"Ethics"

   By being a Greek myself I notice how the word "ethics" comes from the Greek word "ήθος" ("ethos") which basically describes how we live our lives and what our responsibilities and rights are.
What is the meaning behind the words right and wrong or good and bad?

If we want to describe it in a more clear way ethics are a system based on  moral principles...
These principles have an impact on  how all people behave and live their daily lives.
But where does the meaning of choosing what I will do stand?

My opinion is that as humans we firstly adapt to all of the already existing moral principles in the world that allow as to live in a peace and in harmony with others, and later on we develop and adapt to those we think work and benefit for us.
But how does our instinct as as human beings  have the "luxury of choosing" ?
Does it work in our conscious mind and help us basically survive and how does this function everyday with having in mind the ethical consequences of doing it?
Are our motives for doing something always self-centered?
Or do we always think about others before we act?

Just sharing my thoughts and questions on the topic, what are yours?

Maria

Feeling lost in the process...

    As we are now in week 4 of the new term I find myself a bit lost in the whole process of studying and researching...I find my practice continually changing in many ways, as I am becoming an observer not only towards others, but also towards my own self.
I'm currently trying to organize my thoughts into written words and find more studying materials so I can familiarize more with transferring ideas into paper. During everyday life I try to keep a reflective journal of what I observe and notice during my classes as well as my behavior and students reactions towards me to use as date for further research.
   Although feeling "lost" I believe that this is a sort of "rite of passage", everyone goes through this not knowing exactly where they head to, but this kind of transition is part of life, not knowing precisely what you want to research or do can mean that you can try all kind of things before presenting any finished product at the end. If you feel unsecure and unsure for something "stuck" as I say, shake yourself off and keep going , ask for help or for others opinions if you feel you cant move on with research and all the new ideas you'll get  can create a whole new prospective for you.
   What are your thoughts on getting "lost" during the journey?
Maria