Understanding what ethics really meant took me a while. However after this week’s lecture I realized what ethics really meant wasn’t just about good bad but a little more dynamic. As we were taught in the lecture of the five frameworks which build our daily life. As for the lecture, it was really interesting as presented by Mr. Jaime Within fun activities and involvement of almost everyone in the lecture theater he made each and every framework doubtless and clear. Below I would like to summarize my view and understanding of each framework as taught in lecture.
Firstly relativist ethics: which if given in an example, “in Rome do as Romans do” will be an easy dialogue to understand what relativist ethics means. Basically in this framework decisions are based more on what looks right and reasonable according to belief system or ones values and additionally right and wrong are based on social customs.
Secondly Divine Command ethics: moral is determined by the commandments of God. Whatever done accordingly is right and against is wrong. To understand easily lying which has been mentioned to be wrong and prohibited in religion cannot be done better in any other way than revealed. So basically way of life or good and bad have been mentioned and standards are set by god which his creations are to follow.
Thirdly Utilitarian Ethics: the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing about the most happiness of all those affected by it. For an example bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which took away many lives was utterly useless action. But in fact many aware of the fact that japan was planning to dominate the world by building atomic bombs debate that if not for US much more damage would have been caused by the Japanese instead. So more are benefited even though some were harmed.
Fourth Deontology Ethics: This framework mostly mentions rules and duty to be superior to other things. Deontology focuses more on the logic of a moral judgment. So in this framework even if confronted by a situation to do something wrong you do the right thing. For an easy understanding a killer kills some people. Can we hit him? The answer would be No, since violence is bad best is not hitting. If he asked which place has most people in, should we answer him? The answer would be, yes if you know answer, since lying is bad.
Fifth Virtue Ethics: based more on the good and right behavior of a person. As an example I once saw security camera footage of a worker preparing to leave for the day when he noticed a windshield wiper out of place on a car ready for shipment. On his own time, off the clock, the worker put down his personal items, got a tool, and adjusted the wiper before leaving for the day.
So after knowing all these ethical frameworks of ethics and reflecting back on myself to know what framework I really follow, I realized that as Muslims we have been shown a great example of god’s commandments by the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Where rules and regulations revealed are straight from God the Almighty. So Divine Command Ethics was the answer to my reflection of who and what framework I really follow. As Islam as a religion holds the complete guide to being a good human being.