Ethical issues Flashcards
Moral Values
Universal or cultural ideas that have an importance attached to them, so people work towards them.
Values work together with principles to determine the behaviour of an individual and a society.
Usually socially approved, role in basis of action in ethical decision making.
Normative Standards
Actions’ and inactions of which a culture approves and disapproves.
May not be in rules or laws. An example is adultery in relationships which goes against the ethical principle of monogamy in marriage & committed relationships. Consider immoral not ILLEGAL.
Principle enforced such as family or friend not associating with the cheating partner.
Social Norms
Rules that is created by what everyone does, follow or against the law. Norms does not mean moral.
Mores ( morays )
Customs of society, groups and individuals that are important for acceptability but are not always enforced by laws.
Examples greeting in AUS = shaking hands
Japan = bow
peer pressure, change of clothes, behaviour etc because groups accepts it.
When mores get into practice it becomes a norm in at least one group. Getting off your seat in public for elderly.
Conscience
Developed ability of a human being to know right and wrong, and make decisions and carry out actions.
It is beyond just knowledge, and is encompassed of intuition and strong emotions, and influence encountered in life as people develop through process of gaining knowledge and wisdom.
Intuition
Feeling based on emotional intelligence, natural law and life experience.
Wisdom is built of intuition and reflection upon experience and observation.
World View
The way an individual, group or society interprets existence, and world history or civilisation and how they choose to act based on these interpretations.
eg. rather then viewing people in terms of nation states, they believe we are one people on one Earth.
Conscience
Developed ability of a human being to know right and wrong, and make decisions and carry out actions.
World View
The way an individual, group or society interprets existence, and world history or civilisation and how they choose to act based on these interpretations.
Assumptions
Ideas or statements believed to be trie without any supportive evidence. These are used as part of reasoning for basis for decision making.
Good for developing a reasoned argument or viewpoint on ethical issues.
But false assumptions happen, decision-making process becomes questionable.
Reasoning
Ethical decision can occur in a split second and justified in a simple manner.
“It Felt like the right thing to do.” - morality, assumption, intuition etc
For an objective analysis of an ethical issue, person needs to be aware of these various factors and consider them in reasoned manner.
Ethical Authority
Person, thing or idea used to support ethical perspective. May not be convincing, reliable, acceptable or valid as source of authority to back up argument even though the person using it as the authority behind their viewpoint may be totally convinced.
Not all claimed ethical authorities are authoritative. Possible to misused it too.
“What is an Ethical Issue?”
Matters about which there is disagreement over what is the related morally right and appropriate behaviour for human beings.
Usually two viewpoints. Viewpoints such “wrong” “right” “unworthy” “just”.
Exists in different locations, cultures, times. Context influence knowledge and thinking about the issue and determine methods for decision making used by person who is affected by decision (stakeholders)
Friends disagreeing over a move -> not ethical issue
Parents and child disagreement between them over the right to watch a movie –> may be an ethical issue.
Parents feel movie is unacceptable, immortal etc.
Deontological Ethics
It uses rules to distinguish right from wrong.
Just follow rules of society.
Utilitarian Ethics
Decisions are made on the choose outcome.
All beings share a common desire to seek pleasure and avoid plan.
