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Ethics

Ethics made Easy

Rick’s handy tear-out’n’keep guide to the main positions in moral philosophy.

For two millennia the West has been dominated by Christianity, and the ethical systems associated with it have shaped (and been shaped by?) our commonsense ideas of what is right and wrong. Christian ethics derives from the ideas of the Old Testament and of Jesus Christ, modified to some extent (the exact extent being a matter of fierce dispute) by St Paul. The major tenets of Christian ethics are to love God, and “love thy neighbour”.

Secular Ethics

For a long time, moral philosophers mainly developed variations on the Christian theme. However, with the Enlightenment, the view became popular that our behaviour towards others should be based on other, non-religious grounds.

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