Meta-ethics, Normative Ethics and Applied Ethics | Petterson Daher
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The great Petterson Daher from the wonderful Pettisco channel talks about ethics.
Theoretical studies of Moral Philosophy subdivide Ethics into several categories, the main ones being three: Descriptive Ethics, Metaethics, and Normative Ethics.
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• Descriptive Ethics
Describes what is Good and what is Evil, through the empirical apprehension of moral phenomena. There is no normative positioning.
• Metaethics
It is abstract and epistemological, its objective is to investigate the nature of values, moral judgments (good/evil); and the meanings of evaluative language (the structures of discourse), methods, and logic.
• Normative Ethics
It rationally seeks to configure the practical field of morality in a "historical-philosophical or conceptual" study (Bitta) on the moral norms of societies, developing criteria – the focus of the problems is moral action. The main currents of thought and ethical-normative discussions can be divided into two currents of theoretical thought: Teleological Normative Ethics (or Consequentist Ethics) and Deontological Normative Ethics.
Deontological Ethics - from the Greek déon, duty – also called the Theory of Duty, focuses on the intentions and value of the action/rule, which must correspond to the internal moral aspirations of each individual.
It was the philosopher Immanuel Kant who began to chart the course for a theoretical systematization of Deontological Ethics within Moral Philosophy. He argued that our moral obligations should derive from the categorical imperative formulated as if it were a Universal Law:
"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law of mankind." (Kant)
Kantian ethics is understood as a formal ethics that presents general indications of action, not rigid norms of conduct. The indications suggest that we think of ourselves as autonomous legislators, forming our own laws and maxims, based on categorical imperatives. He argued that an action was ethical-moral when performed with a full sense of duty (morality), always recognizing the other as an end in itself, never as a means. From this perspective, the value of the consequences is independent of the action.
Teleological Ethics - from the Greek teleos, end - also called Consequentialist Ethics, is the ethics, as the name suggests, that values the consequences, the ends of the action. In opposition to Deontological Ethics, in action the intention is the least important, the consequences are what must be good. And the good is considered the natural end, happiness. The defenders of this ethics - Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Epicurus, Stuart Mill, Bentham, Hare, Singer, etc. - argued that all men should be governed by this purpose, the best options are those that offer the best results.
The utilitarian ethical doctrine is a good example of Teleological Ethics, its assumptions prescribe that the ultimate goal of all human action is happiness - "Always act in a way that produces the greatest amount of well-being".
Ethics can also be divided into two major sets: General Ethics and Applied Ethics.
General Ethics is comprehensive, it analyzes and studies the norms and moralities (and moral codes) that permeate society as a whole - precepts, rules, legislation - absorbing the cultural, spatial and historical peculiarities of each society.
The Ethics Applied ethics is a recent area of moral philosophy, more restricted than the first, seeking to govern codes of ethics for a specific category and social sector and to discuss concrete moral problems in society.
According to Singer, Applied Ethics: "... deals with practical issues such as abortion, euthanasia, whether there is justification in raising and killing animals for food, and the obligation to share our wealth with those living in extreme poverty in other countries." (Singer, 1994)
The study of this requires a qualification (intellectual/practical) in some field of interest that addresses specific ethical-social issues. Examples of Applied Ethics: Professional Ethics, Business Ethics, Animal Ethics, Ecological Ethics, Scientific Ethics, Bioethics, etc.
However, ethical reflections arise from concrete problems of the individual and society. And to understand and position oneself in the interplay between ends and means, one must at least seek rational justifications to arrive at some solid and intersubjectively sound judgment. Valid.
Although the division and classification of Ethics are precise, in methodological and conceptual terms, it is clear that we must recognize the constant dialogue between them. The development of a Moral Philosophy – Ethics – that meets the current demand for conflicts and problems, inalienably depends on trans- and interdisciplinary studies and a more intimate conversation with other areas of knowledge (such as Biological and Exact Sciences).