Understanding Ethics, Morality, and Human Nature
Ethics and Morality: Definitions and Origins
Ethics: The term ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, meaning character or disposition acquired by oneself. It is often referred to as "second nature." The first nature is temperament, which includes everything related to biology and the biological functions we share with animals.
Morality: The term moral comes from the Latin word mos moris, meaning custom or everyday activity. It also refers to a way of being and your social habits, such as getting married, having a child, or taking a nap.
The Relationship Between Ethics and Philosophy
Ethics is a branch of philosophy and represents practical knowledge. It reflects on our actions, while morality is a form of rational knowledge that utilizes reason and logic.
The Actual Meaning of Ethics and Morality
Ethics is a practical knowledge that reflects on morality. Morality is the specific part of philosophy that studies ethics.
What is Morality?
Morality is alive within us and within society. It consists of our values, our actions, our habits, our principles, and all the rules of conduct governing the relations between us.
The Concept of a Person
The term "person" originates from the Greek prosopon and the Latin personare, which signifies the voice transmitted from within the person.
A person is a term used to describe human beings as beings with an inner world, possessing character, temperament, intelligence, desire, will, and feelings.
The person is a product of biological evolution that has lasted millions of years. While we share traits with animals, we differ mainly in the mind and also in the body, as we walk on two lower extremities.
Key Human Faculties
- Feelings: These are affective states that trigger the will and are caused by different situations and events.
- Will: The ability to freely decide whether to do something or not.
- Intelligence: The ability to learn, understand, and solve problems.
Self and Society
People cannot live in isolation because the idea of the person is inseparable from society. Human beings are sociable by nature. Aristotle stated that a human is not an unsociable being. It is different if we are unsociable by duty or by chance (for example, a castaway or a child lost in a forest).
Why Humans Depend on Society
People depend on society for four primary reasons:
- To acquire our cultural contents and way of being.
- To meet our primary needs.
- To develop our intellectual capabilities.
- To develop our personality and become ourselves.