Our consciences are limited like an old attic with junk of sheer conviction (Wilford O. Cross). What is ethics? The study of right and wrong conduct ethical system: set of coherent ideas forming an overall moral perspective: derived from conclusions drawn by observing choices people make in various moral situations. Why study ethics? What is its importance in our martial arts life, our personal life, our academic life?

 

* Component of complete ethical theory: identification of ultmate source of all values. A metaphysical justification for accepting source.

 

* Stipulation of fundamental moral principle.

* Rational for accepting principle as universally binding.

* Specification of how knowledge of supreme intrnsic good is obtained.

* Motivation to obey moral principle.

 

Approaches to study of morality:

 

* Scientiic or descriptive approch

* Empirical observation of human behavior without judment.

 

Philosophical approach divided into 2 categories:

 

1) Normative or prescriptive ethics.

2) Metaehics/analytics ethics.

 

Normative ethics:

 

Standards, norms or prescriptions (egoism-self interest;altruism-intrest of others; utilitarianism; interest of others and self).

 

Metaethics:

 

* Concerned with thought and use of ethical language.

* What does it mean to call someone "Good"? What is a value judgment?

* How are moral judgments validated or verified?

 

Values:

 

Values are objective and subjective and determined by three variables:

 

* The object valued or value.

* Conscious being who values-the valuer.

* Context or situation in which the valuing takes place.

 

Perspective on morality:

 

Morality is viewed from four perspectives:

 

* Religious morality-man and God.

* Morality and nature-man and nature.

* Individual morality-man and self.

* Social morality-man and society.

 

Influnces on morality:

 

* Religion

* Law

* Culture

* Conscience

* Feelings

* Other

 

KANTIAN (Immanuel kant (1724-1804):

 

* People should be treated as ends, not as means.

* Respect for people is necessary, not just desirable.

* Motives for actions are important.

 

KANTIAN DUTY ETHICS

 

Categorical imperative:

 

* Act as if you can make your actions a Universal Law of Nature.

* Every human being, to include onesself, is to be treated as an end, not a means.

 

KANTIAN DUTY ETHICS:

 

1) They must be logically consistent and not self contradicting.

2) They must be "universalizable" categorical imperative.

 

KANT:

 

* Once moral rules been discovered to be absolute, we must follow them out of duty.

* People act not only in accordance with obligations, but for sake of obligation.

* Emphasis on duty rather than inclination but no rules for when they are one the same.

 

PROBLEMS WITH KANTIAN ETHICS?

 

* Rigidity

* No room for emotions or sentiments

* Emphasis on Universal obligations at expense of particuar ones

* Others?

 

ETHICS:

 

* Ethics is a set of moral principles or values; a theory or system of moral.

* All legitimate martial arts must follow some level of ethics.

* Without ethics in the martial arts, you have nothing more then a mere bunch of techniques.