Terms, Use, and Definition
ENGL101, Essay 2—Ethical Argument
Ethics is about the 'other'
Ethics is concerned with other people ©
At the heart of ethics is a concern about something or someone other than ourselves and our own desires and self-interest.
Ethics is concerned with other people's interests, with the interests of society, with God's interests, with "ultimate goods", and so on.
So when a person 'thinks ethically' they are giving at least some thought to something beyond themselves.
Ethics as source of group strength
One problem with ethics is the way it's often used as a weapon.
If a group believes that a particular activity is "wrong" it can then use morality as the justification for attacking those who practice that activity.
When people do this, they often see those who they regard as immoral as in some way less human or deserving of respect than themselves; sometimes with tragic consequences.
Good people as well as good actions
Ethics is not only about the morality of particular courses of action, but it's also about the goodness of individuals and what it means to live a good life.
Virtue Ethics is particularly concerned with the moral character of human beings.
Searching for the source of right and wrong
At times in the past some people thought that ethical problems could be solved in one of two ways:
by discovering what God wanted people to do
by thinking rigorously about moral principles and problems
If a person did this properly they would be led to the right conclusion.
But now even philosophers are less sure that it's possible to devise a satisfactory and complete theory of ethics - at least not one that leads to conclusions.
Modern thinkers often teach that ethics leads people not to conclusions but to 'decisions'.
In this view, the role of ethics is limited to clarifying 'what's at stake' in particular ethical problems.
Philosophy can help identify the range of ethical methods, conversations and value systems that can be applied to a particular problem. But after these things have been made clear, each person must make their own individual decision as to what to do, and then react appropriately to the consequences.
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Ethics are a system of moral principles (not morals, but moral 'principles') and a branch of philosophy which defines what is good for individuals and society [based on a chosen ethical standard: such a Christianity].
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This page has been archived and is no longer updated. The Ethics Guide, provided by the BBC, can be located online through http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml#h1 and accessed readily. All content from this specific ethics guide is the property of the BBC.
Compiled by Jeanette L. H. Dick © 2018
BBC Ethics Guide (part 3)
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