1. Basic
Concepts
ETHICS FUNDAMENTS
1

2. 1. What would be
a good definition for
ETHICS?
2. What about MORAL
and MORALITY?
3. What is the connection
between the 3?
Do we really need them?

3. ETHICS (tasks)
A sub-field of philosophy
1. Clarification: what?
2. Foundation: why?
3. Application: where and how?
3
"El aporte de la Ética en la sociedad del siglo XXI”, Dr.
Emilio Martínez Navarro

5. ETHICS (d.)
 From ethos: “character” or “custom” (habit)
 d: A branch of philosophy concerned with
moral principles and values…and how
people should live their lives.
 Ethical philosophers are concerned with
the ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ as they
apply to human affairs.
5
"ethics" A Dictionary of Sociology. John Scott and Gordon Marshall. Oxford University Press 2009.
Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. ITESM. 9 August 2011 http://0-
www.oxfordreference.com.millenium.itesm.mx/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t88.e750
Ordieres, Alejandro. Fundamentos para una Ética Ciudadana. McGraw Hill, 2010. p. 12

6. MORAL (d.)
From mos or moris: customs
adjective: Relating to principles of
right and wrong in behavior
noun: Moral practices or teachings
(modes of conduct)
6
“moral” Merriam Webster Dictionary
Ordieres, Alejandro. Fundamentos para una Ética Ciudadana. McGraw Hill, 2010. p. 17.
d: A code of norms, beliefs, values, and customs that
guide a person’s behavior (as a member of a
community) or a group.

7. How do we acquire our
moral orientation?
a. Obtaining reasons to behave in a
certain way.
b. Following examples of moral
behavior.
c. Developing abilities for our personal
reflection and the dialogue with
others.
= our own moral conscience.
7
"El aporte de la Ética en la sociedad del siglo XXI”, Dr. Emilio Martínez Navarro.

8. How does society acquire
its moral code?
a. Popular traditions
b. Religions
c. Judicial dispositions
= each cultural group sees their own
way of living as natural, right, and
good.
8
"El aporte de la Ética en la sociedad del siglo XXI”, Dr. Emilio Martínez Navarro.

9. CONTRATO DE MAESTRAS 1923
Fuente: ‘La Revista del Consejo Nacional de la Mujer’, Año 4, Nro. 12. marzo 1999. Buenos Aires.
 Inspirado en los contratos norteamericanos, las escuelas argentinas
de las primeras décadas del Siglo XX solían acordar con sus
maestras algunas pautas de comportamiento [en] el famoso contrato
del “Consejo Nacional de Educación”, todo un orgullo para las chicas
de los años 20, en una de las pocas profesiones con prestigio social
al que podían acceder.

10. 1. Both words mean the same
2. Both establish codes and norms of conduct
3. Both determine how the individual should behave and classify
him/her as good or bad.
ETHICS
1. It is the result of an individual
proposition.
2. Its norms come from the
conscience’s interior, not the
exterior.
3. The value proposed by the
conscience comes from within.
MORAL
1. It comes from a social group.
2. Its norms are established by
the exterior (i.e. society)
3. The norms are applied with the
use of an external force (i.e.
laws)
10SimilaritiesDifferences
Ordieres, Alejandro. Fundamentos para una Ética Ciudadana. McGraw Hill, 2010. p. 19

11. MORALITY (d.)
The codes of conduct…
a. put forward by a society
or another group (such as
a religion), and
b. accepted by an individual
for his/her own behavior
11
“morality” Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/

12. 12
morality
…assimilates
and lives the
values
proposed by
the
society/group
The individual
is capable of
living
according to
those
norms…
The
society/group
establishes
norms and
codes of
conduct.
Ordieres,Alejandro.FundamentosparaunaÉticaCiudadana.McGrawHill,2010.p.21
*It involves codes of conduct
that, given specified
conditions, would be put forward
by ALL rational persons.

13. Our morality tries to answer
questions such as…
“What should I do with my life?”
“Which are the values and principles
that I should follow?”
“How could we live in a better and
more civilized way?”
13
"El aporte de la Ética en la sociedad del siglo XXI”, Dr. Emilio Martínez Navarro.