Explain in detail the meaning nature and objectives of ethics
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
Ethics is mainly known as the principle of moral conduct that makes a distinction between good and bad/ evil, right and wrong, virtue and non-virtue. The word ethics is derived from a Greek word ‘ethos’ meaning character. It is a branch of knowledge that governs right and wrong conducts and behaviours of an individual, profession, group or organization. It is a core of the professional and personal lives of people. Different scholars have defined ethics differently. However different their definitions might be, ethics is always concerned with morality and right vs wrong and good vs evil. It is applied universally. There is also ethics in professions such as journalism, advertising, education, medicine, etc.
– “Ethics is the most important and functioning branch of philosophy in today. In general, ethics is moral philosophy. The term ethics is derived from Greek term Ethos which means custom, character. It is related to our values and virtues. Therefore, our actions and our experiences in everyday life are the subjects of ethics. We have the capacity to think about our choices, so we are responsible for all our decisions and actions.”
There are 3 different scopes of ethics. They are:
Meta-Ethics
Normative Ethics
Applied Ethics
1. Meta-Ethics: Meta-ethics comprises the area of situational ethics and deals with logical questions like ‘What do we mean by ‘freedom’ and ‘determinism’ etc. It delves into the nature of ethical properties, attitudes and judgements.
2. Normative Ethics: Normative ethics deals with standards or norms by which we can judge human actions to be right or wrong. It deals with the criteria of what is morally right or wrong.
The person who performs the act (the agent)
The act
The consequences of the act
3. Applied Ethics: Applied ethics is the problem-solving branch of moral philosophy. It uses the insights derived from metaethics and the general principles and rules of normative ethics in addressing specific ethical issues and cases in a professional, disciplinary or practical field. Applied ethics is the vital link between theory and practice, the real test of ethical decision-making. Applied ethics often requires not only theoretical analysis but also practical and feasible solutions.
Some of the key areas of applied ethics are:
Decision Ethics
Professional Ethics
Clinical Ethics
Business Ethics
Organizational Ethics
Social Ethics
Applied ethics takes into consideration issues such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, drug decriminalization, gay marriage, etc.
Nature of Ethics
Scientific Nature: Ethics is a normative science which determines norms, moral values in a person and an individual’s character. It is a systematic explanation of what is right and what is wrong.
Not Art: Ethics is not art as art deals with the acquisition of skill to produce objects, while morality deals with motive, intention, purpose and choice which are considered right or wrong in the light of goodness. (web)
Variable Nature: Ethics is not static. It is not always the same. Human beings change and the morality and ethical perspective in them also changes.
Exclusively for Human Beings: Ethics can only be applied to human beings as we are the ones who have the capacity for moral judgement. We cannot expect ethical behaviour from animals, as they are not as intelligent as human beings are so ethics is exclusively for human beings.
Objectives of Ethics
Ethical objectives are based on the following factors:
Objectivity
Impartiality
Accuracy
Public Accountability
Fairness
Truthfulness
The objectives of ethics are to study and assess human behaviour. It is also to establish principles and moral standards of behaviour. Ethics is not compulsory in a person’s life and it is not forced upon anyone but being ethical is one step forward towards being a good person.
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