Origins of Ethics
The word "ethics" derived from the Greek word ἠθικός (ēthikós) which means "relating to one's character". The word ēthikós comes from its root ἦθος (êthos), meaning "character, moral nature".
Ethics vs. Morality/Moral
The word "ethics" is commonly used interchangeably with "morality" or "moral", but they are different:
- "Morals" often describe one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong.
- Ethics is often associated with a broader societal or professional framework and can vary based on cultural, social, and philosophical considerations.
| Case Study: A person finds a wallet containing a large sum of money on the street. |
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| From a moral perspective: The person's decision could be influenced by their personal values. If the person's moral values prioritize honesty and doing what is right, they may choose to return the wallet. |
| From an ethical perspective: The person might consider returning the wallet to its owner or handing it over to the authorities. This action aligns with principles of honesty, responsibility, and social duty. |
Academic Definitions
Ethics is also called moral philosophy, and ethics is a branch of philosophy. So, what is philosophy? (This is a philosophical question!)
- Philosophy is the attempt to understand ourselves and the world. — Ray Monk
- Philosophy is thinking really hard about the most important questions and trying to bring analytic clarity both to the questions and the answers. — Marilyn Adams
- Philosophy is what philosophers do. — Robert Adams
- Philosophy is the successful love of thinking. — John Armstrong
- You've hit me with this question. — Catalin Avramescu
- Thinking about thinking. — M. M. McCabe
Philosophy is an academic subject of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Within philosophy, ethics considers:
- people's values
- sources of values
- whether values differ over time and place
- how people and groups translate values into behaviors
- ...
We can see that ethics is related to values, then what is values?
Values
Examples of values can include honesty, compassion, respect, integrity, freedom, family, loyalty, social justice, environmental stewardship, etc.