Ethical Awareness

Ethics is the study of the morality of human actions. Ethics is also considered as the Science of happiness because it serves as a tool for man to reach his final end. It is in the very nature of man to search for truth, since man is the only living creature to be blessed with the gifts of intellect and will; also because man is creature from the image and likeness of God. To be “ethically aware” means that one is being observant of the morality or the goodness of his actions towards other persons.

Man is an individual substance of a rational nature: Persona est substantia individua naturae rationalis. This substance of man is what gives him the capacity to understand and acquire the good that he desires. Unlike other beings, he has the power of self determination to achieve this good through actions that are governed by the intellect and will. But man does not desire the good just for the sake of desiring it. Because of man’s perfectibility, he desires the good because he yearns to be completed by it. According to de Torre, man has the capacity to “transcend” oneself into infinity; man’s ability is limitless and this is what sets him apart from other creatures. Man is constantly drawn to search for beauty and truth. A human being is capable of transcending himself towards the infinite good as soon as he enters this world. This constant search for the attainment of truth and goodness is welded into man’s very being making him “surpass dignity”.

In a society, all persons must understand that all men and women are created equal. All men and women are fundamentally equal before God. This is proven in the sacred scriptures and traditions of Judeo-Christianity and Islam. In the reading “The March for Democracy and Liberty,” it was stated that the fundamental equality among all men and women is the basis of democracy.

Slavery is a clear example of an economic system without ethical awareness. This greatly violates the human rights and degrades the value of a human person. Slavery takes away the freedom of man that was rightfully given by our creator, and thus is a very serious sin. Persons are ends in themselves and never should be treated as goods or means. In slavery, persons are treated as mere tools for another end; this is the reason why slavery violates the human rights. This degrades man and gives more value to material goods.