Personal and Organizational Ethics
Mmr00
PHI445.file.TheMoralGood3EthicalTheories-1.pptxThe Moral Good in Three Traditional Ethical Theories
© Gloria Zúñiga y Postigo
The words “ethics” and “morality” are often used interchangeably. But these actually mean different things. One cannot speak of what is “ethical” until one is clear about what one means by “moral.” In other words, the meaning of the word “ethical” is dependent on the meaning of the word “moral.” So one must start by defining what is “moral.” But when we start looking into this, we find that there are different ways in which this words “moral” or “morality” are understood. This is when we first realize that addressing ethics and morality is much more complicated that what we had initially thought. So let’s proceed methodically. The relation between ethics and morality is as follows:
Introduction
Ethics = the application of moral principles in ordinary life
(e.g., rules for action, codes of ethics in business)
Morality = all that involves the right and wrong
Now, let’s examine what is morality by asking this question: How do we know what is the right thing to do and what is the wrong thing to do? The answer is this that the right thing to do targets the good, and the wrong thing to do is anything that targets evil. These relations can be seen more clearly in this way:
The right thing to do the good
The wrong thing to do evil
Summation
Putting it all together, we have this:
Ethics
Morality
Doing what is right
The Moral Good
practical life
moral reasoning
The main point to remember is that in order to examine ethics, we must first examine morality. And in order to examine morality, one must understand what is meant by the moral good.
In the next few slides, you will see how three different ethical theories define what is the moral good. This will help you decide which understanding of morality to accept and, in turn, also know how to be ethical in practical life.
Warning: Make sure to employ the term “duty” in deontology only in the sense indicated on the slide. Avoid employing “duty” in the ordinary sense, which means to do what one is assigned to do or what is suitable to one’s role.
The Moral Good
John Stuart Mill
Mill’s Utilitarianism
| Moral Good | PLEASURE (the kind of happiness that can be obtained from physical or noble satisfactions) |
| How to Achieve It | By acting in ways that bring about the following consequences: Increase pleasure or reduce pain Results that apply not only to self but also as many as possible Those that result from any means that made them possible |
| Purpose | To maximize pleasure, or to reduce suffering |
Immanuel Kant
Kant’s Deontology
| Moral Good | DUTY (understood as that which is governed by the Categorical Imperative) |
| How to Achieve It | By applying the CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE: Doing only what can be universalized Treating persons with respect and without denying them dignity or autonomy Not treating persons as means to an end but only as ends in themselves Committing to the Kingdom of Ends by one’s owns actions |
| Purpose | To do what is objectively right |
Aristotle
Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics
| Moral Good | VIRTUE (understood as the highest moral good that is attainable by the consistent application of the GOLDEN MEAN to all actions] |
| How to Achieve It | By improving one’s character as follows: Using reason to discover the right way of the virtuous agent Acting in moderation (i.e., avoiding deficiency or excess), as guided by the GOLDEN MEAN By developing the habit of acting virtuously with every action |
| Purpose | To have a good life, which means to experience happiness through excellence and the fulfillment of one’s nature |
