A BASIC LOOK AT ETHICS

Ethics has several attributes, some of which are universalistic in nature, while others are also
bound by time and place. It may be specific to a particular task situation, profession or area of
responsibility, example ethics of a doctor or a chartered accountant. Certain things are expected
from everyone while there may be a few specific things expected according to the nature of
groups or responsibilities.

What are Ethics?

Theodore Roosevelt said that To educate man in mind, but not in morals is to create a menace
to society. Public servants must not only do technical things correctly, but they also must
do ethically correct things. Everyone encounters ethical dilemmas; the question is when and
whether they are ready for them? If we are to consider how ethics play a part in public service,
first we must analyze the meaning of term.
The term ethics means the study of the moral standards and how they affect conduct. The Greek
root for ethics is ethics, which emphasizes the perfection of the individual and the community in
which he or she is defined.
There are some experts who debate whether or not ethics should or can be taught to adults.
Arguments are centered on to following main points:
1. That by the time one has reached adulthood, understanding of values and ethics would
have become rigid.
2. Lifelong, education can influence and modify behavior anytime, and thus ethics should
be taught.
THE BASICS:
Nearly all people acknowledge the importance of ethics; however, unfortunately very few
really understand ethics as well as they think they do or as well as they should. Ethics can be
meaningfully discussed and applied only when it is fully understood. This understanding requires
a periodic revisiting of the basics. So, what then is ethics about?
Ethics is about right and wrong. John Stuart addressed this within his work Utilitarianism(1859)
when he said we do not call anything wrong, unless we mean to imply that a person ought to be
punished in some way or other for doing it; if not by law, by opinion of his fellow creatures; if
not by opinion, by the reproaches of his own conscience.

Ethics is about virtue and vice. Vice, the opposite of virtue, shows us more clearly what virtue
is. Justice becomes more obvious when we have injustice to compare it to.
Ethics is about benefit and harm. The two essential ingredients in the sentiment of justice are
the desire to punish a person who has done harm, and the knowledge or belief that there is some
definite individual or individuals to whom harm has been done.
While ethics encompasses all of the above, it is more simply about fixed, universal rules of right
conduct that are contingent on neither time nor culture nor circumstance. And yet, it is all about
character, the traits, qualities, and established reputation that define who one is? And what one
stands for? In the eyes of other. Lastly, it is about example, an established pattern of conduct
worthy of emulation.

ETHICAL SUBDIVISION

A. Normative Ethics

Normative ethics is the study of ethical action. It is the branch of philosophical ethics that
investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how one ought to act, morally
speaking. The field of normative ethics is concerned with investigating the questions that arise
when one asks, How should one act, ethically speaking? it seems to examine the standards for
the rightness or wrongness of ones action.
There are number of areas that relate to the theoretical study of normative ethics. Traditional
moral theories rest on principles that determine whether an action is right or wrong. Classical
theories in this vein include utilitarianism, Kantianism and some forms of contractarianism.

a. Virtue Ethics
This theoretical approach to ethics was first advocated by Aristotle. Its focus was on the inherent
character of an individual rather than on specific actions performed by them. In recent times,
there has been a significant resurgence of virtue ethics.
Virtue ethics emphasizes the role of ones character and the virtues that ones character
embodies for determining or evaluating ethical behavior. Virtue ethics is one of the three major
approaches to normative ethics, often contrasted to deontology which emphasizes duty to rules
and consequentialism which derives rightness or wrongness from the outcome of the act itself.
While virtue ethics was born with Plato and Aristotle, their forms of virtue ethics are by no
means the only ones. What virtue ethics refers to, rather, is a collection of normative ethical
philosophies that plays an emphasis on being rather than doing. Another way to say this is that
in virtue ethics, morality stems from the identity and / or character of the individual, rather than
being a reflection of actions (or consequences thereof) of the individual.
Today, there is a great amount of debate among various adherences of virtue ethics about
what specific virtue is morally praise worthy. However, the one thing they all agree upon is that
morality comes as a result of intrinsic virtues this is the common link that unites sometimes
desperate normative philosophies into the field know as virtue ethics.
b. Consequentialism:
These theories argue that the morality associated with an action is related to the outcome or
result of the action. They differ by the value associated with the action or decision like below
Utilitarianism: maximum happiness for maximum people.
Egoism: maximum good for one self.
Hedonism: maximum pleasure.
Consequensialist libertarianism: maximum liberty.
Welfarerism: maximum economic well being,

c. Deontology :
Decision made with consideration of ones duties and obligations along with other individuals
rights.
contractarianism: unbiased decisions agreed as moral acts
Natural rights theory: it says that human beings have absolute, natural rights.
Categorical imperative: Foundation morality is being rational.

B. Non-Normative Ethics
a. Meta Ethics:
This refers to the fundamental nature of ethics, including whether or not such ethics have an
objective jurisdiction. More specifically, it refers to how individuals determine for themselves
what societal norms to follow. For instance, What does it mean to be right?.
Therefore, someone is to question a rule, he/she becomes engaged in an ethical discussion or
argument because ethics is concerned with the justification for a rule or set of rules. Morals are
a property of a society or an individual, while society or individuals can argue about ethics. This
is more flexible and adaptable field of ethics with less foundation to draw from and more Gut
Driven.
It is a branch of ethics that seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, statements,
attitudes and judgments. Meta-ethics is one of the three branches of ethics generally recognized
by philosophers, the others being normative ethics and applied ethics.
b. Descriptive ethics
Sometimes referred to as comparative ethics, descriptive ethics involves the study of an
individuals beliefs relating to morality. The goal of descriptive ethics is to attempt to define
individual beliefs relating to values and what actions are deemed right and wrong. It may also
include researching what actions society condemns or punishes with regards to law and/or
politics. It is important that the reader recognize that the attempt is to describe morality and not
customs, etiquette or laws of a group of people or society.
C. Applies Ethics:
Applied ethics is the philosophical examination, moral standpoint of particular issues in private
and public life that are matters of moral judgment. It is thus the attempts to use philosophical
methods to identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human life.
Need for study of ethics:

Growing cynicism about of the capacity of government leaders to protect the quality of
environment, and their ability to enhance human dignity and a general feeling of disappointment
with the conduct of elected public officials and frustration with the erosion of concept of service
and dedication among government employees; and Increasing corruption etc.., all have made
inculcation of ethics into governance infrastructure an imperative to accomplish our cherishing
goals.
References:
Berkeley University report on ethics.
Ethics and morality by Rosalind hursthouse.
by ROSHAN ZAMEER S A