Reply #66: definition of ethics needed... [View All]

[PabloLego]

but I'm too late for this discussion :-( It's a good'n!

"The field of ethics, also called moral philosophy, involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior."

I've found that while many here provide examples of behaviour they find objectionable as an example of why ehtics are or are not subjetive, I found no agreed upon definition of 'ethics' so I supplied one above from the Internet Dictionary of Philosophy. The sticky bit is of course the last part about right and wrong, which relativists cannot except as an absolute guiding principle. Situation ethics is of course as 'valid' a system of ethics as any other, but is it good? Many people here have made the value judgement that Situation Ethics is better than say the Christian moral philosophy...okay but why? WHY is that better and what is your basis for making that judgement? It does allows a large degree of behavioural freedom, but I think as a society-wide system would degenerate into the practice of might makes right very quickly.