Ethics (By:Dabo Euclid)
INTRODUCCTION
Ethically, the human person has the faculty of reason which help him to distinguish between what is good and what is bad.Man as a thinking being is faced with the perplexity of life. The moral perplexities/concernity people show concern about what we do which they expect, to Concord with human reason. They identify one limitation and let you know that it is wrong. What one does, people are watching to show concern to give moral perplexities; people who show this moral concern, contextualize one's moral action and as they do so, they also tell one to be morally reprehensible. Hence, it is in the light of this aforementioned this paper shall discuss the 'Ethical Theories'.
DEFINITION: (Nature of Ethics).
Another name for Ethics is "Moral Philosophy". The world Ethics comes from the Greek word " Echo's ",which means custom, character, or a herbitual way of acting. The Greek Ethos is translated by the Latin word " Mos" (singular or Moris) plural which forms the root word of the English "Morality". The Greek neuter plural of Ethos is " Ethica" which means 'that which concern Human Conduct'.
From the etymological point of view therefore, Ethica and Moral are synonymous adjectives so that in their substantive form, the two word can be used interchangeably. Thus Ethics or morality is often defined probisionally as the science or philosophy of human action. In this sense, the patterns of behavior, whether of human kind in general or of a particular group, can be described as Ethics or Morality.
TERMS IN AND TYPES OF ETHICAL THEORY:
TELEOLOGICAL: This describes an ethical theory which judges the rightness of an action in terms of an external goal or purpose.So, according to the teleological theory,consequences always play some part, be it small or large, in the determination of what one should or should not do. Not all teleological theories are consequentialist. John Rawls' theory of justice is teleological, but not consequentialist because it claims that consequences are only part of what must be considered when determining what policy is morally just.
ETHICAL THEORIES:
Utilitarian Ethics: Is a principle of ethics that judges an action base on the principle of utility. This principle of utility is the principle of the greatest happiness. It is the principle of judging the rightness or wrongness of an action based on the the amount of happiness, which it is able to generate for the greater number of people (we cannot use this as a standard of judging the rightness/wrongness of an action, According to this ethical theory, the happiness of the general society becomes the standard of judging an action.Therefore the theory states that any action that provides happiness to the general society is a right action, while the action which fails to provide happiness to the general society is morally wrong. This standard of ethics comes with motive.
ACT UTILITARIANISM: This is an ethical theory which states that the right/wrongness of an action is based on the consequence of the action. (If you perform an action, it's rightness/wrongness is based on whether the consequence/effect of the action gives pleasure or sadness. The right/wrong of an action is based on the consequence produced on the person who receives the action.
RULE UTILITARIANISM: This is an ethical theory which states that an action is right or wrong based on the rules that guides the action, this has to do with rules governing the action. Any rule that will produce a greater number of happiness or good to a greater number of people such a rule is good. Utilitarianism is the doctrine that considered the maximization of people's as good or right. It also create a room for effective carrying out of ones action in a given situation.For example it tries to quantify one's level of happiness from the actions he effects over harmful ones,then is right (Richard,33).Those affected by such actions are easily identified. Bentham J.in his defense of the utilitarian, affirmed that happiness is in degree and can be measured in scale, to quantify the amount produced by an action.Bentham sees man as self-seeking and tries to avoid pain.It is in this regards that he offers his ' principle of utility' though did not prove that happiness is the root of 'good' and 'right';this is because one cannot really shows its validity. He is of the position that "The greatest happiness of the greatest number can be achieved only if we only obey the law.This statement tries to explain our obligation in obedience to the law of the land,in his explanations of the social contract theory.For Bentham personal goodness has no any link with man's behavior, but only with the quantity of pleasure. This he said in his " Calculus ".Here the Utilitarian are accused of self-goodness that is, been relative without seeing the objective side of good.
J.S.Mills is of the opinion that 'happiness or pleasure' is the only thing good in itself without the conduciveness of other good. Mills went on protesting against Bentham's concept of quantitative pleasure, and in consequence proposed the qualitative pleasure. In his defense to protect the interest of the Utilitarians he used qualitative ness of pleasure to counteract Bentham's quantitativeness.
CONSEQUENTIALISM:This is an ethical theory that states,it is not the act that matters, but the resultant consequence. It is an ethical theory that justifies the wrongness and rightness of an action not based on the motivate of the action but on the resultant consequence of the action.
EGOISM:This is an ethical theory which emphasizes on the individual over the community.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM: This is a theory which states that, man is selfish by nature, in other words, it means that man is a self-seeking being. This theory uphold that any action perform by man is for selfish motive,which prompt it and which acts as its prime motive.
ETHICAL EGOISM: This is an ethical theory which upholds that man by the standard of his conduct seeks only the fulfilment of his good.
CONCLUSION
In the light of the above,ethical theory is much concern with the kind of an action that humans perform which is say to be right or wrong. The main purpose of the rightness or wrongness of this action is to bring pleasure to the general society.
REFERENCES:
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics, Welldon,J.trans.Prometheus Books (Baffalo,NY:1987).
< Bentham, J.Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation in Warnock, M ed.Utilitarianism, On Liberty, Essay on Bentham: together with selected writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Austin, Meridian/New American Library (New York,NY:1974).
< Hume,D.A Treatise of Human Nature, Penguin Books Ltd.(London: 1969).
< Kant,I.Fundamental Principle Sof the Metaphysics of Morals,tr.by T.K.Abbott, Prometheus Books (Buffalo,NY:1987).
< M.J.S.Utilitarian in Warnock,M ed.Utilitarianism, on Liberty, Essay on Bentham: together with selected writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Austin, meridian/New American Library (New York,NY:1974).
