WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY

THINK ETHICALLY?
WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE ON WHICH ETHICAL
REFLECTION IS GROUNDED?
IT IS GROUNDED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF
FREE PERSONS WHO HAVE TO ACT IN
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
WHAT IS THE GOOD THING TO DO?
GOOD DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THE EASIEST
OR MOST EXPEDIENT WAY
 ETHICAL NORMS AND THE QUESTION OF
GOOD AND EVIL ARISE WHEN PEOPLE NEED
TO ACT AS FREE PERSONS
BUT NOT ALL ACTIONS ARE INHERENTLY
ETHICAL
 ACTIONS ONLY REQUIRE ETHICAL
REFLECTION WHEN THEY ARE FREE ACTS
THAT INVOLVE A PERSON’S DESIRE TO
REALIZE THE GOOD
 QUESTIONS OF THE GOOD ARE NOT
QUESTIONS OF PRACTICALITY OR QUESTIONS
ONE’S DESIRED END
THEY ARE QUESTIONS THAT REFER TO A
PERSON’S FREEDOM AND ABILITY

TO LIVE ACCORDING TO WHAT HE/SHE

CONSIDERS TO BE GOOD
IN DIFFERENT AGES OF HUMAN CIVILIZATIONS,
THE PARTICULAR NORMS OF THE GOOD HAVE
TAKEN ON DIFFERENT FORMS
 HOWEVER, AT HEART, THESE NORMS EXPRESS
THE HUMAN REALIZATION THAT FREE ACTION IS
DEFINED AN OUGHT BY HOW HUMAN BEINGS ACT
IN A WAY THAT REALIZES THEIR CAPACITY TO
FREELY AND CREATIVELY RESPOND TO THE
ORDER OF THINGS.
 ETHICAL QUESTIONS ARISE WHEN HUMAN
BEINGS INTUIT THAT THEIR ACTIONS MUST
AUTHENTICALLY FULFILL THEIR FREEDOM IN
RESPONSE TO A GROUND OF AUTHENTIC HUMAN
EXISTENCE