1. Morality and Ethics

2. Where does morality come from?

3. Is it wrong to kill an innocent person for no good reason?
If so, why?

4. Morality comes from God?
Plato’s Euthyphro Is something wrong because God says it’s wrong or does God say its wrong because it is wrong. We have to use our own judgment to decide right and wrong.

5. Metaethics How do we determine what is right and wrong?
System of ethics
Justification for ethics
Three popular ethical schemes:
Virtue ethics
Deontological ethics
Utilitarianism

6. Virtue Ethics
Aristotle (384 B.C. – 322 B.C.) Ancient Greek philosopher and student of Plato Virtue consists of realizing our natural human potential as rational animals (our telos) Eudemonia (happiness, the good life) is achieved through the cultivation of human virtues, such as wisdom, justice, courage, generosity, kindness and moderation.

7. The good life
People are virtuous in order to cultivate their own soul and achieve a higher happiness
Focus on motivations for actions, rather than consequences
The goal is self-realization: to be noble, honorable, decent
Cf. Confucious’s junzi 君子
What kind of people do we want to be?
Do we want to be the kind of people who would do that?