Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- .This section is about various basis of ethics, systems of ethics, and types of ethics. Topics include: ( ) Bases of ethics. ( ) Systems of ethics. ( ) Types of ethics. --- 1/24/2006
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics, sum up. (1) Rights. (ex. human rights). (2) Promise or contract. (3) Resources, ability and opportunity. (4) Duty, obligation, and responsibility. (5) Effort. (6) Waste. (7) Economics and money. (8) Psychology. --- 4/28/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Combo argument. Ethical pluralism. There are many things we should do. There are many goals we should get, some only once or twice, some over and over. There are many things we shouldn't do. (2) Ethical monism. All ethical ideas can be boiled down to one. I.e. the golden rule proponents. (3) I am a pluralist. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Doing something because society says to, and you believe society knows best. This is childlike. (2) Doing something because you think it is best (imaginable ideal, or practical ideal). This is mature. (3) Going along with society, even if you think it is not best, because it's politically expedient. Picking your battles. This is mature. --- 11/15/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Doing things because you reason them as right (even if it goes against your instincts, society's norms, or religion). (2) Doing things to get a promised reward, real or imagined. (ex. medals, heaven). (3) Doing things out of fear, to avoid punishment (ex. hell). --- 09/25/1993
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Ethics as health (healthy and unhealthy). (2) Ethics as emotion (pain and pleasure). (3) Ethics as economics (costs and benefits). (4) Ethics as justice (just and unjust). (5) Ethics as chance (probability of action having intended effect). --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Ethics based only on emotion? Emotivism is the view that ethics is a matter of feeling, and that ethics is 100% emotion. Emotivism is not a convincing view. One counter-argument to emotivism is that the legal system is based on reason. Another counter-argument to emotivism is that emotions are not always an accurate guide. For example, crimes of passion are committed when emotions run amok. (2) The opposite view is that ethics is a matter of reason only, and that ethics is 100% reason. The view of ethics as only reason is not a convincing view. One counter-argument is that only a sociopath lacks empathy for other people. Sociopaths are unethical. Empathy is a type of emotion. Thus, emotion is a necessary component of ethics. (3) The basis of ethics must thus be a combination of reason and emotion. --- 6/20/2006
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Ethics by faith. Blind obedience to law, religion, social norms, and instinctual urges (internal and external forces) is how most people operate. Vs. (2) Self deduced ethics. Which requires (A) Emotional intelligence (sensitivity, empathy). (B) Rational intelligence (weighing alternative arguments). (C) Self deduced ethical behavior. Which requires self control, which takes freedom or independence from internal and external pressures and forces. Most people do not posses all three. --- 05/06/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Exchange theory of ethics. (2) Conflict theory of ethics. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Have to or not: this is an issue of freedom and slavery. (2) Want to or not: this is an issue of drives and likes. (3) Should or not: this is an issue of duty? --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Pain and suffering vs. pleasure. (2) Sympathy, empathy. (3) Building vs. destroying. (4) Health vs. unhealth. (5) Justice vs. injustice. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. (1) Reason based ethics vs. (2) instinct based ethics vs. (3) emotion based ethics. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Anyone is a dupe who does anything because someone told them to do it, or because someone told them it is right, or someone made them do it, and not because they thought about it long and hard, and they think it is healthy, just, right, and best. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Choice and ethics. Ethics as choices. In order for a situation to be ethical there has to be more than one possibility (choice), and you have to be able to make an effect. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Choice and ethics. Ethics starts with choice. Choice is freedom. Freedom requires will and intentionality. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Do we reason our way to ethics using thought? Do we feel our way to ethics using emotion? What kind of ethics system would be created by a people who can think but not feel? What kind of ethics system would be created by people who can feel but not think? --- 9/5/2002
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Do what you want or like, even if it is unproductive, unethical, unlawful, impractical, and unpaying? --- 05/30/1993
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Do you base your actions on (1) Needs (have to). (2) Desires (want to). Where do desires come from? Are they socially conditioned? (3) Responsibilities (shoulds). --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Economics is not the sole basis of ethics, despite what many people think. Money is not the only way to value things. --- 4/28/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Ethics is about change. Do we want to change a thing. See conservative vs. liberal, see metaphysics of change. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Ethics is about time. If we had forever we could take our time, and not rush. --- 3/30/1998
