- We study ethics so that we are able to answer questions regarding why we decide do certain things a certain way; without a clear understanding of why we acted the way we did, it would be difficult to persuade someone else to act in the same way we did, and we would not be able to justify our action.
- ethics can refer to the value system that anyone might hold
- Ethics involves making a choice among options in real situations
- Ethics has both individual and social components; it should be discussed with others, but ultimately comes down to one's own responsibility
- Ethics is neither entirely absolute or entirely relative-depending on situation
- We must look at various theories and consider them, we should not automatically accept or reject certain views
- Different actions are appropriate in different situations; no choice will be correct for every instance
Values: the intentions or ends that guide an action
Absolute: definite, inflexible, applies to all situations in the same way
Relative: changes according to circumstances
Rhetoric: using reasoned arguments based on socially accepted values and presenting them to inform or persuade to accomplish something
Socrates: considered ethics to be more important than life itself; considered ethics also to be an absolute matter
Aristotle: considered ethics to be the same as virtue
Sophists: there are no absolutes; communication shapes minds and values and decisions---relativist view
Hegel: Values derive from society, not absolutes
Recent philosophers believe that language use itself entails ethical values
No comments:
Post a Comment