Terminology

Unit Lesson

Ethics terminology includes many terms that most individuals are familiar with but using the terms in day-today life may be different than how they are used in discussions related to ethics. In some cases, the

definitions used in ethical discussions are not understood well due to a lack of knowledge regarding them

actual meaning. The terms covered in this unit include ethics, moral, moral principle, duty, virtue, justice,

moral judgment, and moral reasoning. These terms help to better understand ethics and will assist in

knowledgeable conversations regarding the topic.

Ethics

Ethics involves the use of a system of moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. It is a system of moral

principles that affect how people make decisions. Ethics provides us with a map or framework we can use to

handle difficult situations and moral problems. Some believe there is not a single right answer when it comes

to many ethical issues. Ethics affect how people make decisions and lead their lives. Ethics is concerned with

what is good for individuals and society.

Ethics covers the dilemmas listed in the graphic below (“Ethics Guide,” n.d.).

Moral Principle

A broad definition of a moral principle is any principle that is accepted by society or by an individual regarding

making a right or wrong decision. Not all individuals agree on any given specific set of moral principles. Each

individual develops his or her moral principles over a lifetime, and these can change over time based on

knowledge and experience.

Four moral principles are listed below:

1. respect for autonomy,

2. beneficence,

3. nonmaleficence, and

4. justice (Gracyk, 2012).

Moral

The definition of moral can be applied to an individual, action, economic system, social institution, or business

practice (De George, 2010). People are moral if they act consistently in accordance with their conscience (De

George, 2010). We also consider an individual moral if he or she follows the moral law. According to the

definition, this refers to generally accepted customs of conduct, right living in a society, and to the individual’s

practice in relation to these (“Moral,” n.d.).

Duty

Duty is a “moral or legal obligation” (“Duty,” n.d., para. 3). Duty is tied to deontological ethics. Do the right

thing, do it because it is the right thing to do, do not do wrong things, and avoid doing things that are wrong. In

Greek, deon means duty. Kantian’s theory is based on duty-based ethics. Regardless of the outcome, you

should do the right thing and not lie (“Ethics Guide,” n.d.).

With rights comes duties. We have the right to own a firearm, but we have the duty to abide by the laws

surrounding that right. We have the right to make decisions about our ethical situations, but we also have the

duty to stand by those decisions and deal with the ramifications of them.

Virtue

Virtue has been defined as “moral excellence” and the “conformity to a standard of right” (“Virtue,” n.d., para.

1). Aristotle stated that virtues are skills of excellence in the art of living in society with others. We are not

born virtuous, but it comes with practice. Even when there is no fear of being caught, an honest person is

How to live a good life Our rights and

responsibilities

The language of right

and wrong

Moral decisions (e.g.,

what is good and bad?)

Our concepts of ethics

have been derived from

religions, philosophies,

and cultures.

habitually honest. Children must be raised and taught virtue, goodness, and excellence in performance of a

specific activity.

According to Aristotle, there are two basic kinds of virtue: intellectual virtue and moral virtue. Intellectual virtue

views wisdom as the highest form. Reason distinguishes humans from animals. Moral virtue involves the

control of bodily appetites and inclinations. These appetites and inclinations are natural for all humans, but

they must be controlled and balanced because they can lead to problems due to excess or limitations. There

must be a balance between the two extremes. If individuals do not control their appetites, they will overeat

and must deal with the consequences, but all humans must eat enough to survive and keep their bodies

healthy (De George, 2010).

Justice

Justice has been defined as the quality of being just, equitable, or morally right (“Justice,” n.d.). This includes

administering punishment or reward when it is deserved based on actions, and justice is determined by what

the law requires (“Justice,” n.d.).

Justice can be used to go through the reasoning process about an ethical decision. This type of

method requires equity, impartiality, citizenship, and fairness for all involved.