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Ethics is based on the fact that we can effect things, and we can make choices. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. If all injustice causes pain then pain would seem to precede injustice as a determinant of ethics. The problem is that not all injustice causes pain in the recipient of the injustice. For example, happy slaves are still slaves, which is an injustice. Another example, some depressed people feel pain even when in a just situation. Therefore, pain does not precede injustice in determining ethics. That is not to say that pain is irrelevant, it is simply not the sole or primary determinant. --- 4/28/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. If we could not act, ethics would not exist. If we could not think, ethics would not exist. But we can do both, and thus ethics exists. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Information, communication and action. (1) Ethics of information management. It is our duty to learn and know. It is our duty to manage information (find, record, organize, disseminate). It is our duty to use our heads (drives, memories, emotions, thoughts). (2) Ethics of communication. It is our duty to communicate (talk, write, publish web pages). It is our duty to publish our Notes. (3) Ethics of action. Thinking and writing are forms of action. (4) If you do not address the above, then it is not evil, sin or wrong, it is just a big waste. (6) The most important idea here is that most traditional theories of ethics focus on physical actions. I say that the ethics of information management and the ethics of communication are more important than the traditional ethics of physical action. --- 6/10/1999
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Intuition, emotion and reason. (1) Ethics is not purely intuition based. The best ethical responses do not automatically come to us through intuition. A coherent, rational argument can change your mind. (2) Ethics is not purely emotion based. Some people report feelings of happiness when doing the wrong thing (ex. psychopaths committing cold blooded murder). Some people report negative feelings when doing the right thing (ex. children eating their vegetables). (3) Ethics is not purely reason based. It is impossible to reason without feeling emotion and being influenced by emotion. (4) Conclusion: ethics is based on some mixture or combination of intuition, emotion and reason. --- 4/29/2000
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Leisure and work. (1) The ethics of rest and relaxation, leisure, pleasure, entertainment (sports, hollywood, vegas), and hedonism are bull shit. (2) Ethics of work (mental creative work) is great. Some ideas come only after years of intense struggle and effort. Building a better self and world. --- 12/15/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Leisure and work. Enjoying life in a hedonistic way (ex. going to beach everyday) vs. getting something done. Arguments for both viewpoints. --- 12/30/1995
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Leisure and work. Thinking the goal of life is to enjoy yourself (fun) vs. thinking the goal of life is to achieve something. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Leisure and work. Two philosophies of life. (1) Enjoy life, feel good, peaceful, stressless, feel alive and free. (2) Accomplish something (in the work world, or on your own), which takes effort and is painful. Do some good. (3) If you can't feel good unless you are doing "1" twenty four hours a day, then something is wrong with you and your ethical system. --- 12/30/1995
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Money is a way of valuing things. Money is a value measure. Money is a type of ethical value. Money is not the only type of ethical value, although some narrow-minded people think it is. --- 4/29/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Philosophical ethicists mistakenly use ancient, outdated concepts. Ethics is based on psychology; drives, memories, emotions, and reasons, all of which can be conscious or unconscious. Consequences are considered. Also considered is society, or other individuals (sociology). It is a big picture. --- 06/15/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Purely rational ethics would be decision theory and game theory. Purely emotional ethics would be what? --- 9/11/1998
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Social basis of ethics: cooperation, competition, conflict. (See Sociology, cooperation and struggling). --- 4/3/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Temptations and other ethical pressures. --- 4/3/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. The environment is an important basis of ethics, especially when humans are capable of having a negative or positive effect on the environment. Humans are currently destroying the environment. --- 7/15/2006
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. We have an ethics of pain. We need an ethics of waste. Not just waste of inhuman resources like raw materials (ecological ethics), but also waste of human life (human ethics?). --- 10/25/1997
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of ethics. Why bother trying to argue for an ethics based on reason vs. an ethics based on emotion when it is obvious that the human mind uses both reason and emotion together. --- 6/9/2000
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Basis of one's ethics system. Ethics based on belief and obeying vs. ethics based on reason. Belief based ethics (ex. Some religions) is worse than reason based ethics. Doing something because your are told to is worse than doing it because you understand why to do it. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Emotion and ethics. People do what makes them happy. See also: Psychology, emotion, specific, happiness. People usually avoid what makes them unhappy. Sometimes people will put up with unhappiness if it is for a good cause. Thus, emotion is an aid in ethical decision making, but not an infallible guide. --- 10/23/2005
