The Scope and Meaning

of Ethics
Morality and the Other Phases of Human Life

Life is a “many-splendored thing”

 Social
 Economic
 The moral
 The physical
 The religious, etc.

 Rational and Moral – are the essential distinguishing characteristics of man.

 Morality – is the basic element of human life.
 ETHICS and EDUCATION

• Education develops the whole man. His moral, intellectual and physical
capacities.
ETHICS AND ART

• ETHICS – Moral GOODNESS

• Art – Beauty
• (Beautiful)(Good) = 1
• Evil = ugliness or defects
• Good= always beautiful, subject of desire
 True Art and True Morality

• There can be no conflict between the two because both have

the same aim,
TO AROUSE, TO INSPIRE the NOBLE EMOTIONS of Man.

• Consequently, a piece of art which arouses the baser impulses

of man defeats the very purpose of art
ETHICS AND POLITICS

• MAN OWES ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE

• POLITICS AIMS AT GOOD GOVERNMENT FOR THE
TEMPORAL WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS.

• DIRTY POLITICS
- IT’S DIVORCED FROM ETHICS
-VIOLATIONS OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
*electoral frauds *bribery *grafts *blackmail *intrigue
 Religion And Ethics

• The existence of a Creator.

• Freedom of the will in man.
• Immortality
The question sometimes arises whether there can
really be ethics apart from religion.

• The answer is that true ethics can never be separated from

God.
Reason: Ethics implies morality and morality presupposes a
distinction between right and wrong in human actions.

“Some would divorce morality from religion, but religion is the

root without which the plant of morality will die.”
 The Importance of Ethics

• Ethics means right living and good moral character,

and it is in good moral character that man finds his true
worth and perfection.
• Education is the harmonious development of the whole
man of all man’s faculties: the moral, intellectual, and
physical powers in man.
Knowledge is good, bodily health and
strength are good, but first and above
all- good character.
“Morality and religion are the two indispensable
pillars to human prosperity and happiness”.
By George Washington

“The unexamined life is not worth living for

man.”
by Socrates
 ETHICS IS THE VERY INVESTIGATION
OF THE MEANING OF LIFE.

• That is why Plato calls and considers ethics the

supreme science, the science par excellence, as it is
this science that deals with the Summum Bonum,
the supreme purpose of human living