Chapter 1 Flashcards
What does the term ‘ethics’ derive from?
‘Ethics’ comes from the Greek word ‘ethos’, meaning character or custom.
Define ethics in the context of philosophy.
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that studies the rightness or wrongness of human actions.
How is ethics different from morality?
Ethics is theoretical and centers on the theory of good action, while morality is practical and prescriptive, proposing norms for actions.
What is the relationship between ethics and morality?
Ethics is the science of morals, while morality is the practice of ethics.
What is normative ethics?
Normative ethics is prescriptive and sets norms that regulate good and bad conduct.
What does normative ethics aim to develop?
Normative ethics develops guidelines that tell us how we ought to behave.
What is metaethics?
Metaethics is descriptive and analyzes the meanings and functions of ethical terms.
What questions does metaethics seek to answer?
Metaethics asks questions such as ‘What is the ‘good’?’ and ‘What does ‘doing good’ mean?’.
What is applied ethics?
Applied ethics is the application of moral theories to decide appropriate actions in specific situations.
Name a field within applied ethics.
Fields within applied ethics include:* Business ethics* Biomedical and environmental ethics* Social ethics
What is the first principle of ethics?
The first principle is integrity, requiring honesty and straightforwardness.
What does objectivity mean in ethics?
Objectivity means remaining unbiased and avoiding conflicts of interest.
What does professional competence and due care entail?
It requires continuous knowledge enhancement and adherence to technical standards.
What is expected from professional behavior in ethics?
Professional behavior requires compliance with laws, societal expectations, and refraining from discrediting the profession.
What does confidentiality require from accountants?
Confidentiality requires protecting professional information and avoiding unintentional disclosures.
