Understanding Ethics, Morality, Law, and Responsibility

Conscientious Objection: It is the duty of conscience of a citizen who considers a law to be breaking their religious or moral beliefs.

Ethics: A matter of thinking (reasoning) about behavior and rules to determine if they lead us to good. It is a part of philosophy.

Morality: A set of ethical standards that are in force in a given society. It is a social construct, and therefore, there are many moralities across different societies.

Differences in Ethics and Morality: Ethics is more objective and individual, while morality is more subjective and collective.

Metamoral: Analysis from a higher level than we typically do, examining the rules themselves.

Law: That which we possess simply by being in this world, regardless of race, color, religion. It is irrefutable.

Duty: Actions we perform and are obligated to do. Duties must be respected whether we like them or not, although they are often breached.

Rule: Laws necessary to maintain order in society and confine behavior. Rules must be met.

Morality vs. Legality: Ethics is more demanding than the law. The law states what is timely and approves actions. Ethics tells me to be punctual with a good attitude. Someone stopped for having no ethical level but because it strives to pass, failing to obey what is immoral because it outlines.

Responsibility: To respond and be accountable is the core issue. We do not have moral responsibility for everything.

Ethical Judgment vs. Ethical Opinion: It is a reflection on an act or conduct, as objective as possible, taking into account all the elements.

Habits: A habit means repeating a behavior until it becomes almost unconscious.

Good and Bad Actions: Some authors say that religion gives us the answer to whether what we do is right or wrong; this is called religious morality. Others say the law dictates it; this is called jurisdiction.

Moral Autonomy: As we grow, we become responsible and make our own decisions, each of which determines our future. If I decide, I am autonomous; if they decide for me, I am heteronomous.

Value: The greater or lesser appreciation that we give to an object, action, etc., to give them a higher preference than others. There are emotional, economic, religious, and political values. Every value has an objective sense (the value of the object itself) and a subjective sense (when it takes the person's feelings into account). The stance that emphasizes the objective sense is objectivism, and the subjective is subjectivism. From these two positions emerge moral objectivism, moral relativism, and moral pluralism.

Moral Objectivism: Things themselves are inherently valuable.

Moral Subjectivism: Things themselves are not valuable; the value is what people give them.

Moral Relativism: There is no inherent good; people attribute value.

Moral Pluralism: It is a middle ground between absolutism and relativism. It has basic principles that we all defend, and from these, we must tolerate cultural, religious differences. The principles are freedom, tolerance, and equality. Societies are pluralistic and multicultural.