Abstract: If a person obeys all kinds of rules and regulations in the society and maintains pleasant relationships with other members of community then peace will automatically prevail in that society and society will get rid of all kinds of crimes and immoral activities which become disaster for the society. Chapter 1 Introduction: Ethics are a set of beliefs about right and wrong. Social ethics are the traits which people follow according to their customs and traditions for a harmonious life. A man learns social ethics in every step of age like in our childhood we learn how to react with our fellows and teachers. In today era, societies contain many crimes but just imagine for a while that entire population has no sense of ethics then you can decide what will be the consequences. Social ethics help to run our society smoothly so to ignore its importance will not be justice to the people of the society. Chapter 2 Literature Review: Two types of reviews of social ethics are present in literature; Utilitarian Ethic Review: Greatest good of the greatest number. The worth of an action rests in its overall utility. Ends justify means. (John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham) Kantian Ethic Review: Act in each case as you would in all. Do as you would be done by. (Immanuel Kantian) Chapter 3
The implication of this being that in order for an action to be moral why it is done must be able to be why it is done by anyone, anywhere, at any time. A clear example of this imperative comes when one considers lying. If one lies and presumes that lie to be moral, that lie must then be able to be made the universal law. If lying were the universal law one could not lie as lying relies on truth-telling as universal law to serve its function. In his second formulation, Kant states "Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means."
Ethics Awareness Inventory Kristeena Stiles PSY/ 490 September 29, 2014 Professor Foster Ethical Awareness Every individual view ethics differently, but individual that understand ethics can very well determine what is right and what is wrong. The understanding on the differences of when to use morals and when to use the ethical side came a difference. In this paper, it will discuss the role and importance of personal ethics by principles, code of conduct, and in psychology.
Rational humans should be treated as an end in themselves, thus respecting our own inherent worth and autonomy to make our own decisions. This part of Kant’s ideology may limit what we could do, even in the service of promoting an overall positive, by upholding the principle of not using people with high regard, thus serving as a moral constraint. Deontology remains as the stronger ethical framework as it explicitly lists out how one should act morally through absolute, universal laws, and also by promoting not using others as a mere means, but rather as an end in itself. On the other hand, Utilitarianism, a consequentialist theory, stems from the idea that every morally correct action will produce the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people.
In McCartney, Steve, and Rick Parent. Ethics in Law Enforcement. BCcampus, BC Open Textbook Project, 2015 they state, “We instinctively know that it is good to be moral and act with integrity, but by coming to an understanding of the reasons for morality and integrity, we will be motivated to champion such behaviour.” I believe ethics is important in our everyday lives. We must understand these basic principles and how they relate to the different aspects in humanity.
Within the history of the Western tradition of ethics, The modern period of the sixteenth century to the twentieth century was home to the conception together with the birth of modern science. This world also began to coincide with that of the protestant reformation. From this time there has been the conception of four predominant ethical approaches. That being the tradition of faith by the Puritans, the ethics of moral sentiment by the passions, imperatives, and utilitarianism which grew from scientific development. These modern approaches are the creations of a few key players of this time, being Hume, Kant, and Luther, just to name a few.
Humans are not born with the idea of looking out for the welfare of others, we naturally want to satisfy ourselves. Respect and rules are important, in running an orderly society. Many leaders will demand respect, earning respect far succeeds that of demanding, in ruling a society. Morals give us a sense of right and wrong. This is taught to us as children, and repeated until we understand right from wrong.
Commonly, ethical systems are categorized into two major systems. The deontological approaches or normative ethical position which judges an action based on the adherence of the action to certain rules and the teleological approaches which judges primarily based on the consequences of an action (Hare, 1964). The Utilitarianism is assigned to the teleological approaches, as it does not evaluate an action by itself but by it’s
Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are two of the most notable philosophers in normative ethics. This branch of ethics is based on moral standards that determine what is considered morally right and wrong. This paper will focus on Immanuel Kant’s theory of deontology and J.S. Mill’s theory of utilitarianism. While Mill takes a consequentialist approach, focused on the belief that actions are right if they are for the benefit of a majority, Kant is solely concerned with the nature of duty and obligation, regardless of the outcome. This paper will also reveal that Kantian ethics, in my opinion, is a better moral law to follow compared to the utilitarian position.
The concept of ethics entails systemizing, justifying, and recommending right and wrong conduct. It involves in practical reasoning: good, right, duty, obligation, virtue, freedom, rationality, and choice. Humanity has questioned this concept of ethics and ‘good’ for as long as it has survived, as it deals with real-life issues such as “what is morally right and wrong?” and “how do people ought to act?”
Ethics help us develop moral reasoning, define criminal activity and what society dispense as acceptable punishment. Law enforcement agents need to operate ethically, and the society will more likely be open and ethical in interaction with them. Attorneys need to uphold ethical behavior, and not aiming to win all cases at all costs. Self-participation has to include people’s willingness to share information, participating in the jury and self-reporting criminal activities. Ethics is applied in decision making in criminal justice for effective and just decisions.
I hope to convince the reader that Kant’s Categorical Imperative is the better way to live a morally conscious life and more practical to follow as well. First I will briefly describe both Kant’s and Mill’s principles. Then I will go on to explain the advantages and disadvantages of both. Finally, I hope to provide a counterargument for some of Kant’s Categorical Imperatives downfalls. Kant states the Categorical Imperative as: "Act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will and general natural law."
First, I will explain the Formula of Universal Law and focus on the ethical position of duty belonging to Kant’s deontological ethics. Next, I’ll present Kant’s lying promise case and will analyze his explanation of it being immoral through the Formula of Universal Law. Finally, I’ll end by stating my disagreement with Kant’s
Generally, ethics is defined as the rule for carrying out certain behaviors by distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable behavior (Resnik, 2015). In other words, ethics assists in determining whether a decision is right or wrong when given a choice. As a matter of course, decision-making is first predisposed by personal ethic that is constructed on personal experience and conscience (Fritzsche & Oz, 2007) . It tends to be affected by family and friends (Ferrell & Gresham, 1985). Not only does personal ethics guide human behavior but also social ethics (Shaw, 2002).
Virtue ethics started drawing attention since the modern ethics exposed its limitation and reconsideration about the priority was needed. Contemporary ethics focus on “What we should do”, instead of “What kind of person we should do”. In consequence, the moral codes in modern era solely emphasizes moral duty and rules, while neglecting personality and character of individuals. Virtue ethics support the traditional criterion that consider moral virtue and personality of individuals as important. The virtue of good engineer includes creativity, good understanding of culture, morality, and capability of communication.
As children, we were taught by our parents that it is wrong to lie, cheat, and steal. As we grow up and enter into the real world with some knowledge of right and wrong, we see, first hand, the importance of ethics as well as its complexity. The role of ethics in our society and in an individual’s life is very necessary because it has a large influence on today, as well as the future. We need to learn about good ethics because they guide our decisions, make us who we are, and determine our future.