GNED 02 - Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that 2.

Morality and Law – as mentioned in the previous

studies human acts and human conduct. Ethics, the module, not everything moral is legal and not
philosophical discipline concerned with what is everything legal is moral. Meaning there are good
morally good and bad and morally right and wrong. things that do not need legislation and immoral acts
Noted definition of Ethics that the State may approve. But to further differentiate
1. Ethics is the practical science of the morality of them laws only used external acts while ethics cover
human actions man’s “acts “that play in his mind that will not
2. Ethics is the scientific inquiry into the principles of incriminate him in any statute. For example, a plan for
morality a robbery if discovered is not criminally liable in any
3. Ethics is the study of human conduct from the court of law but ethics said it is a fault for such “act” is
standpoint of morality intrinsically evil.
4. Ethics is the science of human acts with reference of 3. Ethics and Politics - Man in his constant search for
right and wrong happiness be it temporal or eternal is never ending.
Relation of Ethics with Other Sciences They say politics and ethics are poles apart – in a
1. Ethics and Logic – Logic is the science of right certain point that is correct it is the very reason why
thinking and while Ethics is the science of right living. politics become dirty for they deviate from ethics.
Thinking and Doing things go hand-in-hand, we Man’s insatiable greed for wealth and power thru
cannot move without thinking right the same way politics means absence of ethics. An ideal state should
every action is guided by reason. be an ethical state.
2. Ethics and Psychology – The two subjects dealt with 4. Ethics and Art – Ethics is about positive morality
the study of man, human nature and human behavior while art is beauty. Any work of art that is beautiful,
but that is all their similarity ends. Psychology only will give a positive outlook to the looker that will be
tells us the causes of man’s actions that may be greatly appreciated. The purpose of art is for
psychological or physiological but ethics tells us how appreciation that is contributory to man’s ethics.
we should react. Ethics is interested in moral 5. Religion and Ethics – Religion is ethics and ethics is
obligation while psychology ends there. religion, they are interchangeable for the any religious
3. Ethics and Sociology – as we all know, Sociology belief tends to ethical standards in relation to his most
deals with the study of society as well as the social fundamental tenet. What unites them all boiled down
order that regulates the society as a whole. But then to three things namely: a) belief in the Supernatural, b)
what is the foundation of their social order if there is man’s beginning and end and c) right living.
no basis of right and wrong which is Ethics. Any Morality and Human Acts
society is doomed to fail if devoid of correct basis of Morality is the quality of goodness or badness in a
thinking. human act. In this case, we base judgment on any
4. Ethics and Economics – Napoleon once said that an human act based on its ethicality. The quality of an act
army marches on its stomach, in relation to economics may be justified according to its gravity. An evil
man has to fulfill is economic needs. The need for human act maybe considered “right” just as long as it
material wealth is inherent in man that there are can be justified which lead us to its norm of morality.
instances that economic topics needed ethical By that term, we mean that the basis for determining
principles such as capital-labor relations, profit, its correctness is the standard of the judging party and
interests, money et al. The need to settle these conflicts the reason why an act is morally wrong or right.
must have ethical basis to incur equitable results. Human Acts just like the word itself means actions of
Morality and Other Phases of Human Life men that are done willfully and willingly. Keep in
Ethics and Education – Education whether formal or mind that scenarios beyond human control are not
informal is a never-ending process and is the human acts such as rainfall, sunset, earthquake even
foundation of man’s moral, intellectual and physical the beating of the heart or blood circulation are beyond
capacities. But then again education is illicit if it is not human act for these are actions man cannot control. In
supported by ethics; they say ethics is life the same the case of assassinations where the culprit pulled the
way education is intertwined with life. Learning is trigger, the gun is not to blame but the doer of the
good but learning supported by ethics is better action that caused taking the life of another man. Once
inasmuch as ethics is living right. questioned, he has the right to justify his action as
either morally right or wrong.