Principles of Ethics

Philosophy dealing with the questions of what is good and

bad, what is right and wrong, trying to assess what moral duty is.

outcome?
What is a morally right action?
Are moral values universal

or relative?
Where do moral values come from?
What is a just political system?
Are you responsible for poverty?
Do we have a right to a good death?
Would you invade a country that is practicing ethnic cleansing or genocide?

(for example, Social invention? Will of God?) and what they

mean.
Normative Ethics: propose moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct (for example, What are our duties? Are consequences important?).
Applied Ethics: examining specific areas (for example, business ethics) and specific controversial issues (for example, abortion, capital punishment).

that is a sky full of stars, and the moral

law inside me.” – E. Kant.

Main question of the lecture: where ethics comes from? What are the main sources of it?

philosophy.
It has ideas: truth, kindness, beauty, etc.
A moral man: what

is it?
Ancient scholars: thought of MORAL VIRTUE first.

studies, etc.
Ethics is an “art to live”.
The main value in

ethics is a HUMAN LIFE, and a human being.
A human being is unique: has consciousness, instincts, memory, soul, plans, mysteries, etc.
Aristotle: “A man is a social/political animal”

an ability to create, remember and make a choice;

Instinct: given

by nature, but it does not give a choice;
Instincts are inside us, but often mind adds to them a “human feature”.

goals;

Shame: a feeling of guilt; has different interpretations;
Honesty / honor:

allows us to judge our actions.