PHIL 2120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Deontological Ethics, Secular Ethics, Supererogation

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 2120
• Professor: Peter Eardley

Document Summary

We want to understand the nature of morality; want to know how we should live. One is closer to the idea of custom or actual practice and the other refers to a systematic. Moral" and ethics" come from latin and greek ( mores" and ethos") explanation of those practices. Morality refers to the principles or rules of conduct that govern a society or that ought to govern a society: refers to principles of conduct of both actual moralities and ideal morality. Ethics designates the systematic endeavor to understand moral concepts and justify moral principles and theories: analyze concepts of right, wrong, permissible, good, evil. Investigates which values and virtues are paramount to worthwhile life or to society. Much philosophy is concerned with knowledge of what there is (metaphysics, philosophy of science, religion); ethics is concerned with action and practice. Ethics has a distinct action-guiding aspect and belongs to the group of practical institutions that includes religion, law and etiquette.