Ethics

What are Ethics?

Ethics:

• The moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior.

•Moral correctness of a specified conduct

Morals?

What are morals?

Moral:

•Concerned with the principles of right or wrong behaviour and the goodness or badness of the human character.

What should I do?

I don’t like spinach

I do like spinach

Is abortion acceptable or not acceptable?

Consider:

Cheating on a test is wrong.

Tom cheated on the test.

Therefore what Tom did was wrong.

What moral principle is being assumed in each of the following arguments?

a) Paula shouldn’t have kept the money she found – it doesn’t

belong to her.

b) James was caught bullying his classmates, so he deserves

to be punished.

c) Jenkins should be released from prison – he didn’t receive

a fair trial.

d) Danny is malicious – he’s been spreading false rumours

about everyone.

e) The president accepted bribes, therefore he should be

thrown out of office.

f) Simon shouldn’t have told that joke – it wasn’t funny, it was

racist.