Etymology and Definition

1.1. Etymology of “ethics”

Historic word meanings:

In early Greek: “Ethos” = Customs

In early Roman Latin: Mores = Customs

In German: Sitten (Gebräuche) = Customs

1.2. Definition of “ethics”

Personal Observations

• Historic changes have occurred in the meaning and coverage area of “ethics” and, more so, in the height or strictness of moral standards. In early cultures, ethics actually meant customs only, or customary behavior, as in communal life, dress code, cults, or war. The discussion of virtues in Aristotelian Athens referred not only to our sphere of “good” and “bad”, but also to courage, justice, temperance, and other qualifications of character. Later, during the Middle Ages, much of ethics was covered by religious or church-issued commandments and rules. “Moral” matters were no longer “customs” or aspects of character; instead, they became matters of “right” or “wrong”. Beginning with the Scholastic thinkers, “ethics” emerged as an intellectual pursuit, a discipline of philosophy. In a parallel part of society, the knights and nobility retained or revived rules of “honor”. The importance of these rules continued through World War II, especially for the nobility and the military. Their ethical “values” reflected upon the value of a person in society. With the rise of the middle class and, more so, with increasing industry and commerce, “ethics in business” arose as a concern, with the emphasis on trust and fairness. (Interestingly, the Ten Commandments do not address predatory business behavior). Since the late 18th century, in a combination of enlightenment and romanticism, “humanistic” values became important and, to a certain extent, they continue to dominate ethical thinking today. Western democracy promotes “freedom, brotherhood, and equality” - the ideals of the French Revolution, the American Bill of Rights, and the Civil Rights movement - in all their forms. Democracy also brought questions of “ethics in government”, placing the emphasis on integrity. Modern intellectualism (rationality, scientific thinking, and liberal thought) brought new movement to the interpretation and limits of acceptable ethical behavior. Much of what was unacceptable in the past is considered acceptable today.
• Moral strictness varies throughout history, in an oscillation between periods of materialistic or rational lasciviousness and religious or idealistic strictness, one being a reaction to the exaggeration of the other.
• In the past, “ethics” and “morality” covered the following areas:
  • Criminal behavior (see the Ten Commandments) and related punishment
  • Religious behavior (Christian saintliness, Jewish righteousness)
  • Human caring and compassion, humanistic values
  • Fairness and trust (beyond the law) in interhuman relations
  • Behavior of courtesy
  • Sexuality
  • Dress codes
  • also:
    • Personal and military honor
    • Ethics in business
    • Ethics in government (sense of duty versus corruption)

Large “areas” of custom are, by now, relegated to criminal and civil law, others to more or less liberal habits (new meaning of “customs”) without an ethical connotation.

In today’s word usage, “ethical” and “moral” refer only to a few remaining concerns, defined by a combination of human (humane, humanistic) emotions and culturally recognized values:

• Human caring and compassion, humanistic values
• Fairness and trust (beyond the law) in interhuman relations
• Ethics in the professions (beyond the requirements of the law) as in business, medicine, law, and so on
• Ethics in government (sense of duty and integrity)

Besides the above mentioned ideals of humanistic democracy (“Freedom, Brotherhood, and Equality”, and so forth), there is also an obvious correlation between “humanistic values” and

• the legislative recognition of what constitutes a crime and the assessment of suitable punishment (Is abortion a crime? Is the death penalty ever appropriate?)
• the concern over abuse of religious followers by religious leaders (Specifically in exotic sects)
• the concern over sexual abuse of dependents or minors
• the human interpretation of business ethics
• the human interpretation of government ethics

Through the centuries, ethics has always related to the behavior of individuals. In our time, there is an increasing call for ethical behavior of organizations (as in business) and of nations (as in international aid).

In sum:

• Ethical behavior - in its process, its results, and as a model - shall avoid disadvantage or dismay and shall bring practical or emotional benefit primarily not to oneself, but to the other party, whether to an individual, group, or society at large.
• Ethical behavior may, in an ill-defined way, relate to animals and nature at large.
• Therefore, ethical behavior is carried by an attitude of caring and respect.
• Since so much of ethics is a matter of cultural evolution, environment and learning, the judging of others must be restrained.