A BASIC LOOK AT ETHICS

Ethics has several attributes, some of which are universalistic in nature, while others are also bound by time and place. It may be specific to a particular task situation, profession or area of responsibility, example ethics of a doctor or a chartered accountant. Certain things are expected from everyone while there may be a few specific things expected according to the nature of groups or responsibilities.

What are Ethics? Theodore Roosevelt said that To educate man in mind, but not in morals is to create a menace to society. Public servants must not only do technical things correctly, but they also must do ethically correct things. Everyone encounters ethical dilemmas; the question is when and whether they are ready for them? If we are to consider how ethics play a part in public service, first we must analyze the meaning of term. The term ethics means the study of the moral standards and how they affect conduct. The Greek root for ethics is ethics, which emphasizes the perfection of the individual and the community in which he or she is defined. There are some experts who debate whether or not ethics should or can be taught to adults. Arguments are centered on to following main points: 1. That by the time one has reached adulthood, understanding of values and ethics would have become rigid. 2. Lifelong, education can influence and modify behavior anytime, and thus ethics should be taught. THE BASICS: Nearly all people acknowledge the importance of ethics; however, unfortunately very few really understand ethics as well as they think they do or as well as they should. Ethics can be meaningfully discussed and applied only when it is fully understood. This understanding requires a periodic revisiting of the basics. So, what then is ethics about? Ethics is about right and wrong. John Stuart addressed this within his work Utilitarianism(1859) when he said we do not call anything wrong, unless we mean to imply that a person ought to be punished in some way or other for doing it; if not by law, by opinion of his fellow creatures; if not by opinion, by the reproaches of his own conscience.

Ethics is about virtue and vice. Vice, the opposite of virtue, shows us more clearly what virtue is. Justice becomes more obvious when we have injustice to compare it to. Ethics is about benefit and harm. The two essential ingredients in the sentiment of justice are the desire to punish a person who has done harm, and the knowledge or belief that there is some definite individual or individuals to whom harm has been done. While ethics encompasses all of the above, it is more simply about fixed, universal rules of right conduct that are contingent on neither time nor culture nor circumstance. And yet, it is all about character, the traits, qualities, and established reputation that define who one is? And what one stands for? In the eyes of other. Lastly, it is about example, an established pattern of conduct worthy of emulation.

ETHICAL SUBDIVISION
Normative Ethics Non Normative ethics Applied Ethics

Virtue Ethics

Consequentialism ethics

Deontological ethics Meta Ethics Descriptive Ethics

Decision Ethics

Professional Ethics

Clinical Ethics

Business Ethics

Organizational Ethics

Social Ethics

Sexual Ethics

A. Normative Ethics Normative ethics is the study of ethical action. It is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how one ought to act, morally speaking. The field of normative ethics is concerned with investigating the questions that arise when one asks, How should one act, ethically speaking? it seems to examine the standards for the rightness or wrongness of ones action. There are number of areas that relate to the theoretical study of normative ethics. Traditional moral theories rest on principles that determine whether an action is right or wrong. Classical theories in this vein include utilitarianism, Kantianism and some forms of contractarianism.

a. Virtue Ethics This theoretical approach to ethics was first advocated by Aristotle. Its focus was on the inherent character of an individual rather than on specific actions performed by them. In recent times, there has been a significant resurgence of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics emphasizes the role of ones character and the virtues that ones character embodies for determining or evaluating ethical behavior. Virtue ethics is one of the three major approaches to normative ethics, often contrasted to deontology which emphasizes duty to rules and consequentialism which derives rightness or wrongness from the outcome of the act itself. While virtue ethics was born with Plato and Aristotle, their forms of virtue ethics are by no means the only ones. What virtue ethics refers to, rather, is a collection of normative ethical philosophies that plays an emphasis on being rather than doing. Another way to say this is that in virtue ethics, morality stems from the identity and / or character of the individual, rather than being a reflection of actions (or consequences thereof) of the individual. Today, there is a great amount of debate among various adherences of virtue ethics about what specific virtue is morally praise worthy. However, the one thing they all agree upon is that morality comes as a result of intrinsic virtues this is the common link that unites sometimes desperate normative philosophies into the field know as virtue ethics. b. Consequentialism: These theories argue that the morality associated with an action is related to the outcome or result of the action. They differ by the value associated with the action or decision like below Utilitarianism: maximum happiness for maximum people. Egoism: maximum good for one self.

Hedonism: maximum pleasure. Consequensialist libertarianism: maximum liberty. Welfarerism: maximum economic well being,

c. Deontology : Decision made with consideration of ones duties and obligations along with other individuals rights. contractarianism: unbiased decisions agreed as moral acts Natural rights theory: it says that human beings have absolute, natural rights. Categorical imperative: Foundation morality is being rational.

B. Non-Normative Ethics a. Meta Ethics: This refers to the fundamental nature of ethics, including whether or not such ethics have an objective jurisdiction. More specifically, it refers to how individuals determine for themselves what societal norms to follow. For instance, What does it mean to be right?. Therefore, someone is to question a rule, he/she becomes engaged in an ethical discussion or argument because ethics is concerned with the justification for a rule or set of rules. Morals are a property of a society or an individual, while society or individuals can argue about ethics. This is more flexible and adaptable field of ethics with less foundation to draw from and more Gut Driven. It is a branch of ethics that seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, statements, attitudes and judgments. Meta-ethics is one of the three branches of ethics generally recognized by philosophers, the others being normative ethics and applied ethics. b. Descriptive ethics Sometimes referred to as comparative ethics, descriptive ethics involves the study of an individuals beliefs relating to morality. The goal of descriptive ethics is to attempt to define individual beliefs relating to values and what actions are deemed right and wrong. It may also include researching what actions society condemns or punishes with regards to law and/or politics. It is important that the reader recognize that the attempt is to describe morality and not customs, etiquette or laws of a group of people or society.

C. Applies Ethics: Applied ethics is the philosophical examination, moral standpoint of particular issues in private and public life that are matters of moral judgment. It is thus the attempts to use philosophical methods to identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human life. Need for study of ethics: Growing cynicism about of the capacity of government leaders to protect the quality of environment, and their ability to enhance human dignity and a general feeling of disappointment with the conduct of elected public officials and frustration with the erosion of concept of service and dedication among government employees; and Increasing corruption etc.., all have made inculcation of ethics into governance infrastructure an imperative to accomplish our cherishing goals. References: Berkeley University report on ethics. Ethics and morality by Rosalind hursthouse. by ROSHAN ZAMEER S A