Ethics

1
The Scope and Meaning of Ethics

Module 2 The Scope and Meaning of Ethics

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. To understand the Definition of Ethics
2. Morality and other phases of Human Life
3. To learn about Human Acts

A deeper understanding of Ethics

Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that studies human acts and human conduct. Although
there are subjects that study human conduct such as Psychology and Sociology. Ethics has a
deeper meaning in its standpoint by further delving into the aspect of human acts. They are more
concerned with the morality of human acts.

Noted definition of Ethics

1. Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human actions
2. Ethics is the scientific inquiry into the principles of morality
3. Ethics is the study of human conduct from the standpoint of morality
4. Ethics is the science of human acts with reference of right and wrong
Relation of Ethics with Other Sciences
1. Ethics and Logic – Logic is the science of right thinking and while Ethics is the
science of right living. Thinking and Doing things go hand-in-hand, we cannot
move without thinking right the same way every action is guided by reason.
2. Ethics and Psychology – The two subjects dealt with the study of man, human
nature and human behavior but that is all their similarity ends. Psychology only
tell us the causes of man’s actions that may be psychological or physiological but
ethics tell us how man should react. Ethics is interested in moral obligation while
Psychology ends there.
3. Ethics and Sociology – as we all know, Sociology deals with the study of society
as well as the social order that regulates the society as a whole. But then what is
the foundation of their social order if there is no basis of right and wrong which
is Ethics. Any society is doomed to fail if devoid of correct basis of thinking.
4. Ethics and Economics – Napoleon once said that an army marches on its
stomach, in relation to economics man has to fulfill is economic needs. The need
for material wealth is inherent in man that there are instances that economic
topics needed ethical principles such as capital-labor relations, profit, interests,
money et al. The need to settle these conflicts must have ethical basis to incur
equitable results.

Course Module
 Morality and Other Phases of Human Life
1. Ethics and Education – Education whether formal or informal is a never-ending
process and is the foundation of man’s moral, intellectual and physical
capacities. But then again education is illicit if it is not supported by ethics, they
say ethics is life the same way education is intertwined with life. Learning is
good but learning supported by ethics is better inasmuch as ethics is living right.
2. Morality and Law – as mentioned in the previous module, not everything moral
is legal and not everything legal is moral. Meaning there are good things that do
not need legislation and immoral acts that the State may approve. But to further
differentiate them laws only used external acts while ethics cover man’s “acts”
that play in his mind that will not incriminate him in any statute. For example, a
plan for a robbery if discovered is not criminally liable in any court of law but
ethics said it is a fault for such “act” is intrinsically evil.
3. Ethics and Politics - Man in his constant search for happiness be it temporal or
eternal is never ending. They say politics and ethics are poles apart – in a certain
point that is correct it is the very reason why politics become dirty for they
deviate from ethics. Man’s insatiable greed for wealth and power thru politics
means absence of ethics. An ideal state should be an ethical state.
4. Ethics and Art – Ethics is about positive morality while art is beauty. Any work of
art that is beautiful, will give a positive outlook to the looker that will be greatly
appreciated. The purpose of art is for appreciation that is contributory to man’s
ethics.
5. Religion and Ethics – Religion is ethics and ethics is religion, they are
interchangeable for the any religious belief tends to ethical standards in relation
to his most fundamental tenet. What unites them all boiled down to three things
namely: a) belief in the Supernatural, b) man’s beginning and end and c) right
living.

Morality and Human Acts

Morality is the quality of goodness or badness in a human act. In this case, we base
judgement on any human act based on its ethicality. The quality of an act may be justified
according to its gravity. An evil human act maybe considered “right” just as long as it can be
justified which lead us to its norm of morality. By that term, we mean that the basis for
determining its correctness are the standard of the judging party and the reason why an act
is morally wrong or right.
Human Acts just like the word itself means actions of men that are done willfully
and willingly. Keep in mind that scenarios beyond human control are not human acts such
as rainfall, sunset, earthquake even the beating of the heart or blood circulation are beyond
human act for these are actions man cannot control. In the case of assassinations where the
culprit pulled the trigger, the gun is not to blame but the doer of the action that caused
taking the life of another man. Once questioned he has the right to justify his action as
either morally right or wrong.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
 Ethics
3
The Scope and Meaning of Ethics

1. Agapay, Ramon B.; Ethics and the Filipinos; Mandaluyong Metro Manila, National
Book Store
2. Montemayor, Felix M.; Ethics, the Philosophy of Life; Navotas Metro Manila; National
Book Store Inc.

Written by:
Christopher S. Espiritu
AMACC Caloocan Campus

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