"Socrates said, '... what we are talking about is how one should live.' Like Socrates, Plato thought that philosophy could answer the question. He hoped that one could direct one’s life, if necessary redirect it, through an understanding that was distinctively philosophical—that is to say, general and abstract, rationally reflective, and concerned with what can be known through different kinds of inquiry, '" Laluna commenced a talk in the rear of saying Basmalah and Salaam. "And that night, I set my light on a house where a man was lying asleep in bed with his wife, and she woke him, saying, 'Close the window please my dear, it’s cold outside!' He grunted, rolled over, and went back to sleep. His wife nudged him. 'Close the window; it’s cold outside.' He moaned, pulled the blankets closer, and went back to sleep. A moment later, his wife kicked him firmly and pushed him with both hands. 'Go on. Close the window; it’s cold outside!'
The man got up, then sat on the edge of the bed, saying, 'Ethics, also called moral philosophy, is the division of philosophy concerned with how a person should behave in a matter that is considered morally correct or good. It sounds like a simple idea—how to be good, and why it’s important to be good—but it’s a concept that has fascinated and agonized moral philosophers for more than 2,000 years.
Ethics means trying to figure out why one should behave morally, as well as understanding the motivating factors for that behavior. It also examines what, exactly, makes something 'good' or 'bad.' For example: Is that sense of good or bad something that’s naturally inside of us, or is that sense placed there by a divine being? Do we follow a moral code? Do we act morally because it is often in our self-interest to do so? Is ethical behavior all about the nature of the consequences of our actions?
Ethics are arguably the one type of philosophy that is readily applicable to daily life. Philosophy asks big questions like, 'Is God real?' or 'Why are we here?' But those big questions don’t directly address how to live one’s life. Ethics is the missing step between addressing the infiniteness of the universe and reconciling it with the daily existence of life on earth. If philosophy encourages moral behavior by asking the big 'why' questions, then ethics is an exploration of that moral behavior, and it seeks to formulate concrete 'what' and 'how' answers to the questions that philosophy poses.
Ethics can and should be applied to regular life. You can tailor ethics to fit your life, and you can use ethics to make decisions and take actions that are morally 'right' in fields such as medicine, business, and other disciplines. The use of ethics also brings up another ethical conundrum—why is it important to consider why a person should act a certain way? The answer lies in the concept of happiness. Simply stated, happiness is an outgrowth of ethics, be it one’s own happiness or the happiness of others.'
'What are you talking about? But it looks interesting, go on dear!' says his wife. The man went on, 'At least in the Western world (Europe and the Americas), Philosophy as we know it, sprung up around the sixth century B.C. in Greece. Many philosophers wrote and taught in ancient Greece. But this golden era of Greek philosophy is dominated by three of the most famous and influential thinkers in Western history: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
The Greek schools of thought dominated philosophy and all of its subsets until the first century A.D. Socrates (ca. 470–399 B.C.) created much of the framework and methodology for how to approach philosophy and ethics. Among these innovations is the 'Socratic method.' Carrying on the Socratic traditions was one of his primary students, Plato (ca. 428–348 B.C.). In Athens, Plato formed the first higher learning institution in the West, the Academy. One of his major contributions to moral philosophy is the theory of forms, which explores how humans can live a life of happiness in an ever-changing, material world.
The third pillar of ancient Greek philosophy is Aristotle (384–322 B.C.)—he got employed by Phillip II of Macedon, which was quite a coushy job—a student of Plato’s at the Academy, and later a professor at the same institution. One of his main theories deals with universals. The theories of these three philosophers created the Western philosophical canon, and represent the first major entries into the study of ethics.'
The man paused for a moment, then moved on, 'Morality is about the good-bad duality. In a general sense, morality refers to a code or rules in which actions are judged against how they stack up to shared values. Some things are 'right,' while others are 'wrong.' Ethics, meanwhile, refers to the rules that form those moral codes and that also come from those moral codes.
Ideas about the nature of the universe logically leads to the idea that all people are connected. We all occupy the same planet, and within it, individual societies and countries have their own sets of standards of behavior. Why are those standards in place? The answer is straightforward: to maintain the peace and to keep things humming along so that some, many, or all, may live lives of worth and fulfillment. This is where the philosophical branch of moral philosophy comes into play.
