Three Types of Studying Ethics
Studying ethics usually is divided into three areas or types. These are: (i) normative ethics; (ii) meta-ethics, and; (iii) descriptive ethics. These three types will be mentioned respectively
Normative Ethics
People usually make judgments of ones’ actions. For example, if we know that
Mr. Wan kicked a child, we judge his action to be morally wrong. But we judge Miss Anna to act (morally) rightly, if Miss Anna offered food to a starving child. The judgments made are called ethical sentences or moral judgments.
Other examples of ethical sentences (or moral judgments) usually made are: - “Killing an innocent human is wrong.”
- “Nurturing a child is good.”
- “A thief is a bad person.”
- “The right act is the act that produces the greatest balance of pleasure over pain for everyone involved.” (This is the greatest happiness principle proposed by utilitarianism)
Ethics is concerned with ethical sentences. That is, moral philosophers are concerned with a question of how to morally judge ones’ actions or behaviors. So, ethics asks such questions as:
- Is killing an innocent people morally right or wrong?
- Is nurturing a child really morally right?
However, from ethical point of view, one cannot merely claim that an action is
morally right or wrong. But every moral judgment must be supported by arguments. If not, the judgments are seen as arbitrary. In other words, moral philosophers must answer the question: why is this action (or type of actions) morally right (or wrong)? Let us consider an example of killing innocent people.
Three Types of Studying EthicsStudying ethics usually is divided into three areas or types. These are: (i) normative ethics; (ii) meta-ethics, and; (iii) descriptive ethics. These three types will be mentioned respectivelyNormative EthicsPeople usually make judgments of ones’ actions. For example, if we know thatMr. Wan kicked a child, we judge his action to be morally wrong. But we judge Miss Anna to act (morally) rightly, if Miss Anna offered food to a starving child. The judgments made are called ethical sentences or moral judgments.Other examples of ethical sentences (or moral judgments) usually made are: - “Killing an innocent human is wrong.”- “Nurturing a child is good.”- “A thief is a bad person.”- “The right act is the act that produces the greatest balance of pleasure over pain for everyone involved.” (This is the greatest happiness principle proposed by utilitarianism)Ethics is concerned with ethical sentences. That is, moral philosophers are concerned with a question of how to morally judge ones’ actions or behaviors. So, ethics asks such questions as:- Is killing an innocent people morally right or wrong?- Is nurturing a child really morally right?However, from ethical point of view, one cannot merely claim that an action ismorally right or wrong. But every moral judgment must be supported by arguments. If not, the judgments are seen as arbitrary. In other words, moral philosophers must answer the question: why is this action (or type of actions) morally right (or wrong)? Let us consider an example of killing innocent people.
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