History of ethics
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that examines right and wrong moral behavior, moral concepts (such as justice, virtue, duty) and moral language. Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch of philosophy called axiology.
Various ethical theories pose various answers to the question "What is the greatest good?" and elaborate a complete set of proper behaviors for individuals and groups. Ethical theories are closely related to forms of life in various social orders.[1]
Origins
The epic poems that stand at the beginning of many world literatures, such as the Mesopotamian
More strictly ethical claims are found occasionally in the literature of ancient civilizations that is aimed at lower classes of society. The Sumerian Farmer's Almanac and the Egyptian
Ancient Greek ethics
While Greek moral thought was originally based on mythology, which provided moral meaning but no comprehensive framework, from the 600s BC a new moral approach emerged which used rational arguments instead, leading to the rise of philosophy as a distinct mode of thought.[5] This has been especially attributed to Socrates.[5] The Socratic method aimed to establish moral truths by questioning the beliefs of others, rather than by explaining them directly.[6] He opposed the moral relativism of the Sophists, insisting on the formulation of moral principles from beginning.[7] As portrayed in Plato's Republic, he articulates the greatest good as the transcendent "form of good itself".[8] In his personal life, Socrates lived extremely morally. He was chaste, disciplined, pious, responsible, and cared for his friends[9] In the so-called Euthyphro dilemma, he raised the problem of whether divine action was motivated by it being good, or whether it was good because it was divine.[10] In Gorgias he defends the notion that it is better to suffer injustice than to do it.
The key work of
Later Greek schools of philosophy, such as the
Indian ethics
The foundation of Hinduism is in the epic of Mahabharata, which contains the concept of dharma, a conception of natural law and the duties required for the upholding of the natural order.[27] Hinduism itself is viewed by its followers as Sanātana Dharma, or the 'Eternal Law', which binds everyone.[28] The four aims of Hinduism are moksha (enlightenment), artha (wealth), kama (pleasure), and dharma.[29] The significance of moksha is that only it can break through maya, the illusion hiding reality, which requires both understanding the impermanence of material reality as well as the attainment of an understanding of the unity of the Self (atman) and the foundation of being (brahman).[29] Moksha also means breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation which is governed by karma, the accumulated balance of good and bad actions by an individual.[30] This was in turn used as a justification for the caste system.[31] During the Axial Age, asceticism and becoming a hermit increased in popularity, sometimes being a reaction to the prevailing social structures.[32] Two significant belief systems emerged from this reaction. Jainism, formalised by the ascetic philosopher Mahavira, according to which enlightenment came through a perfectly ethical life that necessitated a complete renunciation of the killing of any living beings, including the smallest of insects.[33] The other one was Buddhism, founded by the Buddha. Other responses to the era included materialist schools such as Charvaka, which embraced hedonism and rejected spirituality.[32]
The most important of the Buddha's teaching was the
Chinese ethics
Confucius, who lived around the same time as the Buddha, was focused mostly on ethical philosophy.[40] He was especially interested in how to create a harmonious society, which he believed was based on two human qualities: ren and li.[40] Ren, the highest principle, describes humaneness, encompassing all the qualities required for ideal behaviour between people.[40] Confucious argued that a form of the Golden Rule should be the guiding principle of all actions.[40] However, he also believed that different forms of behaviour were appropriate in different relationships.[40] The second principle of li embodied this by establishing the need to follow tradition, rituals and other conventional norms.[40]
Natural law ethics
In the
The Catholic practice of compulsory confession led to the development of manuals of casuistry, the application of ethical principles to detailed cases of conscience, such as the conditions of a just war.[42]
Kantian ethics
Kant's philosophy marks a number of important conceptual shifts in philosophical thinking about ethics. Kant argues that questions about happiness should not be a focus in ethical thought, because ethics should be universal while happiness may involve very different modes of life for different individuals. He also believed this approach was necessary if an ethical theory was to avoid becoming 'heteronomous'; that is, locating the source of proper moral motivation outside of properly moral concerns.
Utilitarianism
In 19th century Britain, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill advocated utilitarianism, the view that right actions are those that are likely to result in the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Utilitarianism remains popular in the twenty-first century.[44]
Both Kantianism and Utilitarianism provide ethical theories that can support contemporary liberal political developments, and associated enlightenment ways of conceiving of the individual.
Twentieth century
The early twentieth century saw many debates on
Reflections on the
In the late 20th century, there was a so-called 'aretaic turn' and renewed interest in
Professional and applied ethics
While mid-twentieth century ethics mostly dealt with theoretical issues, medical ethics continued to deal with issues of practice. The 1970s saw a revival of other fields of applied ethics, the consideration of detailed practical cases in bioethics,[51] animal ethics, business ethics,[52] environmental ethics, computer ethics and other special fields. The development of new technologies produced many new issues requiring ethical debate.
See also
- Ethics
- Ethics in religion
- History of ethics in Ancient Greece
- List of years in philosophy
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-415-04027-2.
- ISBN 0-415-04027-2.
- ISBN 978-0-415-96824-9.
- ISBN 978-0-19-954597-1.
References
- ^ MacIntyre, Alasdair (1998). A Short History of Ethics: A History of Moral Philosophy from the Homeric Age to the 20th Century. Routledge.
- ^ T. Cahill, The Gifts of the Jews (New York, 1998), ch. 1; A. W. H. Adkins, Merit and Responsibility: A Study in Greek Values (Oxford, 1960).
- ^ S. N. Kramer, The Sumerians (Chicago, 1963), 108.
- ^ J. Wattles, The Golden Rule (New York, 1996), ch. 1.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-78239-030-5.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 18.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 20.
- ^ Republic, Book VI
- ^ Cf. Symposium, Phaedo, and Republic, Book I
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 21-22.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 24.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 25.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 26.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 27.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 28.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 29.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 33.
- ^ a b c Malik 2014, p. 34.
- ^ J. O. Urmson, Aristotle's Ethics (New York, 1988.)
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 37.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 44.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 45.
- ^ W. O. Stephens, Stoic ethics in Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 46.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 48.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 50.
- ^ Malik 2014, pp. 77–78.
- ^ Malik 2014, pp. 79–80.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 81.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 81-82.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 83.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 87.
- ^ Malik 2014, p. 87-88.
- ^ a b c Malik 2014, p. 89.
- ^ a b Malik 2014, p. 90.
- ^ Vetter 1988, pp. 11–14.
- ^ Kohn (1991), p. 143.
- ISBN 978-1-134-25056-1.
- ISBN 978-1-317-65934-1.
- ^ a b c d e f Malik 2014, p. 98.
- ^ J. Finnis, Fundamentals of Ethics (Oxford, 1983).
- ^ A.R. Jonsen and S. Toulmin, The Abuse of Casuistry: A History of Moral Reasoning, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1990.
- ^ R. Johnson, Kant's moral philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).
- ^ E.g. P. Singer, Practical Ethics (2nd ed, Cambridge, 1993).
- ^ R. Shafer-Landau, Moral Realism: A Defence (Oxford, 2003).
- ^ J. Mackie, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong (New York, 1977).
- ^ B. Bergo, Emmanuel Levinas(Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ For example, Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity. Citadel, 1949.
- ^ Philippa Foot, Virtues and Vices (Oxford, 2002), pp. 13-14.
- ^ Alasdair MacIntyre, 'Moral philosophy and contemporary social practice', The Tasks of Philosophy Vol1: Selected Essays(Cambridge, 2006), pp. 109.
- ^ R. Martensen, The history of bioethics: an essay review, Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 56 (2001), 168-175.
- ^ T.F. McMahon, A brief history of American business ethics, in R. Frederick, ed, A Companion to Business Ethics, Oxford: Blackwell, 2002, pp. 342-52.
Sources
- Vetter, Tilmann (1988). The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-08959-4.