'Moral philosophy'—a term that is used interchangeably with ethics—is its own realm of study. It sits apart from the broad ideas of general philosophy, as well as the other branches of philosophy.
Ethics are obviously important constructs of civilization, born out of a primal human need to understand the world. But why, exactly, are ethics important? Because humanity needs structure to make sense out of the world. As we collect information, we order and categorize it. This helps us decode the vast and seemingly impossible-to-understand universe. Ethics is part of this ongoing crusade of decoding.
If knowledge defines the 'what' of the universe, then philosophy is an attempt to unlock the 'why.' Ethics is then how that 'why' is carried out, giving us standards, virtues, and rules by which we use to direct how we behave, both on a daily basis and in the grand scheme of things.'
'Why we act ethically?' his wife wanted to know. The man replied, 'Philosophers have pinpointed several different reasons why humans can and should act in a virtuous manner. Here are a few: - It’s a requirement for life. It’s our biological imperative as humans to survive and thrive, and ethics are part of the complicated structure of humanity that helps us determine the best ways to act so that each of us may live a long, productive life. Acting virtuously helps ensure that our actions are not aimless, pointless, or random. By narrowing down the vastness of the universe to a lived experience with purpose and meaning—especially if it’s one shared by a society or cultural group—goals and happiness are more within reach.
- It’s a requirement for society. To be a member of society in good standing, one must follow the codes and laws that govern that culture. Everybody has a role to play, and if the social fabric breaks down, the happiness of others is threatened. Ethics builds relationships, both individually and on a grand scale. Kindness matters, and it helps forge the underlying bonds that unite a society.
- For religious purposes. Some people try to act in a way they have decided is the most morally upstanding, and they get their cues from religion. This plays into a type of ethics called divine command theory. People who subscribe to this type of ethics act in accordance with the rules set forth by an organized religion, and those rules are derived from holy text or the direction of a divine entity.
- For self-interest. Some ethicists believe that humans ultimately act out of self-service, that they do things with their own interests in mind. This viewpoint even informs their moral behavior. As hinted at in 'the Golden Rule'—do unto others as you would have done unto you—and the similar Eastern idea of karma, being good can be a self-serving pursuit. Hence, if a person behaves morally, respectfully, and kindly to others—for whatever reason, and even if those reasons are motivated by self-interest—good things will happen to that person in kind.
- Because humans are good. This is a major theme of moral philosophy. The essential question is this: Are humans ethical because they have to be, or do humans pursue a moral life because certain acts are just naturally good, or naturally bad? As an action, this plays out in the idea that humans, by and large, are themselves naturally good, and they try to act accordingly.
Central to the discussion of ethics is the notion of virtues. Moral philosophy is very much invested in determining not only the way humans ought to act, but also the way they act. Ethics lead to quantifiable values, and those values are the handful of qualities that direct good behavior. Most every different viewpoint on ethics is concerned with virtues, because virtues have no ties to a specific religion or ethical ideology. And many are universal—some aren’t, but that’s a question for ethicists to debate.'
'And how we apply ethics?' his wife rise a question. The man answered, 'Ethics don’t exist solely as theories and idea; ethics are meant to lead directly to action. Therefore we have applied ethics, or moral philosophy in action and in pratice.
Although the most prominent moral philosophies were hammered out centuries ago, their finer points remain open to question. Ethics don’t exist in a vacuum, and they don’t stand still. They’re systems that contain multitudes of practical rules that can be learned and adapted into any number of real-life situations. Indeed, ethicists have attempted to find the universals of morality that apply to all humans and, it would seem, all walks of life. Ethics are a big part of the decision-making processes in many of today’s professions and fields, and are especially relevant as the world faces rapidly changing and as-yet unknown challenges both now and in the future.
Ethics, or virtues, are a vital tool in a civilized society, and they apply to nearly every sector of the professional world. There are several areas that can be used as examples of the application of ethics, among others, will be continued to section 2.'"
