How is Ethics Determined?
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How is Ethics Determined?
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EthicsThe English word ethics is derived from the Ancient Greek word ēthikós (ἠθικός), meaning "relating to one's character", which itself comes from the root word êthos (ἦθος) meaning "character, moral nature".[4] This word was transferred into Latin as ethica and then into French as éthique, from which it was transferred into English.
It has more than one meanings since it has more than one definition in vocabularies: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic
Depends on what definition you opt for. I'd opt for "a guiding philosophy" which is an amoral and pragmatic understanding.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
Ethics are never determined, and come from human thinking.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am Where does this word come from? How did it come to be what it means today? How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
Ethics are dicussed. They are debated. They can be applied. But they can never be found or discovered.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
- LuckyR
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
My understanding is that ethics represent the local societal standard. Thus in the antebellum South slavery was ethical. Obviously standards change as do what is ethical. Personal standards, by contrast are morals.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am Where does this word come from? How did it come to be what it means today? How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
For example in the US (as a whole) right now, abortion is ethical (and legal as a separate but related issue). OTOH a substantial minority find it personally immoral, which is entirely consistent. In addition, there are various subsets within the US that consider abortion unethical. Therefore a description of ethical status needs to also describe among which groups are being referred to.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
But this assertion is not a priori. In fact, it is the root of countless discussions on the matter of ethics.
No matter. The question could as well have asked how is ethics deciphered.
In that case, the OP attempts to conjoin the study of ethics with philosophy of mind.
For what is it that shapes the interpretation of the meaning of a moral proscription other than reason and experience (and the experience of education)?
What makes a person choose a solution to the Trolley thought experiment? A predetermined rule? A situational interpretation? A self conscious image?
The thread suggested by the OP title is not an etymological one.
- Pattern-chaser
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
That's about it. I would also add that moral philosophy is about what humans think is right or wrong. It's more about "should" than "is". Oh, and it only governs how humans should behave toward other humans. Morality (and ethics) toward other species (all of them!) is not often considered.
"Who cares, wins"
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
Above and beyond, I like that.stevie wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 3:53 amhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EthicsThe English word ethics is derived from the Ancient Greek word ēthikós (ἠθικός), meaning "relating to one's character", which itself comes from the root word êthos (ἦθος) meaning "character, moral nature".[4] This word was transferred into Latin as ethica and then into French as éthique, from which it was transferred into English.
It has more than one meanings since it has more than one definition in vocabularies: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic
Depends on what definition you opt for. I'd opt for "a guiding philosophy" which is an amoral and pragmatic understanding.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
And that is one of the many beneficial traits many would like about Ethics. (The discussing and debating parts, because it means a group of diverse people get to determine this.)Sculptor1 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 6:49 amEthics are never determined, and come from human thinking.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am Where does this word come from? How did it come to be what it means today? How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
Ethics are dicussed. They are debated. They can be applied. But they can never be found or discovered.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
Very on point here.LuckyR wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 1:13 pmMy understanding is that ethics represent the local societal standard. Thus in the antebellum South slavery was ethical. Obviously standards change as do what is ethical. Personal standards, by contrast are morals.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am Where does this word come from? How did it come to be what it means today? How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
For example in the US (as a whole) right now, abortion is ethical (and legal as a separate but related issue). OTOH a substantial minority find it personally immoral, which is entirely consistent. In addition, there are various subsets within the US that consider abortion unethical. Therefore a description of ethical status needs to also describe among which groups are being referred to.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
If only people kept all that in mind when making any kind of decisions.Pattern-chaser wrote: ↑October 31st, 2021, 8:07 amThat's about it. I would also add that moral philosophy is about what humans think is right or wrong. It's more about "should" than "is". Oh, and it only governs how humans should behave toward other humans. Morality (and ethics) toward other species (all of them!) is not often considered.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
Just sticking to the definition of the word.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑November 1st, 2021, 2:48 amVery on point here.LuckyR wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 1:13 pmMy understanding is that ethics represent the local societal standard. Thus in the antebellum South slavery was ethical. Obviously standards change as do what is ethical. Personal standards, by contrast are morals.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am Where does this word come from? How did it come to be what it means today? How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
For example in the US (as a whole) right now, abortion is ethical (and legal as a separate but related issue). OTOH a substantial minority find it personally immoral, which is entirely consistent. In addition, there are various subsets within the US that consider abortion unethical. Therefore a description of ethical status needs to also describe among which groups are being referred to.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
Quite rare historically.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑November 1st, 2021, 2:47 amAnd that is one of the many beneficial traits many would like about Ethics. (The discussing and debating parts, because it means a group of diverse people get to determine this.)Sculptor1 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 6:49 amEthics are never determined, and come from human thinking.WanderingGaze22 wrote: ↑October 30th, 2021, 2:37 am Where does this word come from? How did it come to be what it means today? How do we separate all we process into the categories of ethical and unethical? Could this be able to aid us in seeing the grey in a world supposedly made to be black and white? You and you alone decide.
Ethics are dicussed. They are debated. They can be applied. But they can never be found or discovered.
Most commonly ethical questions were the preserve of the establishment.
It is quite common that where distinctions are used between ehtics and morals, it is morals that are counted as the rules as imposed by the establishment (consdiered Objective), whilst ethics is a more open discussion about the use and values of such social rules, and coisderations such as diversity and inclusion are possible.
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Re: How is Ethics Determined?
2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023