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Con questions such as "when is an act right?" or "when is an act wrong?', and "what is the, thend y ETHICS, B. A. PART I (PAPER 'A') UNIT-1", Q. No. 1 Meaning and Nature of Ethics:-, Ethics is a branch of philosophy. It may be defined as the philosophical, study of morality. It is the moral philosophy or philosophical thinking about morality,, moral problems and moral judgements., The word 'Ethics' is derived from the Greek word ethos which means, customs, habits or character. Ethics is also called 'Moral Philosophy'. The word 'Moral", is derived from the Latin term mores which also means customs, habits or manners. So, the term 'moral philosophy' is often used as another name for ethics., I:ndeed, ethics is the science of character and conduct. It is concerned with, nature, or determining standard, of good and bad? In other words, ethics is the study of, what is morally right or wrong, good or bad in human conduct. It thus evaluates the, voluntary and habitual actions of human beings and considers their rightness and, wrongness. It is concerned with the ideal or standard of human ife to which our conduct, should conform. Ethics is thus a philosophical study about norms or values, about icieas, of right and wrong, good and bad, what ought and what ought not to be done.), Briefly, ethics is concemed with two kinds of question: Firstly, with, deciding the generel principles on which ethical terms such as good, bad, right, wrong, duty, responsibility etc. are to be applied to anything; and Secondly, with defining, precisely what these terms mean. The first is called Normative Ethics; the second is, called Meta-ethics., Nature-of Ethies:, The fellowing points highlight the iistinctive-nature of ethics:, Ethics is a Normative Science:- A normative science deals with values or norms, which regulate human life. Ethics is a normative science. It deals with human, conduct as it ought to be rather than as it is. It seeks to determine norms, ideals or, standards in order to regulate human behaviour in a certain pattern. It also, formulates the principles of good action. Ethies also sets up 'nerms' or, "standards' with reference to which generally accepted moral principles and, practices may be assessed. Thus ethics, like logic and aesthetics, is a normmative, science.

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** Ethics is a Science, but not a Practical Science: Though ethics is a science,, bur it is a normative science and not a practical science. A practical science is, concerned with means for the realization of a definite end. Ethics is not, concerned with the means to the end. Ethics, as a normative science, discusses, the ideal of goodness or rightness, but not directly concerned with the means by, which this ideal can be realized. It gives us knowledge of guiding principles of, life, but does not tell us how to apply them., 3. Ethics is not a Natural or Positive Science: - Natural or positive science deals, with judgements of fact. It studies what is', Ethics, as a normative science, deals, with judgements of value. It studies what 'ought to be'. It studies values, ideals, and standards. Its conclusions are not factual but axiological. Ethics deals with, the standards by which we judge human actions to be right or wrong. Thus ethics, is not a natural or positive science but a normative one., 4• Ethics is not an art: - Ethies is not an art of conduct. It is not the branch of study, which teaches us the art of life. It only teaches us the moral precepts or rules of, conduct; but does not teach us how to realize them in practice. Indeed, ethics is a, theoretical science. It delermines the nature of right and wrong, good or bad with, reference to the Supreme Good. But it daes not teach us the art of living a meral, life. Moreover, he basis of ethics and art are different. Art is based on its extermal, form and its resuits while ethics is based on inner motive. Thus ethics is neither a, practical science nor an art. It is simply a normative science., 5. Ehics is a seience of conduct: - Ethics is a normative science of conduct. It is, the science of rightness or wrongness of conduct. It evaluates the habitual and, voluntary actions of human beings. It seeks to determine the supreme ideal, involved in human conduct. Ethics may also be defined as the seience of, character or habit. It evaluates the character of persons and consider its, virtuousness or viciousness. Character is the inner counterpart of conduct, and, conduct is the outer expression of character. Thus ethics is the science of human, character as expressed in right or wrong conduct., In brief, ethies is a normative science and not a natural science. But, from another point of view, ethics is a philosophy rather than a science. Still from, ancther point of view, it is a science rather than an art. It is a theoretical or, speculative science rather than n praciical science. Ethics is not an art of conduct, at all., Courtesy: DR. P. P. SINGH.

