Ethics Flashcards
7 important domains of ethics
Personal life, Professional Life, Socio-Cultural life, Technology, Environment, Leadership, and Health & Science
Ethics serves as a personal moral compass, guiding
individuals to make decisions that align with their values and
principles.
Moral Compass
Ethical behavior fosters personal growth, strengthening
character and integrity.
Character Building
Ethical conduct is crucial for building trust and credibility in
professional relationships and organizations.
Trust and Credibility
Ethical behavior often overlaps with legal requirements,
ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
Legal Compliance
Ethical businesses tend to enjoy long-term success, as they
build strong customer loyalty and positive reputations.
Long-Term Success
Ethical behavior fosters cultural harmony by promoting respect for diverse beliefs and traditions.
Cultural Harmony
Ethical principles underlie movements for social justice and equality, addressing issues like discrimination and inequality
Social Justice
On a global scale, ethics is crucial for international
cooperation, diplomacy, and conflict resolution.
Global Cooperation
Ethical behavior fosters cultural harmony by promoting respect for diverse beliefs and traditions.
Cultural Harmony
Ethical principles underlie movements for social justice and equality, addressing issues like discrimination and inequality.
Social Justice
On a global scale, ethics is crucial for international cooperation, diplomacy, and conflict resolution.
Global Cooperation
Ethical leaders set an example for others, influencing positive
behavior and decision-making throughout organizations and
communities.
Influence and Impact
During times of crisis, ethical leaders are better equipped to
navigate challenges and maintain public trust.
Crisis Management
Medical ethics ensure that patient welfare remains paramount in healthcare decisions.
Patient Welfare
Ethical considerations in research and experimentation
prevent unethical practices and protect human and animal
rights.
Scientific Progress
Concerned with questions of :
how people ought to act,
the search for a definition of right conduct and the good life.
Ethics
In the sense of a life
worth living or a life that is satisfying or happy
Good Life
Identified as the one causing the greatest good
Right Conduct
The word “ethics” is derived from the Greek word and means?
Ethos, meaning custom or habit
Not limited to specific acts and defined moral codes, but encompasses the whole of moral ideals and behaviors, a person’s philosophy of life.
Ethics
4 Categories of Ethics
1.Normative Ethics
2.Metaethics
3.Applied Ethics
4.Descriptive Ethics
Seeks to establish a framework or set of principles that guide individuals in determining
what is morally right and wrong.
Normative Ethics
It provides normative criteria for making ethical judgments.
Normative Ethics
Key subcategories of normative ethics include:
a. Deontological Ethics
b. Consequentialist Ethics
c. Virtue Ethics
Often associated with Philosophers like Immanuel Kant, emphasizes the inherent rightness or wrongness of actions themselves,
irrespective of their consequences.
Deontological Ethics
It is duty-based ethics that relies on moral rules and principles.
Deontological Ethics
Exemplified by utilitarianism (associated with philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John
Stuart Mill), evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes or consequences.
Consequentialist Ethics
The primary goal is to maximize overall happiness or minimize suffering.
Consequentialist Ethics
Rooted in the works of Aristotle, focuses on the development of virtuous character traits and the cultivation of moral virtues.
Virtue Ethics
It emphasizes the importance of being a virtuous person rather than merely following rules or achieving specific
outcomes.
Virtue Ethics
Delves into the nature and foundations of ethical principles and moral language.
Metaethics
It addresses questions about the meaning of ethical terms, the objectivity or subjectivity of morality, and the source of moral knowledge
Metaethics
Metaethical categories include:
a. Moral Realism
b. Moral Anti-Realism
c. Moral Nihilism
Posits that objective moral facts exist independently of human beliefs or opinions.
Moral Realism
It asserts that moral truths can be discovered and are not merely a matter of personal or cultural preference.
Moral Realism
Asserts that there are no moral facts or values, and all ethical claims are fundamentally meaningless.
Moral Nihilism
Encompasses various positions, including moral subjectivism (morality is a matter of individual feelings or preferences) and moral relativism (morality is culturally or contextually determined). These views reject the existence of objective moral facts.
Moral Anti-Realism
Focuses on the practical application of ethical
principles to specific domains or real-world issues.
Applied Ethics
Some prominent branches of applied ethics include:
a. Medical Ethics
b. Business Ethics
c. Environmental Ethics
d. Bioethics
Examines moral questions in the context of corporate practices, including issues like corporate social responsibility, fair business practices, and
ethical decision-making in the business world.
Business Ethics
Deals with ethical dilemmas in healthcare, such as informed consent, end-of-life decisions, and issues related to medical research and technology.
Medical Ethics
Explores ethical concerns related to the environment, sustainability, and the moral
responsibilities of individuals and societies toward nature.
Environmental Ethics
Addresses ethical issues arising in the fields of biology, biotechnology, and medicine, including topics like cloning, genetic engineering, and organ
transplantation.
Bioethics
It’s concerned with the empirical study of moral beliefs, values, and practices within different cultures and societies. It seeks to understand how people actually think and behave in moral situations.
Descriptive Ethics
