Exploring Ethical Foundations: From Ancient Philosophy To Contemporary Islamic Perspectives

Abstract

This article delves into the multifaceted sphere of ethics, which evolved from archaic Greek philosophy to the most recent Islamic perspectives. Ethics, as philosophy's moral investigation, examines human personality and the standards that control our behavior in society. Emphasizing the difference between morals and ethics, the study explains the components of ethics, including meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Meta-ethics as a framework involves a scrutiny of the approaches like cognitivism and objectivism, whereas normative theories such as utilitarianism and Kantian deontology are explored for understanding the moral judgment. Applied ethics [1]deals with practical ethical questions acting as a bridge between theoretical model and practical solutions. Instead of giving specific and prescriptive advice as the classical era, modern ethical perspectives are concerned primarily with philosophical analysis. The article endings with an examination of Islamic ethics are derived from Quran's principles and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that are characterized by completeness, realism, and equity. The blending of the divine guidance and practicality yields Islamic ethics which serve as guiding principles that transcend the complexity of human behavior and social interactions.