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- People with mental problems suffer (pain) and waste (life). There is an ethics based on pain and suffering. And there is an ethics based on waste of opportunity. --- 03/16/1997
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics based on reasoned principles and rules vs. systems of ethics based on constantly changing whims. --- 4/29/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. An important system of ethics in a society is the legal system. --- 11/13/2005
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics system factors: (1) Conscious vs. unconscious. (2) Written vs. unwritten. (3) Developed vs. undeveloped. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics system of individual or society. How good or bad it is. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics system parts. (1) Value system: ideal system. (2) Meaning system. (3) Goals, strategy, tactics, reasons system. (4) Reaction system (reward, punish). --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems of various cultures and individuals. How coherent is it? Is it reason based or belief and magic based? --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems: individual, society, and natural. Total and parts. Analysis of. Development of. By who, for who. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. (1) Development: speed and direction. (2) Forces that shape ethical systems. (3) Unconscious and conscious ethical systems. (4) Unwritten and written ethical systems. (5) Similarities and differences between ethical systems. (6) How good/bad an ethical system it is. (7) By subject areas. (8) Perceived and actual. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. A person's total ethical system consists of their (1) Personal action ethics (you and you), (2) Social action ethics (you and others), (3) Natural action ethics (you and nature), (4) for all subject areas (work, leisure, etc.). --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Analyzing an individual's ethical system. What are the principles of their ethical system. What they will do in any particular case. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Changing ethics systems. What did you consider to be cool, kicks, fun, worthwhile, and good when you were 12, 16, 21, 31? It keeps changing. Does it ever make any progress? Does it ever stabilize? Does it reach a peak and then start heading down hill? Can the peak be reached sooner in life? How? --- 07/03/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Ethical environment: situations, choices (alternatives, options), and acts. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Examples of common ethical systems. (1) Help self only. (2) Do not help others, but do not hurt them either. (3) Help others by donating money, time, political action, or teach or preach (can have the biggest affect). (4) Just do my job well. That helps others. (5) Just obey the bible. Do not think beyond it, about many hypothetical cases. (6) Just obey the law. Do not go beyond it. --- 11/15/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Figuring out what you think to be right or wrong. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Having an ethical system, and then giving into either temptation, threat or force. Breakdowns of moral fiber. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Most try to think how to succeed within a system. Some try to think what the system is, how to change the system, and what to change the system to, and how the system can be improved. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. People who try to breakdown or change other people's ethical system. Trying intentionally to improve or destroy vs. improving or destroying an ethical system unknowingly and unintentionally. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Selling or spreading an ethical system. Imposing what you think is right or wrong on others, (1) By force, (2) By emotional appeal like seduction, beg, or threaten, (3) By reasoned communication. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Some people have totally different ethical systems. They look at things differently. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Sources of norms. (1) Doing what others tell you. (2) Doing your gut feeling. (3) Figuring out with thought what is best for you and others. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Specific ethical systems. Actual or theoretical, of an individual or society. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Systems of ethics. Ethics systems. Strict adherence to a shit ethical system is worthless. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Ethical dogmatism. Only one right way, one creed, one answer, or one simple rule. (2) Ethical nihilism. We can not tell what is right, and we can not do what is right even if we could tell. (3) Ethical relativism. Take things on a case by case basis. --- 06/01/1994