Moral Judgment

Moral judgment is the process by which one defines what is wrong or right; good or bad; or ethical, unethical,

or neutral, depending on the nature of the object or entity to be judged (as one's reasoning has to be aligned

for justice). Fundamentally, this is accomplished through a human perspective against some standard of good

as established by rational consensus.

When making moral judgments, there are many factors considered. Many times, these judgments are

based on intuition versus careful thought. Emotions come into play and drive an individual’s intuition about

what may be right or wrong. With careful and deliberate thought, an initial reaction can be overridden. Using

the intellect and determining why the emotion are experienced can potentially help to decrease the intensity of

the emotion. Therefore, emotions can be controlled to a certain degree (Feinberg, 2012).

Multiple factors influence how we make moral judgments. Many people believe their moral judgments are

thought through prior to coming to conclusions. Research studies would suggest that many of our moral

judgments are based on intuition versus deeper thought. Emotions can be a strong driver of these judgments,

but with work, these initial reactions can be overridden. Matthew Feinberg (2012) has hypothesized that this

process may be a result of reappraisal. This process is thought to be accomplished by intellectual thought

being stronger than our emotions, which helps us to focus more on why we are experiencing the emotions in

a given situation. This implies that the ability to regulate these emotions exists (Feinberg, 2012).

Making a good decision involves judgment. Judgment comes from experience, deliberation, and moral sense

that is well-developed. Conclusions will be sound but only if assumptions are correct. Moral judgment works

along with each step-in moral reasoning.

Moral Reasoning

Moral reasoning is directed toward deciding what to do. It involves forming judgments about what one should

morally do. What one should morally do can be a practical question regarding what one should do. When

facing moral questions, we sometimes act impulsively or instinctively, and we sometimes pause and consider

not only what to do but what we should do (Richardson, 2014).

Moral reasoning is a continuous endeavor. Analogy can be used in moral reasoning, but individuals need to

make sure the analogy is comparable to the present situation. Moral imagination is also a component of moral

reasoning. Moral imagination looks toward the possible consequences of each decision, allows people to put

themselves into another’s place in the situation and gives a feeling of empathy for everyone involved. It

involves tempering justice with compassion (De George, 2010).

Moral reasoning skills take time to develop, and everyone does not develop at the same rate or achieve the

same level of moral reasoning skills. There are three levels of moral reasoning: preconventional,

conventional, and postconventional (Kohlberg, 1976). Preconventional is based on reward and punishment.

Conventional is based on peer-group input and rules and regulations. Postconventional uses moral principles,

and approximately only 20% of the population ever reaches this level of moral reasoning (Waddock, 2007).

Conclusion

These are only a few of the ethic terms used in the literature. The terms and definitions, in addition to the

theories from Unit I, will be the basis for the rest of the work in this course. Understanding and being able to

utilize these terms and theories into practical applications will be necessary for the completion in the

upcoming units.

References

De George, R. T. (2010). Business ethics (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Duty. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/duty

Ethics guide: Duty-based ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/duty_1.shtml

Feinberg, M. (2012, July). How do we make moral judgments? – Insights from psychological science.

Psychological Science. Retrieved from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/how-dowe-make-moral-judgments-insights-from-psychological-science.html

Gracyk, T. (2012). Four fundamental ethical principles (a very simple introduction). Retrieved from

http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20115/Four_Basic_principles.htm

Justice. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/justice

Kohlberg, L. (1976). Moral stages and moralization: The cognitive-developmental approach. In T. Lickona

(Ed.), G. Geis, & L. Kohlberg (Consulting Eds.), Moral development and behavior: Theory, research,

and social issues. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Moral. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/moral

Richardson, H. S., & Zalta, E. N. (Ed.). (2014). Moral reasoning. Retrieved from

https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2014/entries/reasoning-moral/

Virtue. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/virtue

Waddock, S. (2007). Ethical role of the manager. Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society, 1, 786–791.

Retrieved from http://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2015/01/Ethical-Role-of-the-Manager.pdf