Ethics Discipline

An Ethics Discipline is a philosophy discipline that is a normative inquiry discipline that investigates moral principles, ethical judgments, and right actions to guide moral agents in ethical decision-making.

• AKA: Moral Philosophy, Ethics, Ethical Philosophy, Moral Theory.
• Context:
  • It can typically analyze Moral Principles through philosophical reasoning.
  • It can typically evaluate Right Actions for moral agents.
  • It can typically examine Ethical Theories about good lives.
  • It can typically investigate Moral Values and moral obligations.
  • It can typically develop Normative Frameworks for ethical guidance.
  • ...
  • It can often address Moral Dilemmas through ethical analysis.
  • It can often examine Virtue Development in moral character.
  • It can often analyze Moral Responsibility for human actions.
  • It can often investigate Ethical Implications of emerging technologies.
  • ...
  • It can range from being an Abstract Ethics Discipline to being an Applied Ethics Discipline, depending on its ethical application context.
  • It can range from being a Consequentialist Ethics Discipline to being a Deontological Ethics Discipline, depending on its ethical evaluation focus.
  • It can range from being a Normative Ethics Discipline to being a Meta-Ethics Discipline, depending on its ethical inquiry level.
  • It can range from being an Individual Ethics Discipline to being a Social Ethics Discipline, depending on its ethical scope.
  • It can range from being a Secular Ethics Discipline to being a Religious Ethics Discipline, depending on its ethical foundation source.
  • ...
  • It can utilize Thought Experiments for ethical scenario testing.
  • It can employ Case Analysis for ethical principle application.
  • It can apply Conceptual Analysis for moral concept clarification.
  • It can use Dialectical Methods for ethical argumentation.
  • It can implement Reflective Equilibrium for moral judgment balancing.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Major Ethics Discipline Branches, such as:
    • Meta-Ethics examining moral language, moral epistemology, and moral metaphysics.
    • Normative Ethics developing ethical theories for right action determination.
    • Applied Ethics addressing practical moral problems in specific domains.
    • Descriptive Ethics studying actual moral beliefs and moral behaviors.
  • Classical Ethics Theories, such as:
    • Virtue Ethics (Aristotle, ~350 BCE) emphasizing moral character and human flourishing.
    • Deontological Ethics (Kant, 1785) focusing on moral duty and categorical imperatives.
    • Consequentialist Ethics including utilitarian ethics maximizing overall well-being.
    • Social Contract Ethics (Hobbes, Rousseau) grounding moral obligations in social agreements.
  • Applied Ethics Discipline Domains, such as:
    • AI Ethics addressing AI bias, AI transparency, and AI safety.
    • Medical Ethics covering patient autonomy, informed consent, and end-of-life care.
    • Environmental Ethics examining human-nature relations, sustainability, and animal rights.
    • Business Ethics addressing corporate responsibility, fair trade, and stakeholder interests.
    • Research Ethics ensuring research integrity, subject protection, and data ethics.
    • Legal Ethics governing professional conduct, client confidentiality, and justice administration.
    • Military Ethics covering just war theory, rules of engagement, and civilian protection.
    • Educational Ethics addressing academic integrity, educational equity, and pedagogical responsibility.
  • Contemporary Ethics Movements, such as:
    • Feminist Ethics examining gender perspectives in moral reasoning.
    • Care Ethics emphasizing relational responsibility and contextual care.
    • Global Ethics addressing cross-cultural moral issues and universal human rights.
    • Digital Ethics covering online privacy, data ownership, and algorithmic fairness.
  • Historical Ethics Periods, such as:
    • Ancient Ethics (6th century BCE-5th century CE) including Greek virtue ethics and Stoic ethics.
    • Medieval Ethics (5th-15th century) integrating religious moral philosophy.
    • Modern Ethics (17th-19th century) emphasizing moral autonomy and social contracts.
    • Contemporary Ethics (20th century-present) addressing postmodern moral challenges.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Epistemology Discipline, which investigates knowledge and justification rather than moral values and right actions.
  • Metaphysics Philosophy Discipline, which examines existence and reality rather than moral principles and ethical judgments.
  • Aesthetics Discipline, which studies beauty and artistic value rather than moral goodness and ethical obligations.
  • Logic Discipline, which analyzes valid reasoning rather than moral reasoning and ethical arguments.
  • Descriptive Psychology, which empirically studies human behavior rather than prescribing moral standards.
• See: Philosophy Discipline, Moral Philosophy, Normative Theory, Applied Philosophy, Practical Philosophy, Value Theory, Axiology.

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References

2013

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics
  • Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The term comes from the Greek word ethos, which means "character". Ethics is a complement to Aesthetics in the philosophy field of Axiology. In philosophy, ethics studies the moral behavior in humans and how one should act. Ethics may be divided into four major areas of study:
    • Meta-ethics, about the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be determined;
    • Normative ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action;
    • Applied ethics, about how moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations;
    • Descriptive ethics, also known as comparative ethics, is the study of people's beliefs about morality;
  • Ethics seeks to resolve questions dealing with human morality — concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime.

2011

• (Singer, 2011) ⇒ Peter Singer. (2011). "Practical Ethics." In: Cambridge University Press.
  • NOTES:
  • It explores applied ethics from a utilitarian perspective, addressing contemporary moral issues like animal rights and euthanasia.
  • It argues for ethical decision-making based on the consequences of actions, aiming to maximize overall well-being.

1984

• (MacIntyre, 1984) ⇒ Alasdair MacIntyre. (1984). "After Virtue." In: University of Notre Dame Press.
  • NOTES:
  • It presents a critical analysis of modern moral philosophy, emphasizing the loss of coherent ethical frameworks in the contemporary world.
  • It advocates for a return to Aristotelian ethics and the importance of virtue and community in moral reasoning.

1974

• (Taylor, 1974) ⇒ Paul W. Taylor. (1974). “Principles of Ethics: An Introduction." Dickenson Publishing Company. ISBN:0822101424
  • QUOTE: Ethics may be defined as philosophical inquiry into the nature and grounds of morality. The term "morality" is here used as a general name for moral judgments, standards, and rules of conduct. These include not only the actual judgments, standards, and rules to be found in the moral codes of existing societies, but also what may be called ideal judgments, standards, and rules: those which can be justified on rational grounds. Indeed, one of the chief goals of ethics is to see if rational grounds can be given in support of any moral judgments, standards, and rules, and if so, to specify what those grounds are.

1785

• (Kant, 1785) ⇒ Immanuel Kant. (1785). "Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals." In: Cambridge University Press.
  • NOTES:
  • It introduces the concept of the categorical imperative, a key element of deontological ethics.
  • It establishes a framework where morality is based on duty and the universalizability of actions, rather than consequences.

350 BC

• (Aristotle, 350 BC) ⇒ Aristotle. (350 BC). "Nicomachean Ethics." In: Classical Texts.
  • NOTES:
  • It is one of the foundational texts of virtue ethics, focusing on the development of good character and the importance of virtues in achieving eudaimonia (flourishing).
  • It emphasizes the role of reason and the golden mean in living a morally virtuous life.

450 BC

• (Confucius, 450 BC) ⇒ Confucius. (450 BC). "The Analects." In: Classical Texts.
  • NOTES:
  • It provides a moral framework centered on virtue and proper conduct, emphasizing the importance of filial piety, respect, and moral cultivation.
  • It is a foundational text in Chinese philosophy, influencing Confucian ethics and its focus on harmony in social relations.

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