Ethics Lecture Notes

M1. Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics

M1. Topic Overview

• Philosophy begins with asking "big questions" about:
  • The meaning of human life.
  • The fact of existence.
  • The reality of the world.
  • The experience of living with others in society.
• Examples of philosophical questions:
  • "Why were we born?"
  • "Why do we live?"
  • "Why do we die?"
  • "Who am I?"
  • "How do I gain happiness?"
  • "Why is there suffering in the world?"
  • "Why do I have to do good?"
  • "How can there be justice in the society?"
  • "Where did the world come from, and how will it end?"
  • "What is truth, and how may I know it?"
  • "How may something be real?"
• Philosophy starts with asking questions, not necessarily answering them.
• Posing such questions shows the impulse for philosophizing.

M1. Objectives

• Define philosophy and ethics in etymological, real, and classical ways.
• Compare and contrast the seven branches of philosophy.
• Distinguish ethics from other fields of learning.
• Reflect on the importance of philosophy and ethics to one's life.

Definition of Philosophy

• Etymological Definition:
  • Coined by Pythagoras (582-500 BCE).
  • Derived from Greek words: philia (love) and sophia (wisdom).
  • Philosophy is the "love of wisdom," and philosophers are "lovers of wisdom."
  • This "love" signifies a friendship where "wisdom" is a protector in the quest for truth.
• Real/Classical Definition:
  • Philosophy is the science of all things in their ultimate principle and cause, known by natural reasoning alone.
  • "Science" in a general sense (a body of knowledge).
  • Deals with "all things" - its material object, making it a universal science and the "queen of the sciences."
  • Focuses on the "ultimate cause and principle" of all things - its formal object.
    • "Cause": from which something is produced.
    • "Principle": from which something proceeds.
    • "Ultimate": not subordinated to any other; the most fundamental.
  • Known through reasoning alone (natural reasoning).
  • Does not rely on the scientific method, experimentation, or instruments.
• Personal Definition:
  • Philosophy as a way of life, a practice for living.
  • A search for personal meaning that is lived or practiced in daily life.

Branches of Philosophy

• Seven classical branches based on different classifications of things:
  1. Metaphysics:
     • Deals with the most general form of things.
     • Also called ontology.
     • Study of being, essence, and existence.
  2. Cosmology:
     • Also called natural philosophy.
     • Concerned with the ultimate principles that constitute the physical world.
  3. Theodicy:
     • Philosophy of God or philosophy of religion.
     • Originally meant to justify the existence of evil despite God's goodness.
  4. Aesthetics:
     • Philosophy of beauty and art.
     • Sometimes integrated into Humanities and Art Appreciation.
  5. Epistemology:
     • Philosophy of knowledge.
     • Asks: "How can our mind within us validly know the world outside of us?"
  6. Logic:
     • Science and art of correct thinking.
     • Foundation for other branches, providing rules for valid reasoning.
  7. Ethics:
     • About the morality of human acts.
     • The focus of this course.
• Other divisions based on subject matter in relation to various fields:
  • Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mathematics, Philosophy of Education, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Computer, etc.
  • Any discipline can have a philosophical viewpoint applied to it concerning ultimate reality.
• Geographical and cultural classifications:
  • Western philosophy and Oriental philosophy.
• Classifications based on nationality:
  • German Philosophy, British Philosophy, French Philosophy, American Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy, Filipino Philosophy.
• Meta-philosophy:
  • Philosophizing about philosophy itself.

Definition of Ethics

• Etymological Definition:
  • Derived from the Greek word ethos (habit or custom).
  • Latin equivalent: mos (custom), from which morals and morality are derived.
  • Also called moral philosophy.
  • Refers to how people behave and act in society.
• Real Definition:
  • Science of the morality of human acts.
  • Normative science - concerns values rather than facts.
  • Ethical values involve goodness/badness or rightness/wrongness.
  • Theoretical: Speculates on why acts are good/right or bad/wrong.
  • Practical: Applied to people's lives as a guiding principle.
• Difference from Other Fields:
  • Philosophical sciences (ethics, logic, aesthetics) all discuss values but from different categories.
    • Ethics: Good/bad are ethical values.
    • Logic: True/false are cognitive values; valid/invalid reasoning.
    • Aesthetics: Beautiful/ugly are perceptual properties.
• Distinction from Psychology and Etiquette:
  • Ethics is concerned with moral properties (good or bad).
  • Psychology studies normal/abnormal behavior based on patterns; lacks ethical values.
  • Etiquette concerns proper/improper manners based on social convention; lacks ethical values.
• Specialized Fields of Ethics:
  • Social ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics, animal ethics.
• "Ethics" in Professional Communities:
  • Business ethics, academic ethics, medical ethics, etc.
  • Often contain codes of conduct or standards of behavior.
  • Actual practices imply ethical concerns.