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Q. No. 2 Scope of Ethies:-, Since ethics is concerned with human conduct and since conduct is, expressed in many spheres of human action, the scope of ethics is very wide. It studies all, the aspects of human conduct from the moral point of view. Thus its scope is the range of, its problem and subject-matter which is discussed under the following headings:-, 1. Moral Predicates:, The major subject-matter of ethics is the study of moral, predicates such as good, bad, right, wrong, duty etc. Ethics is primarily concerned, with defining precisely what these terms means when applied to objects, actions, or characters. Ethics also searches the real nature of these concepts., 2. Moral Judgements: - Moral judgements may be regarded as the judgements, about deliberate actions, about the persons performing those actions or about the, ends at which these actions aim. Ethies studies the nature of the moral, judgements. It also studies the subjectivity, the objectivity and the criterion of, moral judgement., 3 ., Moral Standard:, concerned with the ideal or standard of moral life It seeks to define the moral, ideal or the Highest end to which our conduct should conform. Ethics also lays, down the standard of the Supreme Good with reference to which we pass moral, judgements,, Ethics, as a normative seience of human conduct is, Ultimate Ends; - Ethics also deals with the ultimate end of the human conduct. It, enquires into the nature of the ultimate good or the Summun bonum of life. It also, investigates the general principles for determining the true worth of the Highest, good of human conduct., S. Sense of Duty or Moral Obligation: Ethics as the science of oughtness is also, concerned with moral obligation or duty. It studies the nature, origin and basis of, moral obligation or sense of duty., 6. Freedom and Responsibility: - Another main area of the study of ethies is to, discuss the nature of human freedom. It assumes the freedom of the will. But, freedom is conjoined with responsibility. Ethics thus enquires together into the, nature of freedom and responsibility.

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Social Problems: - In every society we find certain problems and social evils., Ethics studies the origin, nature and causes of social problems and evils. It also, tries to find out the possible solutions of these problems., 8. Meta-ethical Study of Morality- With the publication of Emotive Theory of, Ethics in texts, monographs and journals of Philosophy in a recent past, the, rational justification of moral ideals and beliefs has been largely challenged. The, emotive theory of ethical judgements nullifies the rational character of moral, thinking. Consequently it has led some moral philosophers for the meta-ethical, study of morality., 9. Anplied Ethics: - At the end of the 20th Century, ethics attempts to focus its, attention on certain concrete moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, suicide,, sexual fidelity, animal rights, medical ethics etc. The 20th Century Moral, Philosophers pay special attention to these moral issues., Thus, the scope of Ethics is very wide as it covers all aspects of human, conduct from the moral point of view., Courtesy: DR. P. F. SINGH

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B.A PART II (PAPER-A) UNIT-1, Q. No. 4 Aim of the study of Ethics., Ethics is a branch of philosophy. It may be defined as the philosophical, study of morality. It is the moral philosophy or philosophical thinking about morality,, moral problems and moral judgements., The word 'Ethics' is derived from the Greek word ethos which means, customs, habits or character. Ethics is also called 'Moral Philosophy'. The word 'Moral', is derived from the Latin term mores which also means customs, habits or manners. So, the term 'moral philosophy' is often used as another name for ethics., Indeed, ethics is the science of character and conduct. It is concerned with, questions such as "when is an act right?" or "when is an act wrong?', and "what is the, nature, or determining standard, of good and bad?" In other words, ethics is the study of, what is morally right or wrong, good or bad in human conduct. It thus evaluates the, voluntary and habitual actions of human beings and considers their rightness and, It is concened with the ideal or standard of human life to which our conduct, wrongness., should conform. Ethics is thus a philosophical study about norms or values, about ideas, of right and wrong, good and bad, what ought and what ought not to be done., Briefly, ethics is concerned with two kinds of question: Firstly, with, deciding the general principles on which ethical terms such as good, bad, right, wrong, duty, responsibility etc. are to be applied to anything; and Secondly, with defining, precisely what these terms mean. The first is called Normative Ethics; the second is, called Meta-ethics., Following are the main aims of the study of Ethics:-, 1. Understanding of Moral Predicates:- The first and foremost aim of ethics is to, achieve a full understanding of moral predicates such as right, wrong, good, bad,, duty, responsibility etc. Ethics seeks to know how they function in moral, language when people express their moral convictions, preseribe conduct,, appraise character and evaluate what they and other have done. It is thus the, function of ethics to make a careful and through analysis of the meaning of, moral predicates used in moral discourse.