PHIL 1003: Ethics and Society Introduction

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PHIL 1003 Ethics and SocietyIntroduction

• Dr Alexandra Cook

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What is a university?

• Tertiary institutionnext step after secondary
  studies
• Medieval universitieshumanities, theology,
  medicine and law
• Connotes
• universality (universe), whole
• all-encompassing human knowledge,
• academic freedom free and open discussion of
  ideas without external interference.

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What we do

• Think critically
• Ask questions
• Do not expect final, definitive answers to
  philosophical questions!
• E.g. what is the good life, and how do we live
  it?
• What is morality?
• Should we be moral?

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Ethics

• Its all around us!

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What are ethics?

• From Greek and Latin words for manners
• Ethics refers to how we conduct ourselves in
  relation to others.

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Examples of ethical questions

• Is it all right to lie or steal in certain
  situations?
• Must we report a crime committed by a friend?
• May stockbrokers take funds entrusted to them by
  investors?
• May corporations pollute the environment?
• Is it all right to accept a bribe?
• May politicians lie to the people?

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Fields of applied ethics

• Business/corporate ethics
• Ethical investing/Islamic finance
• Media ethics
• Computer ethics
• Professional ethics, codes of
• Legal ethics the Bar
• Medical ethics, code of the AMA
• Scientific research human/animal subjects.

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What is society?

• From Latin, socius, companion
• A group of people formed for any reason,
• e.g. people born in Hong Kong
• Aristotle highest society is the polis
• organized to achieve the highest good of which
  man is capable.

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Examples

• to pursue common interests, hobbies
• to achieve political ends, e.g. a political party
• to organize social events, for fun, e.g. the
  Philosophy Society
• to change how we behave toward the environment
  e.g. Green Sense.

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Example of a SocietyHKU Philosophy Dept
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Ethics and Society topics

• What is morality? Do we really value it? Plato
• Virtue/happiness, the Polis Aristotle
• Religion as basis for moral society Augustine
• Rulers/states should not be moral Machiavelli
• Society based on rights of men Locke, Rousseau
• Liberalism Mill
• Society based on interests of workers Marx
• Environmental ethics Leopold, Serres, and Gore.