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Ethics and thought. Should we control our thoughts? Should we let others control our thoughts? (2) Ethics and words (ex. first amendment issues). (3) Ethics and action. (4) Ethics and people. (5) Ethics and stuff: (A) Technology and ethics. (B) Nature and ethics. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Ethics by self (individual ethics). Ethics for self (egoism?) (personal ethics). (2) Ethics by a society. Ethics for a society. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Ethics of an idea. (2) Ethics of a thing, stuff, or material. How use x thing?. (3) Ethics of a situation (bunch of things). How act in x situation? (4) Ethics of a subject. What should we do about sex for example? (5) Ethics of a person. What should x person do? (6) Ethics of character (people). (7) Ethics of environment (esp. natural environment). --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Ethics of thought. Should we conduct our minds in any particular way? Can you think? Shall I think or not? About what? What I want to? What they tell me to (family, school, work, friends)? Shall I inquire (a form of thinking)? (2) Ethics of speech. Should we say anything or not? Shall I speak or not? (3) Ethics of action. Should we do anything or not? Can you do it? --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Ethics of time. How much time should one devote to a thing? (2) Ethics of energy. How much energy should one devote to a thing? --- 7/15/2006
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Individual ethics: when alone vs. when with others. (2) Social ethics: views of an individual or society concerning what a society should be like in terms of politics and economics. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Meta-ethics vs. real ethics vs. normative ethics. (2) Subjective ethics vs. objective ethics. (3) Universalism vs. relatavism. (4) Egoism vs. altruism. (5) General vs. abstract. (6) Specific vs. concrete. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Mind and thought. (2) Actions and behavior. (3) Stuff, materials, and resources. Problems = good stuff that you don't have, and bad stuff that you do have. Opportunities = good stuff to have, and bad stuff not to have. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Natural ethics: fortune, misfortune, luck, destiny, and fate. (2) Social ethics: ethics for the group. (3) Individual ethics: ethics for the individual. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Personal ethics. (A) Interpersonal ethics: who interact with, how and why? How treat x person, and why? (B) Work: job choice, and working toward a better job. (C) Leisure: unhealthy vs. productive and healthy. Learning therapy. (2) Social ethics. Political force. Education. Health. Welfare. Government. (See politics). Choices available and arguments for and against them. --- 08/04/1993
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Personal ethics. How much time should I spend alone, doing what? (2) Interpersonal ethics. How much time should I spend with others, and doing what? How should I treat others? How should I demand they treat me? --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Personal ethics. Psychological and physical health vs. decay. (2) Social ethics. (A) Micro level dyads and triads. (B) Macro level politics and economics. (3) Ethics of things. (A) Money. Charity vs. greed. (B) Stuff. Materialism vs. simplicity. (C) Ideas. Ethics of information and communication. Access to information. Thinking and learning. Digital sharing of information. --- 9/11/1998
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Personal ethics. Self understanding and development. Growth and health. (2) Interpersonal ethics. Relationships. Friends, strangers, and enemies. Love, respect, honesty, caring, etc. (3) Group ethics. Politics, organizations, and associations. (4) Person to non-person ethics. Natural objects like animals, plants, and the natural environment. Manmade objects like tools and technologies. --- 10/30/1997
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) Personal vs. social ethics. Micro-sociology ethics: dyads, triads, families? Macro-sociology ethics: nations, world. (2) Ethics of action or behavior. Ethics of material stuff. --- 10/27/1993
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. (1) What should individual do in a specific situation? Personal ethics, and situational ethics. (2) What should the group do in any case? Group ethics, and universal ethics. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. Ethics of group (e.g. nation) vs. ethics of individual. (1) Ethics of group. (A) Ethics of group to other groups. (B) Ethic of group to individuals. (C) Ethics of group to nature. (2) Ethics of individual. (A) Ethics of individual to self. (B) Ethics of individual to others. Conflict, competition, or cooperation. (C) Ethics of individual to nature. Ignore vs. pay attention. Protect or destroy. --- 12/26/1997
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. Individual vs. social. Political (people) vs. economic (stuff). This gives four combinations. Money can be power or stuff. --- 5/15/1998
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. Individual. Ethics of individual: the choices one can make. (1) Work ethic vs. leisure ethic. (2) Health and self-maintenance vs. self-neglect, self-abuse, and self-destruction. (3) Thinking for self vs. believing what you are told or believing what you read. (4) Being a follower, and obeying others vs. being a leader (if only of self), and being a rebel. (5) Learn, explore, grow, and self-induced change vs. stasis. --- 12/26/1997
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. Personal ethical system = (1) Personal ethics: you vs. you. (2) Social ethics: you vs. others. (3) Natural ethics: you vs. nature. --- 12/30/1992
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Types of ethics. Two types of ethics. (1) Goal oriented ethics. Proactive. (A) Forming goals. We must form and pursue goals. (B) Pursuing goals. Duration and intensity of effort. (2) Situation oriented ethics. Reactive. We are thrust into situations beyond our control and we are forced to react to them. Situations consist of the environment and the events that occur in the environment, including people and their actions. --- 6/3/2001
Philosophy, ethics, basis systems types. --- Why do people argue for basing ethics on either reason or emotion when both reason and emotion are required for optimal ethical decision making? --- 1/28/2005