IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD!

Why be ethical?

“What do I love when I Love God”St. Augustine

Ethics is the belief in a right/wrong a good/evil. (Fr. Greek Ta Ethika meaning good character)

Morality is the translation of that good into our actions. (Fr. Latin Moralitas having to do with customs or habits

Some Examples of Moral Systems.

Examples

10 Commandments Buddhist Precepts 5 Pillars Talmud/Torah Business codes of conduct Student Handbook Collective agreements in Sports (personal

conduct policies)

4 Reasons we act ethically#1 The Scream

Action/Reaction Proposed by Ken Melchin in his work

“Living with other People”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLDA_f

69Tzw&feature=fvsr In this we just react we do something it is

a response.

#2 The Experience of Other

The Beggar This is put forward by Emmanuel Levinas

in his work Totality and Infinity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0buiv

rvaXI&featu This experience is referred often as “The

face” as it is the face of the other that causes us to act.

#3 I have toThe experience of obligation

This is put forward by Immanuel Kant in the work “Critique of Pure Reason”

In this we act out of obligation/responsibility

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmRV87mI2_Y

This is where we act because we feel the obligation too.

#4 The IntolerableExperience of Justice

This reason compels us to act based on injustice or the intolerable we feel that something must be done because it is not fair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_tCtvmAm4M&feature=related

This we proposed by the Church especially Pope Paul VI

Ethical Camps

There are many varied ethical camps which each try to explain why and how human beings should go about achieving the good. For our purpose we will focus on three camps

Aristotle (Telelogical Ethics) Kant (Deontological Ethics) Levinas (Relational Ethics)

Aristotle384-322 B.C

Aristotle's ethics are called teleological ethics from the root word telos which means end goal/purpose.

Lets examine some of the thought of Aristotle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=175bR_BU0m8&feature=related

Let us list some of his accomplishments and flush out his philosophy.

Kant1724-1804

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2tvRhodzf0&feature=related

Deontological ethics based on the root word Deon which means Duty.

Wrote “Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals” & “Critique of Pure Reason”

Maxims : Categorical Imperative/Means and End

Theoretical Reason Practical Reason Objective/Subjective

Kant Continued

Kant believed the only good was a good will Kant believes we cannot prove God but can

reasonably believe in his existence based on our seemingly innate need for Justice.

1. God: Someone to Judge 2. Freedom: We cannot be judged if not free 3. Immortality: Since Justice does not happen

here it needs to occur somewhere. Summon Bonum: Perfect world/Heaven

Emmanuel Levinas1905-1995

Ethics of the Face We find God in each other not in what is

similar about each of us but what is unique.

Since God is much more that we can comprehend we find traces of him in what is unique in each of us. It is our seeing that uniqueness in each other that we find God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6RLHKRs9D8&feature=related

Levinas Continued.

Pope John Paul II refers to Levinas in his work “The New Millennium”

Matt 25 “When I was Hungry you fed me” illustrates the thought of Levinas.

Psalm 27 “Your face O Lord I seek” God touches us through the face of the

other. *The Catechism of the Catholic Church

(CCC) states “The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes”