four ethical principles,
four ethical principles,
personal lives, such as what is the appropriate level of responsibility for defending another
person from harm or deciding whether to tell the truth in a certain circumstance. In light of this,
this essay will list four ethical principles, explain them, and explore how they apply to the
teaching profession.
The philosophical field of ethics is concerned with what is regarded as appropriate human
behavior, with what is good or evil, right or wrong in how people act when pursuing objectives.
An ethical principle is a declaration of the behavior or state of being necessary for the realization
of a value; it expressly connects a value with a broad course of action (Kant, 1785). Justice, for
instance, might be seen as a major value, but the term alone does not indicate what standards of
behavior or social conditions would result from include justice in our system of values. To
determine what behavior would be consistent with justice as a value, we would need a principle
of justice. The justice principle is frequently expressed as treating equals equally and unequals
unequally. If all adult citizens are politically equal, then they should all have the same political
rights and obligations, according to this principle. Everyone must vote if one person does. Some
of the ethical guidelines are listed below;
An ethical theory known as utilitarianism establishes right from wrong by emphasizing results. It
embodies consequentialism in some way. What Should a Person Do? is a practical topic that
utilitarianism aims to address. The correct response is that one should conduct in a way that
maximizes happiness or pleasure and minimizes unhappiness or suffering. The utilitarian covers
all positive and negative effects that result from an action, whether they appear before, after, or
during the action itself. Some utilitarians would not consider the decision between them to be a
moral one if the differences in the outcomes of the possible actions are not significant.
According to Lankard (2018), deeds should only be categorized as morally correct or evil if they
have such significant repercussions that a person would like to see the agent forced to act in the
desired way rather than just encouraged to do so.
Utilitarianism relies on a theory of intrinsic value to evaluate the results of actions. This theory
holds that something has intrinsic value in and of itself, independent of any additional
consequences, and that all other values are justified by their relationship to this intrinsic good as
a means to an end. According to utilitarianism, the decision that will result in the greatest good
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for the largest number of people is the most morally right one. According to Cassell (2018), the
utilitarian approach in the teaching profession places a strong emphasis on creating students who
will be able to integrate into society at a high level and make valuable contributions as citizens.
The Golden Rule states, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," which is its most
popular interpretation. Despite its popularity in common sense ethics, the golden rule has
received little attention in moral philosophy. Numerous civilizations, religions, ethical
frameworks, secular ideologies, indigenous (Native) traditions, and even the mathematical
sciences all reference the Golden Rule (e.g. the golden mean). The golden rule is frequently
linked to Christian principles, however its roots are older and it also permeates Asian society.
Typically, we understand the golden rule to be a moral code. However, in actuality, its
psychological function might be more important, alerting us to our daily self-absorption and
failing to take into account how our actions affect others (Kirrane, 2020). The guideline serves as
a reminder that we are on equal footing with other people and as such, deserving of respect. It
implies a general orientation toward other people, a perspective on how we should view our
relationships with them.
Positive relationships are essential, according to Lankard (2018), for children to feel a sense of
belonging at school, to perform well, and for the general wellbeing of the learning environment.
The Golden Rule, which states that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you, is
the foundation for developing connections with pupils. This means to be respectful of them, ask
nice questions, and correct them nicely. Accordingly, children engage more academically when
professors are encouraging toward them, respectful of them, and show real concern for them,
frequently out of a want to please them. There are not many disruptive or aggressive actions.
Teachers who fail to recognize how their own behavior, such as sarcasm and criticism, for
example, leads to behavioral issues constantly astound me.
In an effort to avoid the instructor's wrath, some pupils retreat and disconnect, while others react
in kind, which frequently leads to punishment for the very behavior displayed by the teacher.
The teacher benefits from the imbalance of power. Positive connections are essentially difficult
to develop under this dynamic, and everyone loses. Student conduct frequently reflects teacher
behavior. So, as a general rule, apply the Golden Rule to engage with pupils.
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According to the egoistic ethical theory, everyone should always behave in their own best
interests. The goal of self-interested behavior is to maximize the advantages of one's actions for
oneself and oneself only. The simplest expression of the egoism concept is, "Each person needs
to operate in a way that best serves their own self-interest, regardless of how this affects others"
(Byrne, 2019). Blanchark and Peale (2018) contend that acting only in one's own interests is a
fundamental aspect of human nature. However, you may have observed instances of people
acting in ways that don't appear to be at all advantageous to them and are totally intended to help
others.
Depending on whether it is motivated by the false belief that real goods are in competition or by
a reasonable knowledge of what to aim for collectively, it can either be beneficial or damaging in
an educational setting (for both teachers and students alike).
Lastly, the word "beneficence" refers to deeds or inner traits of mercy, kindness, generosity, and
charity. It conveys the ideas of charity, love, humanity, and advancing the interests of others
(Hare, 2019) In plain language, the concept is broad, but in ethical theory it is defined even more
broadly to embrace practically all standards, attitudes, and behaviors with the intention of
supporting or benefiting the good of others. The phrase "principle of beneficence" or "rule of
beneficence" refers to a normative declaration of a moral duty to act for the benefit of others,
assisting them in furthering their significant and legitimate interests, frequently by averting or
eliminating potential harms.
The beneficence principle dictates that all we do as teachers should be done to further the
wellbeing and good of the students. We as teachers should take into account two aspects of our
students' wellness. The first is their general welfare, which includes things like safety, physical
and mental health, relationships, jobs, etc. The second is their academic wellness, which includes
mastering learning goals, acquiring professional competence, and embracing fundamental
principles in their area of choice. While general wellbeing and academic welfare are frequently
mutually supportive, there are other occasions when the two aspects of students' welfare are at
odds. The student and I, as her teacher, will have to choose between them when they are in
conflict, sometimes with great difficulty.
Conclusion: Establishing a connection between morality and reason is vital for educationalists,
especially those who are working on moral education. This is due to the fact that moral theories
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can only be regarded as the basis for moral education if they regard morality as a logical issue
and moral assertions as statements of cognition.
References
Blanchard, K., and Peale, N. V. (2018). The Power of Ethical Management. New York: William
Morrow and Company, Inc.
Byrne, J. A. (2019). Businesses Are Signing Up for Ethics 101. London, Hutchinson.
Cassell, E. J. (2018). Ethics in Medical Education. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health
Professions 9, no. 4
Hare, R. M.: (2019), Essays in Ethical Theory, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Josephson Institute of Ethics (2020). “Five Steps of Principled Reasoning. Oxford, Oxford
University Press.
Kant, I.: (1785), Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals. Refs. to pages of early editions and
of Royal Prussian Academy edition, as given in translation by H. J. Paton, The Moral
Law, London, Hutchinson.
Lankard, B. A.(2018). Practice Ethical Behavior. Connections. School and Work Transitions.
Columbus: The National Center for Research in Vocational Education, The Ohio
State University.