Overview
Ethics (Moral Philosophy) is the study of how we ought to live. It moves beyond “what is” to “what should be.” It explores concepts of right and wrong, justice, and virtue.
Core Idea
The core idea is value. Not financial value, but moral value. What makes an action “good”? Is it the outcome? The intent? The character of the actor?
Formal Definition
The three main branches are:
- Meta-ethics: What is goodness? (Is it objective?).
- Normative Ethics: What rules should we follow? (Utilitarianism vs. Kantianism).
- Applied Ethics: How do we apply rules to real issues? (Abortion, Euthanasia).
Intuition
It’s the User Manual for being human.
- Trolley Problem: Do you kill one person to save five?
- Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.
Examples
- Utilitarianism (Mill): The best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness.
- Deontology (Kant): Some actions (lying, murder) are wrong regardless of the consequences. You have a duty to follow moral laws.
- Virtue Ethics (Aristotle): Focuses on character. Be a brave, wise, and temperate person, and you will do the right thing.
Common Misconceptions
- Misconception: Ethics is just religion.
- Correction: Secular ethics (like Utilitarianism) relies on reason, not scripture.
- Misconception: It’s all subjective (Relativism).
- Correction: Most philosophers argue for some objective moral truths (e.g., “Torturing babies for fun is wrong”).
Related Concepts
- Political Philosophy: Ethics applied to groups/states.
- Bioethics: Ethics in medicine.
- Altruism: Selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Applications
- Business: Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Technology: AI Safety (Teaching robots not to kill us).
Criticism and Limitations
- Demandingness: Some theories (like Utilitarianism) demand we give away all our money to save lives, which seems impossible for most people.
Further Reading
- The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels
- Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle