What is Ethics?

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What is Ethics?

5 Source of Ethical Standards

Virtue Approach: * Deals with Honesty, courage, love,... * It's really about doing what is "virtuous". * Full development of Humanity. * Concerned with values to reach someone's highest potential.

Common Good Approach: * It targets the best for the "common good", in other words small sacrifice can be made to the best of the whole population. * Attention to the common conditions that supports and is important to most/all people. * Somewhat similar to the Ulitarian Approach.

Justice Approach: * All human beings should be treated equally, or at least fairly based.

Rights Approach: * More concerned with the best that protects and res[ects the moral rights.

Utilarian Approach: * Balances between good and harm. * Produces the greatest good and the least harm. * It deals with the consequences. * The End justifies the means. Example: Wars can be ethical if they stop terrorism.

Ethics is NOT based on: Law, Religion, Feelings, Accepted social practice, or Science.

So, what is Ethical?

* The 5 approaches did not make "Ethics" clear, in fact, contradictions occured. Example: The Utilarian approach can accept the harm of a small sample of people for the greater good, which contradicts with the Justice approach. * Not all humans agree on what's good and what's harm.

Taking the Decision

Reflect on the Outcome: Gains and Consequences.

Decide and test.

Evalutate Alternative Actions: Evaluate each approach, it's procedures and consequences.

Getting the Facts: Gather all relevant facts of the case.

Recognize an ethical issue: It's an issue where a group of people is subjected to harm.

Definition: *Standards that humans act and behave upon. * These "standards" are not define (they can be seen in different ways by different people).