Ethically, the human person has the faculty of reason which help him to distinguish between what is good and what is bad.Man as a thinking being is faced with the perplexity of life. The moral perplexities/concernity people show concern about what we do which they expect, to Concord with human reason. They identify one limitation and let you know that it is wrong. What one does, people are watching to show concern to give moral perplexities; people who show this moral concern, contextualize one's moral action and as they do so, they also tell one to be morally reprehensible. Hence, it is in the light of this aforementioned this paper shall discuss the 'Ethical Theories'.
DEFINITION: (Nature of Ethics).
Another name for Ethics is "Moral Philosophy". The world Ethics comes from the Greek word " Echo's ",which means custom, character, or a herbitual way of acting. The Greek Ethos is translated by the Latin word " Mos" (singular or Moris) plural which forms the root word of the English "Morality". The Greek neuter plural of Ethos is " Ethica" which means 'that which concern Human Conduct'.
From the etymological point of view therefore, Ethica and Moral are synonymous adjectives so that in their substantive form, the two word can be used interchangeably. Thus Ethics or morality is often defined probisionally as the science or philosophy of human action. In this sense, the patterns of behavior, whether of human kind in general or of a particular group, can be described as Ethics or Morality.
TERMS IN AND TYPES OF ETHICAL THEORY:
TELEOLOGICAL: This describes an ethical theory which judges the rightness of an action in terms of an external goal or purpose.So, according to the teleological theory,consequences always play some part, be it small or large, in the determination of what one should or should not do. Not all teleological theories are consequentialist. John Rawls' theory of justice is teleological, but not consequentialist because it claims that consequences are only part of what must be considered when determining what policy is morally just.
ETHICAL THEORIES:
Utilitarian Ethics: Is a principle of ethics that judges an action base on the principle of utility. This principle of utility is the principle of the greatest happiness. It is the principle of judging the rightness or wrongness of an action based on the the amount of happiness, which it is able to generate for the greater number of people (we cannot use this as a standard of judging the rightness/wrongness of an action, According to this ethical theory, the happiness of the general society becomes the standard of judging an action.Therefore the theory states that any action that provides happiness to the general society is a right action, while the action which fails to provide happiness to the general society is morally wrong. This standard of ethics comes with motive.
ACT UTILITARIANISM: This is an ethical theory which states that the right/wrongness of an action is based on the consequence of the action. (If you perform an action, it's rightness/wrongness is based on whether the consequence/effect of the action gives pleasure or sadness. The right/wrong of an action is based on the consequence produced on the person who receives the action.
RULE UTILITARIANISM: This is an ethical theory which states that an action is right or wrong based on the rules that guides the action, this has to do with rules governing the action. Any rule that will produce a greater number of happiness or good to a greater number of people such a rule is good. Utilitarianism is the doctrine that considered the maximization of people's as good or right. It also create a room for effective carrying out of ones action in a given situation.For example it tries to quantify one's level of happiness from the actions he effects over harmful ones,then is right (Richard,33).Those affected by such actions are easily identified. Bentham J.in his defense of the utilitarian, affirmed that happiness is in degree and can be measured in scale, to quantify the amount produced by an action.Bentham sees man as self-seeking and tries to avoid pain.It is in this regards that he offers his ' principle of utility' though did not prove that happiness is the root of 'good' and 'right';this is because one cannot really shows its validity. He is of the position that "The greatest happiness of the greatest number can be achieved only if we only obey the law.This statement tries to explain our obligation in obedience to the law of the land,in his explanations of the social contract theory.For Bentham personal goodness has no any link with man's behavior, but only with the quantity of pleasure. This he said in his " Calculus ".Here the Utilitarian are accused of self-goodness that is, been relative without seeing the objective side of good.
J.S.Mills is of the opinion that 'happiness or pleasure' is the only thing good in itself without the conduciveness of other good. Mills went on protesting against Bentham's concept of quantitative pleasure, and in consequence proposed the qualitative pleasure. In his defense to protect the interest of the Utilitarians he used qualitative ness of pleasure to counteract Bentham's quantitativeness.
CONSEQUENTIALISM:This is an ethical theory that states,it is not the act that matters, but the resultant consequence. It is an ethical theory that justifies the wrongness and rightness of an action not based on the motivate of the action but on the resultant consequence of the action.
EGOISM:This is an ethical theory which emphasizes on the individual over the community.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM: This is a theory which states that, man is selfish by nature, in other words, it means that man is a self-seeking being. This theory uphold that any action perform by man is for selfish motive,which prompt it and which acts as its prime motive.
ETHICAL EGOISM: This is an ethical theory which upholds that man by the standard of his conduct seeks only the fulfilment of his good.
CONCLUSION
In the light of the above,ethical theory is much concern with the kind of an action that humans perform which is say to be right or wrong. The main purpose of the rightness or wrongness of this action is to bring pleasure to the general society.
REFERENCES:
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics, Welldon,J.trans.Prometheus Books (Baffalo,NY:1987).
< Bentham, J.Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation in Warnock, M ed.Utilitarianism, On Liberty, Essay on Bentham: together with selected writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Austin, Meridian/New American Library (New York,NY:1974).
< Hume,D.A Treatise of Human Nature, Penguin Books Ltd.(London: 1969).
< Kant,I.Fundamental Principle Sof the Metaphysics of Morals,tr.by T.K.Abbott, Prometheus Books (Buffalo,NY:1987).
< M.J.S.Utilitarian in Warnock,M ed.Utilitarianism, on Liberty, Essay on Bentham: together with selected writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Austin, meridian/New American Library (New York,NY:1974).
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