UNIT I – UNDERSTANDING MORALITY AND MORAL STANDARDS Flashcards
branch of philosophy that studies morality or the rightness or wrongness of human conduct
Ethics
speaks of a code or system of behavior in
regards to standards of right or wrong behavior
Morality
3 Importance of Rules
- Rules are important for social beings.
- Rules are meant to set order.
- Rules are not meant to restrict freedom.
4 Benefit of rules to social beings
- Rules protect social beings by regulating behavior.
- Rules help to guarantee each person certain rights and freedom.
- Rules produce a sense of justice among social being.
- Rules are essential for a healthy economic system.
the science of the morality of human acts
Ethics
may refer to the standards that a person or a group has about what is right and wrong or good and evil.
Morality
that which are good and permissible actions. Those actions
which is in conformity with the norm of morality.
Moral actions
that which are bad or evil and are not permissible actions.
Immoral actions
that which are indifferent. Those actions which stand neutral in relation to the norm of morality. They are either good nor bad in themselves.
Amoral actions
are those concerned with or relating to human behavior,
especially the distinction between good and bad behavior.
Moral standards
2 Classification of moral standards
- Consequence
2. Non-consequence
depend on an outcome or result.
Consequence
is derived from the natural law or the law of God
Non-consequence
refer to rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical
considerations. Either these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or by nature lack ethical sense.
Non-moral standards
refers to a situation in which a tough choice has to be made between
two or more options, especially more or less equally undesirable ones.
Dilemma
also called ethical dilemma. These are situations in which a
difficult choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails transgressing a moral principle.
Moral dilemma
Features of moral dilemma
- The agent is required to do each of two actions.
- The agent can do each of these actions.
- The agent cannot do both of the actions.
Levels of moral dilemma
- Individual
- Organizational
- Structural
are those experienced and resolved on the personal level.
Individual
refer to ethical cases encountered and resolved by social
organizations. It includes moral dilemmas in business, medical field and
public sector.
Organizational
refer to cases involving network of institutions and operative
theoretical paradigm.
Structural
Types of Structural Level
Differential vs. Integration
Gap vs. Overlap
Lack of clarity vs. Lack of creativity
Flexibility vs. Strict adherence to rules
