“Ethics of Social Consequences” and “Ethics of Development” as Theories Belonging to Stream of Ethics of Act
Abstract
This article presents the author’s main assumptions of two professors’ ethical theories – Vasil Gluchman and Grzegorz Grzybek, that is: “ethics of social consequences” and “ethics of development”. It presents the similarity of “ethics of social consequences” to “ethics of reverence for life”. It shows the definition of the act, the nature, types and its special place in the two theories. It highlights three major historical perspectives on the standard of morality: eudaimonism, deontonomism, personalism. It relates these considerations to the analyzed theories. At the end, a new dimension of the act in the context of the present day is indicated. It is, of course, to help people in need, the poor and the hungry. There is a reference to Peter Singer, whose philosophy was the inspiration for V. Gluchman and G. Grzybek. The summary can be a significant remark that the pursuit of high moral standards leads one on the right track of procedure. Thinking about morality in terms of “black – white” is a mistake. Life has more shades. Therefore, we should praise people for much better deeds than these, which most people can afford, and rebuke – for a lot worse. If someone does more than he should, it is hard to scold him that he does not do much more.