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Ethics Short Notes

The document discusses ethics and human interface. It defines ethics as the systematic study of human actions from the perspective of right and wrong. It notes that ethics deals only with human actions done consciously and deliberately. The branches of ethics are descriptive ethics, normative ethics, meta-ethics, and applied ethics. Determinants of ethical behavior include individual personality traits, culture, and organizational influences. Values are principles that guide judgment and behavior. Morality and ethics both relate to right and wrong but ethics focuses more on social systems while morality focuses more on personal character.

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2K views3 pages

Ethics Short Notes

The document discusses ethics and human interface. It defines ethics as the systematic study of human actions from the perspective of right and wrong. It notes that ethics deals only with human actions done consciously and deliberately. The branches of ethics are descriptive ethics, normative ethics, meta-ethics, and applied ethics. Determinants of ethical behavior include individual personality traits, culture, and organizational influences. Values are principles that guide judgment and behavior. Morality and ethics both relate to right and wrong but ethics focuses more on social systems while morality focuses more on personal character.

Uploaded by

sumantiwa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. ETHICS AND HUMAN INTERFACE

ETHICS:-Systematic study of human actions from the point of view


of rightfulness and wrongfulness to attain ultimate happiness.

 Ethics in public administration: How the public administrator


should question and reflect in order to be able to act
responsibly.

SCOPE OF ETHICS:-deals only with human actions.

Human Actions Actions of human


Done by human consciously, Done by human not wilfully,
deliberately with view of an end deliberately and consciously
Eg: walking, sleeping

 Ethics is not morality.


 Ethics is not religion
 Ethics is not following the law
 Ethics is not following culturally accepted norms.

Why should we adopt a moral point of view?

 Human being by nature tends to good. The ethical principles


and moral practices helps a person to perfect
himself/herself.
 There is a subjective as well as an objective part to every
human action.
 For the functioning of any society we need certain rules and
regulations.
 Morality aims to provide us with a common point of view
about what all of us ought to do.

Branches of Ethics

Descriptive ethics Normative ethics Meta- Ethics Applied ethics

Descriptive Ethics: Study of people’s belief about morality.ie; it


studies history and evolution of ethics-general pattern of
people’s way of life in different communities. Eg:-Lawrence
Kohlberg’s Theory of moral consciousness.

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Normative ethics(Prescriptive ethics):study of ethical theories


that prescribe how people ought to act. It suggests punishment
when a person deviates from path of ideals. Eg:- Aristotle’s
virtue ethics, Bhagawad Gitas Nishkam Karma Yoga.

Golden rule “We should do to others what we would want


others to do to us” is a normative principle.

Meta Ethics:- Study of origin and meaning of ethical concepts.


Two prominent issues in Meta Ethics:

 Metaphysical issues concerning whether morality exists


independent of humans
 Psychological issues concerning the underlying mental
basis of our moral judgements and conduct.

It analyses ethical concepts like right, wrong, good or bad.

Applied Ethics: Analyses specific , controversial moral issues such as


abortion, animal rights or euthanasia. Deals with questions like:

 Is getting an abortion immoral?


 Is affirmative action right or wrong?
 What are human rights, how do we determine them?
 Do animals have rights as well?

Features necessary for an issue to be applied ethical issue:-

 There must be significant number of people for and against


the issue.
 It must be a distinctly moral issue and not just a social
controversy.

Determinants of Ethical Behaviour:-

 Individual personality traits:- individual value system,


upbringing, education, religious beliefs, experiences etc
 Culture/ country of an individual
 Organisation/ industry:- prevailing ethics of the organisation
for which the individual works for.

Determinants of Ethics in Governance: social, economic, political,


cultural, legal- judicial and historical contexts of the country.

Values:- individual principles or qualities that guide the judgement


behaviour of a person. A person with strong values sticks to his
principles.

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Intrinsic Values(Absolute Values) one which has worth in its own


right; retain if they were to exist completely alone; are an end in
itself. Eg: Truth, beauty, goodness, courage etc.

Extrinsic Values:- (Instrumental values) -one which is a means to


some other value; they are means to an end. eg: Wealth, fame,
physical fitness.

Values can be graded as:

 Positive and Negative values


 Productive and Unproductive values
 Permanent values and transient values

Values corresponding to three physical functions of human mind:

 Thinking – Intellectual Values (Truth)


 Feeling – Aesthetic Values (Beauty)
 Willing – Moral Values (Goodness)

Morality and Ethics:

Morality Ethics
Delves into right and wrong at a Defines the code that a group of
much deeper level, both people or society adhere to
personal and spiritual
Define personal character Stress a social system in which
morals are applied.

Ethics, Values and Morals:

Ethics- used by members of a profession or group to determine the


right course of action in a situation.

Values – describe ideas that we value or prize.eg: Equality, Social


justice.

Morals: behavioural code of conduct to which an individual ascribes.

Value System:- Values form value systems; enduring organisation of


beliefs concerning preferable modes of conduct.

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