Ethics

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NORMS OF MORALITY

What is Morality? It is the quality of goodness or badness in a human act.

Norms? Is the guideline about what is considered normal (what is correct or incorrect)

So basically norms of morality are the standards that indicate the rightfulness or wrongfulness, the goodness or evilness. Obviously, these are qualities that cannot be measured by any mechanical device. They are spiritual qualities that appeal only to reason.

The phrase norms of morality often refer to human nature. The norms of morality are meant to compare human acts to determine whether someone is good or bad.

Theories have been created to understand the standard of morality thus the norm.

1. Hedonism - is the idea that all people have the right to do everything in their power to achieve the greatest amount of pleasure possible to them.

Good Action = Pleasure Bad Action = Pain

Pleasurable Acts

Natural Desires - Sleeping, Eating, etc.

Unnecessary and often have pains associated with them - Sex

Utilitarianism – other call it as Social Hedonism. A theory to which an action is right if it tends to maximize happiness, not only for oneself but also of everyone affected.

Good brings temporal welfare and happiness to man where as bad brings the opposite.

Two types of utilitarianism

* Individual Utilitarianism – other call it Egoistic Utilitarianism or Egoism. It is said to be based on the self. An individual ought to do what is in their own self-interest. Elevating self-interests and "the self".

* Social Utilitarianism – other call it Altruistic Utilitarianism or Altruism. It is said to be based on society. The moral value of an individual’s actions depends solely on the impact on other individuals, regardless of the consequences on the individual itself. 

2. Communism – it’s the idea that all people should contribute and create for the common good, for their posterity and for the...