SHAINA PATRICIA N. GERALI.

BSM-1

Ethics is a system of moral principles practiced by a person or by a group of

people. The discipline concerned between what is morally good and bad and what is
morally right and wrong. It is clear that ethics could have come into existence only
when human beings started to reflect on the best way to live. According to Albert
Camus, " A man without ethics is like a wild beast loosed upon this world." The moral
value expressed in his quote is very true which pointed out that ever since the man
started to live in an organized society, some sorts of moral codes is necessary to
followbor maintain to ensure social order and regulate life.
Ethics have two general approaches; the normative and the meta-ethics.
Normative approach pertains to norms or standards of goodness and the rightness or
wrongness of an act, while meta-ethics examines the presuppositions, meanings, and
justifications of ethical concepts and principles. Cogitating in the concept of
normative approach, as a Christian, the Bible does give me the idea on how to live, to
live the Christian life. There are lots of Christian ethics that determine the ethical
course of any given situation. For example, the intake of anything that will harm our
body like taking drugs or drinking some liquors. They stated that having those things,
we are destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit certainly not honoring God. On the
other hand, dealing with the meta-ethical approach, it always makes me confused
about the existence of many principles. Like I always wonder how can someone tell
what is good from what is bad? Are all concepts existed in the world reliable? And if
yes, what are the basis of these concepts to be reliable? It will just drive you to
endless curiosity and interrogation.
The study of ethics and morality will entails an analysis of an individual human
person acting as a free moral agent who develops habits in the course of following the
social norms established by the society, and his/her society with its social rules and
sanctions that set limitations on individual behavior. This individual behavior is
governed by a sense of what is the right thing to do based on the customs or mores of
a particular society. For an instance, I was raised by my parents following the mores
of religious doctrines such following one of the ten commandments written in the
Bible which is to keep holy the Sabbath day.
According to Mothershead, there are two necessary conditions for morality to
occur which is the freedom and obligation. An individual have a freedom in making
his/her choices and shall take full responsibility for planning his/her life and
budgeting his/her actions for the future outlook or goal. Unlike animals who do not
have the capacity to look forward and conciously plan for their future. Together with
the assupmtion of freedom is obligation in which it is contrued as one's duty to
exercise thsi freedom as a rational moral being. For example, I've got the choice to
study for the exam or not but I have the full responsibility to take the consequences of
my actions which is I can have failed grades.
As what Albert Einstein said, "The most important human endeavor is the
striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence
depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life." He
regarded that the most important human endeavor is striving for morality of our
actions. That morality is always there to guide our judgment and inspire our conduct.