Code of Ethics The Study of Ethics • Ethics is derived from the Greek word ETHOS which means – Characteristic way of acting
Latin word mos, mores which means-
Tradition or custom Major Branches of Ethics • Meta-Ethics – the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth-values may be determined. – seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, statements, attitudes, and judgments – Question: What does 'right' even mean? • Normative ethics – the practical means of determining a moral course of action – Standards of rightness and wrongness – investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how ought one to act – Question: How should people act? • Applied Ethics – about how moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations – identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human life – Question: How do we take moral knowledge and put it into practice? • Descriptive ethics – about what moral values people actually abide by. – people's beliefs about morality – research into the attitudes of individuals or groups of people – Question: What do people think is right? • Moral Psychology – about how moral capacity or moral agency develops and what its nature is. – Moral development focuses on the emergence, change, and understanding of morality from infancy to adulthood. The ethos of man is revealed in the following: • He is able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral • He feels within himself an obligation to do what is good and to avoid what is evil. • He feels himself accountable for his actions, expecting reward or punishment for them. What is Ethics? • Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human conduct • Ethics is said to be the study of human motivation, and human rational behavior
MORALITY - is that quality of human acts by which we call some of
this acts good and some evil.
HUMAN ACTS are those actions performed by man: knowingly
and freely, deliberate or intentional actions, or voluntary.
ACTS OF MAN which are instinctive and involuntary
Principles of Ethics • Personal Ethics – might also be called morality, since they reflect general expectation of any person in any society, acting and any capacity. Principles of Personal Ethics include: 1. Concern for the well-being of others 2. Respect for the autonomy of others 3. Trustworthiness and honesty 4. Willing compliance with the law 5. Basic justice; being fair 6. Benevolence; doing good 7. Preventing harm • Global Ethics – are most controversial of the three categories, and the least understood. 1. Global Justice 2. Society before self 3. Environmental stewardship – Protection of water and soil – Prevention of erosion and water pollution – Flood management – Wildlife conservation – Protect archaeological sites and historic features – Provide public access to the countryside – Conserve rare traditional livestock breeds and varieties 4. Interdependence and responsibility for the whole 5. Reverence – the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the power of one's superior or superiors • Professional Ethics - the rules governing the conduct, transactions, and relationships within a profession and among its publics – Honesty - truthfulness – Integrity – consistency / accuracy – Transparency - openness – Accountability – liable / responsible – Confidentiality - accessibility – Objective – meeting conditions – Respectful - honour – Within the law How good is a set of principles? • They serve as landmarks – generic indicators to be used as compelling guides for an active conscience • They are not absolute rules or values • They are more like rough measurement where an exact one is not possible • They often conflict with each other in practice and some will trump others under certain circumstances • They are compatible with the argument that we should simply follow our intuition and rely on the inner voice