ETHICS & ETHICS

THEORIES
SAFIA FAZAL
CO ODINATOR &
NURSING INSTRUCTOR
HEALTH CARE COLLEGE PESHAWAR
Ethics
What is Ethics? Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos which means character. Philosophical science
dealing with the morality of human acts.-Paul Glenn Concerned with the questions of human moral
judgments-that is judgment of right and wrong with respect to human actions.
A few years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business people,
"What does ethics mean to you?"
Among their replies were the
following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.“
"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.“
"Being ethical is doing what the law requires.“
"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts.“
"I don't know what the word means."
These replies might be typical of our own. The meaning of "ethics" is hard to pin down, and the views many
people have about ethics are shaky.
Ethics is also defined as
practical and normative science, based on
reason, which studies human acts and
provides norms for their goodness and
wrongness.
What is Morality?
Morality comes from the Latin word, mos or moris, customs and manners.
a system of rules for guiding human conduct, and principles for evaluating those rules.
Difference between Ethics
and Morality
By way of applying the words.
• Ethics is theoretical science of good and evil.
• Ethics provides principles for morality of acts• Ethics pertains to reason.
Ethical Theories
Ethical theory is means by which we justify a particular ethical decision.
1. Ethical Relativism
• holds that there is no correct moral code at all times and peoples, that each group has its own morality
relative to its wants and values, and that at all moral ideas are relative to particular culture.
• It is the view that there is no absolute morality, what is good is different for each:
a.) individual,
b.)social group
c.)historic period
• Goodness is relative to the circumstances of the knowing subject.
Ethical Relativism
• E.G. Artic Eskimos practice abandoning old folks in the snow and allowing them to die of starvation and
exposure is morally legitimate. Likewise, among some Eskimos, lending or allowing one’s life to sleep with
one’s special guest overnight is an expression of hospitality and respect.
Americans, which are done in order to test marital compatibility. But in some cultures, a man has an obligation
to marry his brother’s widow, whereas in other cultures, the burning of widows is a common practice as an
expression of widow’s until-death-do-us-part fidelity to her husband
All these varying traditional practices attest to the moral claims of ethical relativism. Whether an action is
regarded right or wrong depends upon the society judging it. Of equal value are different sets or moral
principles, and when an individual legitimizes one set over another, it is simply the outcome of having
been raised in a particular culture. (E.G. Christians and Muslims on marriage)
2. Hedonism-(sens of
satisfaction)
is an ethical doctrine which claims pleasure as norm of morality.
pleasurable is good
pain is evil
is a view that good involves happiness and pleasure and evil as unhappiness and pain.
Pleasure in the context means satisfaction of desire; hence the greater the pleasure, the better.
a. A. Intellectual pleasure- derives from one’s discovery of truth,
Desire for knowledge
B. Aesthetic pleasure- refers to one’s disinterested feeling of beholding something beautiful.
C. Physical pleasure
satisfaction of sensuous or sexual desire.
Good in the hedonistic view
For a hedonist, happiness is the highest good, and so it must be made the ultimate goal of life.
Suppress of desires = Pain
Suppress of desires = Suffering
Suffering = Pain
• “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you’ll die.”- formula of life
3. Stoicism
The Stoics considered destructive emotions to be the result of errors in judgment.
• It considers apathy (lack of feeling) or indifference to pleasure.
• Its advocates are called stoics (known for their exemplary patience, self-sacrifice, perseverance and long-
suffering attitude).
• The greatest virtue for the Stoics is “peace of mind”.
When we strive to suppress our desires and passions, we will be able to develop the virtues of self-discipline,
self-control, selfconquest and self-mastery, which for the Stoics are very significant in moral development.
Self-control enables one to attain apatheiastate of mental peace. (quite)
Through apatheia, one has the control of both his body and mind and so nothing can annoy him.
Happiness can come only from mental peace for the Stoics. (pain without showing feeling)
4. Epicureanism
Advocates moderate pleasure.
• The Epicureans agree with the hedonists that pain must be avoided, so that even the pleasure which leads
to pain must be evaded.
There are three causes of pains that should be avoided according to the Epicureans:
• A. excessive use;
B.) abuse;
C.) nonuse
• Too much sex or overuse cause pain and nonuse also leads to pain while abuse of the body to whatever
way e.g. smoking, intoxication and the like also leads to pain
Epicureans teach 3 kinds of
desires:
a. Natural and necessary- refers to the need for food, drink, rest, sleep which should be satisfied moderately.
b. Natural and unnecessary- refers to man’s urge for sex and marriage but man can survive without it.
c. Unnatural and unnecessary- needs that are dangerous and detrimental (injurious). (power, fame, money)
5. Natural Law Ethics
Teaches that there exists a natural moral law which is manifested by natural light of human reason,
• It demands the preservation of natural order and forbidding its violation.
• In this theory, moral law is apprehended by reason, which directs us towards good as goal of our action.
Natural Law- natural order of things.
• The law derived from the nature of man.
• States the first and essential precepts which govern the moral life.
Expresses the original moral sense which enables man to discern by reason the good and evil.
The concept of good:
1. Good is built in nature
2. Good is treating others with same dignity and respect as we treat ourselves.
3. We are naturally inclined to perpetuate our species which is viewed as good.
Principles of Natural Law Ethics
A. Principle of Totality
• An individual has the right to cut off, mutilate, or remove any defective or worn out nonfunctioning part of his
body;
B. Principle of Stewardship
• Human life comes from God and no man is the master of his own body.
• Humans are mere stewards or caretakers, with responsibility of protecting and cultivating spiritual bodily
functions.
C. Principle of Inviolability
• States that life is loaned to us; hence, it is inviolable and sacred.
D. Principle of Sexuality and Procreation
• Two-fold purpose of sexual union a.) procreation and nurturing of children b.)expression of loving union and
companionship
• Human life is to be actualized in marriage.
6. Consequentialism
maintains that morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences.
7. Deontologism- Duty Ethics
• Greek: deontos: that which is binding, right, proper; deon-duty