What is Ethics? Etymologically:It comes from two Greed word ethos,meaning a characteristic way of doing things, or a body of customs. Hence, it is a study of human customs or ways of doing things. Classical Definition: It is the science of the morality of human acts. It is a science because it is a systematic body of knowledge meant to guide men in their pursuit of the good and happy life. Ethics is therefore a practical science; it is not a speculative science that merely theorizes. Ethics is meant to be applied, i.e., it teaches how men ought to live. Note: Ethics can be divided into two: A. General Ethics – concerns the individual and what he ought to do to live happy and fruitful life in this world. B. Special Ethics – concerns the individual as a member of society. All problems concerning society and the social order are taken up. THE IMPERATIVES OF ETHICS Ethics presupposes some imperatives or sine qua non, “those with which” Ethics would not be possible. These imperatives are: 1. the existence of God or a Supreme Being 2. the existence of human freedom; 3. the existence of an afterlife, i.e., life beyond the grave, or the immortality of the soul What is Morality? Mortality is the quality of goodness or badness of human acts. It is also the rightness or wrongness of human acts as they conform or do not conform to standards. Human acts are those that are done with full knowledge and full willingness or deliberation. Acts that are done without full knowledge or full willingness or deliberation or both are termed acts of man.Human acts must conform to a standard to determine whether they are good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral. MORAL THEOLOGY *Moral Theology seeks to relate the Christian to the complex realities of living in the world. *Interested on the implications of the Christian faith. A.Ethics of Being B. Ethics of Doing Ethics of Being *Interiority of the person. *Actions are always expression of a person. *It pays attention to what is happening to the person performing actions rather than on the actions the person performs. *It asks: What sort of person should I become because I believe in Christ? *Character Ethics of Doing *Interiority of the person get expressed in behavior *Right actions come from a good person *Attends not only to the duties and obligations of the person acting but also to the circumstances which make up the moral situation *It asks: What sort of action should I perform because I believe in Christ? *Action Five Guidelines to the Development of Moral Theology Vocation of the Christian - Call to Holiness - Invitation from Christ to a personal response of love. Love God through one’s neighbor - The life of Christian must live daily in word and deed. - As a service for others not purely between God and individual. More Biblical - More thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching. - Imbued with a deeper sense of the Word of God as revealed in scripture and of the history of Man’s salvation through the mystery of Christ found in the bible. More Scientific - constant dialogue with other field of study. On Going Task - Socially oriented and must come into grips with contemporary problems. THREATS TO LIFE: WHATEVER IS OPPOSED TO LIFE *Murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, suicide WHATEVER VIOLATES THE INTEGRITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON *mutilation, torments inflicted on body and mind WHATEVER INSULTS HUMAN DIGNITY *Subhuman living conditions slavery imprisonment human trafficking disgraceful working conditions ALL THESE ARE: Poisons to human society Against the order of reason. THEY ARE: Expanding with new prospects Opened up by scientific technological progress. IRONY Progress in science and technology Regress in moral life. GRAVE CONCERN: Broad sectors of public opinion JUSTIFY certain crimes against life. HOW? By invoking the rights of individual freedom and By obtaining exemption from punishment even authorization by the state, so that these crimes can be done with total freedom IT IS GRAVE AND DISTURBING THAT CONSCIENCE IS DARKENED BY WIDESPREAD CONDITIONING AS A RESULT, IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL ROOTS AND SOURCES OF CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS 1. Profound Crisis of Culture CULTURE pattern of human knowledge, customary belief, and behavior of a racial, religious, or social group the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices CAUSE: Skepticism in relation to the foundations of knowledge and ethics EFFECTS: difficulty in grasping clearly: - The meaning of human existence - The meaning of man’s rights and duties MAN FINDS HIMSELF LOST 2. Existential and Interpersonal difficulties EXISTENTIAL *grounded in existence or the experience of existence *Aggravated by the complexity of society where people no longer want to take responsibility for their neighbors 3. Situations of Acute Poverty, Anxiety or Frustration CONCLUSION: THE CONTEMPORARY MORAL TRENDS MAKE THE CHOICE TO DEFEND AND PROMOTE LIFE DEMANDING AS SOMETIMES TO REACH THE POINT OF HEROISM