to Ethics or Moral Philosophy

Ethics

The study of what is right and wrong and the principles that govern moral behavior.

Moral Principles

Guidelines that govern our decisions about what is right and wrong.

Etymology of Ethics

Derived from the Greek word 'ethos' which means custom, habit, or character.

Fascist

A person who believes that power allows one to determine moral values in every situation.

Egalitarian Radical

An individual motivated by the reality of inequality to establish new values for self and community.

Liberal Opportunist

Someone who believes that possibilities must be pursued in the name of progress, regardless of morality.

Moral Nihilist/Relativist

An individual who views morality as an invented concept, believing everything is subjective.

Egoistic Ascetic

A self-centered individual who believes they are the reason for the world's suffering.

Prescriptivity

The action-guiding nature of moral principles; they are generally expressed as commands or imperatives.

Universalizability

The principle that moral standards must apply equally to all in similar situations.

Overridingness

The authority of certain moral principles that take precedence over other considerations.

Publicity

The idea that moral principles should be shared publicly to guide collective behavior.

Practicability

The requirement that moral theories must be actionable and applicable in real situations.

Consequentialist Ethical Theories

Ethical theories that judge actions based on their outcomes or consequences.

Meta-ethics

The branch of ethics that analyzes the nature of morality itself, questioning the validity of moral standards.

Normative Ethics

The branch of ethics that concerns itself with determining what moral standards people should follow.

Applied Ethics

The branch of ethics that deals with the application of moral principles to specific ethical issues.

Ethical Dilemma

A situation in which a difficult choice must be made between two or more moral principles.

The Ring of Gyges

A thought experiment from Plato's Republic that discusses morality in the context of power and invisibility.

The purpose of morality

To maintain societal order, alleviate suffering, promote happiness, resolve conflicts, and assign responsibility.