Choosing an ethical 'voice'.

I figured i would start my first thread by asking the same question my professor asked us earlier today.

The main question i'm debating with myself is to what do we ourselves determine what is and isn't ethical? Do we go by the same standards as our parents, law or even biblically, do we set our standards?

I haven't wrote the essay yet, mainly because i'm debating with myself on the appropriate approach. Everyone's input is welcome and needed.

 

like the ten commandments or are u talking about morals.

 

Possibly the Ten Commandments, if you're familiar with them. Another question would be are morals equivalent to ethics or are there separations between the two. The denouement i'm looking for is what determines what ethics you follow, when are they established and to who do you follow them by.

 

Society determines what is ethical. If we all felt that stomping on babies was the right thing to do, then we would consider it ethical. So in a sense an individual person can determine what is ethical to his or her self.

 

Stomping a baby would be unlawful. You're saying that ethics are set by a standard of laws?

 

There is no such thing as ethical behavior or morals in my opinion. A common human flaw is that in the first sign of trouble we drop what is said to be 'moral/ethical behaviour'.

Take the recent Colorado shootings for example. People would say what he did was unethical/immoral. However many believe he should see the same fate and be treated with death. Isn't that immoral behavior?

Also perhaps you've seen The Dark Knight, the boat scene is a good example, even though neither blew up the other boat. They were all seriously thinking of letting hundreds of people die because they were convicts and had their chance at life.

Personally I don't think moral/ethical behaviour exists it's all up to personal preference.

 

Where is Richard at when you need him...

Essentially morals are to some extent subjective, ethics are the science of morals or moral philosophy if you will. Essentially ethics are as pliable as morals and they both come from the sense of good and evil. So what you find evil I may find perfectly fine, but there are certain moral principals that are the same for everyone that is human - unless there is something that interrupts the moral compass or consciousness such as mental disorder.

Morals can influence law so that law conforms to moral standards or traditions. Essentially morals, as with any other science, are discovered through intrapersonal study and human interactions. Evolutionary psychologists argue morals arose from the relationships between individuals and their off-spring/mates.

 

The normal moral reason for upholding capital punishment is reverence for life itself. Indeed, this is the reason why scripture and Christian tradition have upheld it, a fact which suggests that, if anything, it may be the abolition of capital punishment which threatens to cheapen life, not its retention. We should not assume that it’s impossible for the prospect of death to make its own contribution to moral healing, to restoration. However, the morality given to the parents of victims by seeing to the individual that changed their life is punished suffices the lack of guilt for something depicted as unethical. As lead by example, the Death Penalty is moral and just. Judicial death for the purpose of maintaining justice or righteousness is well established in human history making it ethical.

They didn't push the trigger if you recall due to a ethical and moral conclusion.

 

In denouement to your post, where do you get your ethics from?

 

Where do I get my personal ethics from? Probably tradition, as that is generally where we get personal ethics from. What is traditionally accepted in society for the most I suppose. I mean there are certain culturally acceptable things that are ingrained in everyone no matter if they live in some primitive village in the heart of Africa or the center of New York. These may not be the same things, but everyone is bombarded with them during the years that the brain is malleable.

 

My dilemma is that i believe you are birthed into a set of ethics you follow until a certain, mature age, once you reach this age you can determine and rule what is ethical and what isn't. I feel people entirely change their ethics unless they are from a culturally evolved village where their fate is made for them at birth, however, Americans per say, myself, i feel as if we change, i.e you may believe the death penalty is ethically unjust until you reach the age you find it ethically acceptable.

 

prolly from my parents

 

Honestly, i'm looking for a bit more of a cause and reason behind your decision, besides that, your entire set of ethics are developed by your parents? You've never changed your feelings regarding what is right and what is wrong?

 

Well there are innate ethics that are inset from the upbringing and that are subconsciously instilled in you so that even if small parts of your ethical beliefs you'll still have those innate beliefs. You have to deprogram yourself to be unbiased towards other ethical schools. (I would like to thank Richard for this knowledge.)

 

By deprogramming yourself do you mean exposing yourself to different surroundings to influence your beliefs?