Ethics summary (condensed)
Week 1 – What is ethics?
Ethical decision-making involves:
Recognizing alternatives: Understanding possible actions and their ethical implications,
considering underlying assumptions and ethical principles.
Identifying stakeholders: Assessing who is affected, emphasizing the ethical perspective over
economic or other outcomes.
Identifying consequences: Assessing how the stakeholders are affected.
What ethical behavior is not:
Feelings and emotions
Religious beliefs
Adherence to law
Social conventions
Scientific knowledge
These factors can inform ethical decisions but do not solely constitute ethical behavior.
, Week 2 – Aristotle
Aristotle asks himself:
How should men best live?
What is the highest good? Eudaimonia: An ultimate goal, desirable for its own sake.
What is the (unique / defining) purpose of human life? (Human) telos
o He reasons: It’s logos, defined as reason, structured thought or speech.
How good is a man at fulfilling their purpose (telos)? Arete (excellence or virtue in fulfilling
telos)
o Non-humans can also have arete.
Aristotle concludes:
The highest good is eudaimonia (ultimate well-being).
o Not pleasure, wealth or honor as these lack self-sufficiency or lead to higher goals.
Fulfilling human telos is essential for achieving eudaimonia.
o Logos is human telos.
Arete is one’s excellence in in fulfilling telos.
o For humans: A man’s arete is his excellence in practicing logos. We can do so in a city
(polis) by practicing politics to discern good from bad.
“A man is by nature a political animal. The polis is the perfect place to practice this virtue.”
Aristotle says the human soul has 2 parts:
Rational part: Involved with intellect and reasoning.
Irrational part: Involved with desires, emotions, and other non-rational drives.
o Vegetative (completely without reason): Relates to basic life functions, automatic
without conscious choice.
o Appetitive (not completely without reason): Relates to desires, appetites, and emotions.
Though irrational, can be influenced by reason.
Ethical virtues belong to the appetitive (irrational) part of the human soul. Because it is capable of
following the guidance of reason to align desires with ethical virtues.
The golden mean: Virtues represent a balance between excess and deficiency, tailored to the
individual and situation, necessitating rational judgment and understanding of one's
circumstances.
Summary: The goal is to achieve a state of well-being through the practice of rational virtues and ethical
living. Let rational deliberation guide desires and actions towards the good life. No set of rules can
universally solve ethical dilemmas. Virtuous individuals are highlighted as models for ethical decision-
making, capable of discerning the best course of action in varied contexts.
Week 1 – What is ethics?
Ethical decision-making involves:
Recognizing alternatives: Understanding possible actions and their ethical implications,
considering underlying assumptions and ethical principles.
Identifying stakeholders: Assessing who is affected, emphasizing the ethical perspective over
economic or other outcomes.
Identifying consequences: Assessing how the stakeholders are affected.
What ethical behavior is not:
Feelings and emotions
Religious beliefs
Adherence to law
Social conventions
Scientific knowledge
These factors can inform ethical decisions but do not solely constitute ethical behavior.
, Week 2 – Aristotle
Aristotle asks himself:
How should men best live?
What is the highest good? Eudaimonia: An ultimate goal, desirable for its own sake.
What is the (unique / defining) purpose of human life? (Human) telos
o He reasons: It’s logos, defined as reason, structured thought or speech.
How good is a man at fulfilling their purpose (telos)? Arete (excellence or virtue in fulfilling
telos)
o Non-humans can also have arete.
Aristotle concludes:
The highest good is eudaimonia (ultimate well-being).
o Not pleasure, wealth or honor as these lack self-sufficiency or lead to higher goals.
Fulfilling human telos is essential for achieving eudaimonia.
o Logos is human telos.
Arete is one’s excellence in in fulfilling telos.
o For humans: A man’s arete is his excellence in practicing logos. We can do so in a city
(polis) by practicing politics to discern good from bad.
“A man is by nature a political animal. The polis is the perfect place to practice this virtue.”
Aristotle says the human soul has 2 parts:
Rational part: Involved with intellect and reasoning.
Irrational part: Involved with desires, emotions, and other non-rational drives.
o Vegetative (completely without reason): Relates to basic life functions, automatic
without conscious choice.
o Appetitive (not completely without reason): Relates to desires, appetites, and emotions.
Though irrational, can be influenced by reason.
Ethical virtues belong to the appetitive (irrational) part of the human soul. Because it is capable of
following the guidance of reason to align desires with ethical virtues.
The golden mean: Virtues represent a balance between excess and deficiency, tailored to the
individual and situation, necessitating rational judgment and understanding of one's
circumstances.
Summary: The goal is to achieve a state of well-being through the practice of rational virtues and ethical
living. Let rational deliberation guide desires and actions towards the good life. No set of rules can
universally solve ethical dilemmas. Virtuous individuals are highlighted as models for ethical decision-
making, capable of discerning the best course of action in varied contexts.
