ETHICS and Values Flashcards
Conscientiousness
careful, reflective, and reliable
Moral attentiveness
are aware of the various ethical dilemmas at hand.
What are NOT traits of ethical behaviour?
Code of conduct Self interest Egoistic Organisational environment Selfish Intelligent Good academic background Qualifications Expertise
Normative ethics is distinct from descriptive ethics
as the latter is an empirical investigation of people’s moral beliefs. In this context normative ethics is sometimes called prescriptive, rather than descriptive ethics.
Meta Ethics
Meta means self-referential. It means something referring to itself. It is the Ethical philosophy that analyses the meaning and scope of moral values itself. This branch of ethics asks the question of nature of morality rather than what is right or wrong. In Meta ethics we study about the origin of the moral principles, can these be made objective etc.
Ethical dissonance & dilemma
Value conflict is called dissonance & is related term to the ethical dilemma. Ethical dilemma occurs when there is wrong doing along with the wrong thinking. Repercussion of ethical dilemma can be more severe.
main theories of ethics
- Utilitarian (Consequential)
- Deontology (Duty / Rights)
- Virtue Ethics
- Divine Command theory
- Natural Law theory
subject areas of study in Meta Ethics
- Nature of ethical properties
- Statements
- Attitudes
- Judgments
Utilitarian theory of ethics is of the following types
- Rule Utilitarian
- Act Utilitarian
- Implementation Utilitarian
- Review Utilitarian
theories of social changes
The evolutionary theory
Functionalist theory
Convergence theory
Conflict theory
functionalism theory
saw societies as moving from simple to complex social structures.
unilinear evolutionary theories
which maintain that all societies pass through the same sequence of stages of evolution to reach the same destiny
Multilinear evolutionary theory
Contemporary social evolutionists like Gerhard Lenski, Jr., however, view social change as multilinear rather than unilinear. Multilinear evolutionary theory holds that change can occur in several ways and does not inevitably lead in the same direction
Functionalist theory
Functionalist sociologists emphasize what maintains society, not what changes it. Parsons a leading functionalist, saw society in its natural state as being stable and balanced. That is, society naturally moves toward a state of homeostasis.
According to his equilibrium theory, changes in one aspect of society require adjustments in other aspects. When these adjustments do not occur, equilibrium disappears, threatening social order. Parsons’ equilibrium theory incorporates the evolutionary concept of continuing progress, but the predominant theme is stability and balance.
Convergence theory
Convergence theory presumes that as nations move from the early stages of industrialization toward becoming fully industrialized, they begin to resemble other industrialized societies in terms of societal norms and technology. The characteristics of these nations effectively converge. Eventually and ultimately, this could lead to a unified global culture,
Karl Marx Conflict theorists
Conflict theorists maintain that, because a society's wealthy and powerful ensure the status quo in which social practices and institutions favorable to them continue, change plays a vital role in remedying social inequalities and injustices. Although Karl Marx accepted the evolutionary argument that societies develop along a specific direction, he did not agree that each successive stage presents an improvement over the previous stage. Marx noted that history proceeds in stages in which the rich always exploit the poor and weak as a class of people. Slaves in ancient Rome and the working classes of today share the same basic exploitation. Only by socialist revolution led by the proletariat (working class), will any society move into its final stage of development: a free, classless, and communist society. Marx's view of social change is proactive; it does not rely on people remaining passive in response to exploitation. Unlike functionalism and its emphasis on stability, Marx holds that conflict is desirable and needed to initiate social change and rid society of inequality.
social norm
Social Norms govern our lives by giving us instructions & guidance
Social Norms are the unwritten rules of behavior
Norms function to provide order and predictability in society
Norms can change according to the environment, situation, and culture
There are four key types of norms
Folkways ….. Mores…….. Taboos…… Laws
Folkways ….. Mores…….. Taboos…… Laws
increasing intensity
Informal norms
folkways and mores difference
Mores distinguish the difference between right and wrong, while folkways draw a line between right and rude. While folkways may raise an eyebrow if violated, mores dictate morality and come with heavy consequences.
Relation between Values, Morality, Character & Habit
Morality is our understanding of what is good or bad. It is more related to the cultural norms prevailing in the society.
Values we acquire on the basis of moral principles of the society.
Good values develop good character
Character is set of permanent values which we consider important
Values & character of individual decide his behaviour Ritualistic behaviour become habits which are non permanent traits
Good habits are called virtues, bad habits as vices
Culture includes things
like spoken language, education, social interactions, religious beliefs, music, and the arts.
Micro & Macro ethics
Microethics: “concerned with individuals and the internal relations of the engineering profession”
Macroethics: “concerned with the collective, social responsibility of the engineering profession and societal decisions about technology”
microethics is related to personal decisions about ethical situations in our lives and careers. Macroethics looks at bigger picture issues such as sustainability, poverty, social justice, and bioethics which need to be addressed by the engineering profession (and society) as a whole
Moral agent
Moral agent is that whose actions, character & intentions can be morally evaluated. A moral agent is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Moral agents have a moral responsibility
Resolving an Ethical Dilemma
Refute the paradox (dilemma): The situation must be carefully analyzed. In some cases, the existence of the dilemma can be logically refuted.
Value theory approach: Choose the alternative that offers the greater good and the lesser evil.
Find alternative solutions: In some cases, the problem can be reconsidered, and the new alternative solutions may arise.
