Essay Example on Moral Philosophy: An Evolving Study of Right and Wrong

Introduction

Moral philosophy, also called ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the study of both ideal ways of being and human behavior (Rich, 2013). Moral philosophy contemplates what is wrong and right besides how human beings should live and relate with one another in their societies. However, the scope of moral philosophy and approaches to ethics has been evolving among ethicists and philosophers (Rich, 2013). Key concepts related to moral philosophy, as well, have changed over time among philosophers. To Aristotle, for instance, desirable behaviors from the perspective of ethics were practices that lead to high levels of well-being or happiness (Rich, 2013). Immanuel Kant, a famous 18th-century philosopher, in contrast, believed that ideal behaviors involved acting according to one’s duty (Rich, 2013).

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According to Kant, well-being, which is an essential concept in moral philosophy, meant having the capacity to reason, treating other people with dignity, and exercising self-determination (Rich, 2013). In today’s field of philosophy, ethics is a discipline that provides systematic approaches to distinguishing what is deplorable and admirable. Ethics, therefore, is essential in philosophy since it provides a framework that enhances an understanding of what is wrong or right and bad or good in all matters about the relationships among salient beings.

Divisions of Ethical Theories and Their Applications

In philosophy, ethical determinations are applied through the use of the codes of conduct for the discipline and, more importantly, the application of formal theories. These elements guide individuals to make sound reasoning and justify their actions through arguments that have a logical and theoretical basis (Balazs, 2004). Of great importance is that the application of moral philosophy theories helps avoid situations where emotions overtake good reasoning (Balazs, 2004). Philosophers in the present-day world categorize ethical theories into three classes or groups, namely applied ethics, meta-ethics, and normative ethics.

Meta-ethics provides a framework for decision-making in issues that require individuals to consider morality and other aspects such as truth and justice. This division of ethics expounds on the meaning of ethical terms such as responsibility, rights and obligations, bad, and good conduct. In short, meta-ethics involves the study of the language of ethical discourse and the meaning of its concepts. Meta-ethics, therefore, helps individuals to develop reasoning that they can apply to justify their actions and also statements. Its framework provides meta-ethical answers to issues like the essence of reason in ethical judgments, questions about the will of God, and universal truths. By applying the principles of this theory, individuals can get meta-ethical answers that justify their thinking as better than other peoples’ conflicting beliefs.

Normative ethics is another essential branch of moral philosophy that provides a framework that helps judge what is wrong and right. As such, it is concerned with what human beings ought to do. The three main groups of normative ethics are unitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. From the perspective of moral philosophy, deontology says that individuals should assess the morality of specific actions by using existing rules to determine whether they are right or wrong. This phenomenon implies that deontological ethics does not consider the consequences underlying particular actions, but whether such practices comply with laws and regulations in place. The deontological view notably is an elaborate class of normative ethics.

Normative ethics regulates the standard of human behavior by articulating the good habits that human beings should acquire. Its model teaches people to adhere to the duties that they ought to follow within their societies besides considering the consequences of their behaviors on others. When using this method, individuals make inquiries about what they should do in certain situations, how they ought to behave, and even the character that they should show.

The third approach is applied ethics, which involves a critical evaluation of controversial moral issues like capital punishment, abortion, and weapons of mass destruction. In philosophy, other aspects that require knowledge of applied ethics are homosexuality, environmental concerns, animal rights, and infanticide dilemmas. This branch of ethics has normative principles that guide one in weighing whether to accept or reject controversial subjects. As an example, the normative principle of lawlessness states that one should not violate the existing laws as far as\ controversial subjects are concerned. The principle of harm says that an individual's decisions and the accompanying actions should not have detrimental effects on others.

Constructivist view, which is also a form of normative ethics, according to Street (2010), has a powerful position that has influenced behaviors and reasoning. This aspect aims at giving an account of the truth of claim concerning wrong and right from a perspective of certain contractual situations. Street (2010) further said that this view of ethics is a powerful family of positions when it comes to political philosophy and substantive or 'first-order' normative ethics.

Conclusion

Ethics plays a vital role in every society as it shapes behaviors and attitudes towards what is perceived as good or evil and wrong or right. In philosophy, applied ethics, normative ethics, and meta-ethics provide a framework that regulates human conduct and behaviors. The three models ought to be the basis of decision-making to avert emotions from overtaking logical reasoning during decision making. Applied ethics have practical applications in that it has principles that help make informed decisions about controversial subjects like abortion.

References

Balazs, Z. (2004). Moral philosophy and the ontology of relations. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 7(3), 229-251. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:etta.0000042899.06985.91Rich, K. L. (2013). Introduction to ethics. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

https://samples.jbpub.com/9781449649005/22183_CH01_Pass3.pdfStreet, S. (2010). What is constructivism in ethics and Metaethics? Philosophy Compass, 5(5), 363-384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-9991.2009.00280.x