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The Ethical Responsibility of the Possessor of Knowledge - Essay Example

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The paper "The Ethical Responsibility of the Possessor of Knowledge" explores gaining knowledge. It may be done through various means; through our senses and perceptions of the world, reasoning and understanding various situations as well as comprehending the thoughts of others…
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The Ethical Responsibility of the Possessor of Knowledge
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Extract of sample "The Ethical Responsibility of the Possessor of Knowledge"

Ethics of Knowledge Ethics of Knowledge Introduction It is commonly d that one who possesses any kind of knowledge and information has a lot of ethical responsibilities in his hands. The point to be noted is that possession of knowledge alone has no advantage to mankind; rather the decisions that are conducted in accordance to the possessed knowledge have an important effect on human beings. The issue that the decision made with the assistance of knowledge by an individual can impact others is an ethical one. In order to discuss the ethical implications of possessed knowledge, one needs to have a clear understanding of what knowledge actually means. This meaning will determine the ethical boundaries that the possessor of knowledge carries have to follow. This paper will pay emphasis to the ethical implication of possessing any kind of knowledge under the light of utilitarian and Kantian view of ethics. Body Ethics is defined as a line between the righteous acts and the acts that are considered as wrong. Two major theorists of ethics are those who follow the utilitarian rules of ethics and those who follow the Kantian rules of ethics while determining the difference between righteous acts and wrong acts. According to those who support Kantian rules, one should act and behave in the same manner as he wants to be treated and behaved with (BUTTS, 2013, p.325). This means that those activities are considered as ethical and morally correct which are conducted after the person carrying out the act is ready to accept the same actions conducted against him under similar or any situation. In the case of the supporters of utilitarian rule of ethics, they believe that those activities are correct that result in higher number of benefits and utilities for the overall society and not just one person within the society (VELASQUEZ, 2011, p.612). This means that under the rule of utilitarianism, those acts are considered as morally and ethically correct, which result in higher number of benefits for the whole society as compared to activities that could have been used in replacement. Previously it has been stated that the act of possessing knowledge has no implications or ethical responsibilities until a decision is made through the possessed knowledge and the ethical implications of possessing knowledge comes in action as the possessor makes a decision which impacts other individuals. Knowledge may be gained through various sources; reading, talking to people and understanding the world around us etc. However, every piece of information that we learn makes some impact on us either positively or negatively – something that we as individuals need to channel in order to take decisions relating to said knowledge in an ethical manner, not affecting society in an adverse way. Everything that an individual sees or does in the environment provides him with something or the other to learn. When an individual decides to transmit the information that he has, to others, he must do so in the manner that he received the same so as to not mislead people around him into believing what is false. People today are dependent on experts for information, for example, watching the news to understand what is happening in different parts of the world. However, news reporters have an ethical responsibility to transmit information in an impartial manner so as to not incline the audience into believing something that goes against society. A sociologist, who has ample amount of information regarding different societies and culture, portrays a negative image of a particular society and is doing so because he may be biased towards that particular society or culture. Moreover, an expert in any field becomes a leader carrying a great deal of information and may use his personal reason and discretion to transmit the same to the general public. He has the responsibility of doing so in an ethical manner along with proper factual data to support himself and not just appeal to the emotions of the people. He must prove to the people how his knowing scientific data is valid for possessing knowledge and this kind of ethical responsibility is regarded as the expert’s duty to accept and respect those who blindly trust what the expert has to say or preach. In certain situations, the circumstances are very dangerous and the act of transferring of information may lead to negative effects for people. For example, information possessed regarding nuclear weapons and chemical weapons can result in huge amount of damage to mankind. This is because if this information falls into wrong hands such as terrorists and extremists, they can use it to cause deaths of a large faction of society and may threaten national or/and international peace and security. Any piece of knowledge moreover, may be harmful when implemented with a view to cause harm to others. Possessing information regarding family problems and transmitting the same in a harsh manner can even cause trouble among individuals in a household! These are the disadvantages that are attached to possessing various kinds of knowledge. This view is consistent with the utilitarian view of ethics as the act of sharing such information can result in huge amount of loss to the society. Information and knowledge helps in serving justice, and the overall society benefits when justice is served. Again keeping in mind the utilitarian view of ethics, actions that assist in society benefiting should be conducted and thus it becomes the responsibility of the possessor of knowledge to provide information to the right authorities so they can in a desired manner. For example, if one witnesses a murder taking place, it is the duty of the eye witness to report correct facts to the law enforcement officials in order to ensure that the victims are brought to justice. This view of responsibility is even justified through the Kantian view of ethics. If the witness chooses not share information, he should be ready to accept same behavior from others when he/she requires such assistance. Conclusion Gaining knowledge may be done through various means; through our senses and perceptions of the world, reasoning and understanding various situations as well as comprehending the thoughts of others; in various fields ranging from school related subjects to current affairs of the world. The ethical responsibility of the possessor of knowledge is to share information in the most accurate manner as possible as people conduct actions according to that information. A knowledgeable person should not share information that can lead to negatively impacting the society and information where just justice is the underlining factor should be shared to provide maximum utility and benefit to the society. References BUTTS, J. B., & RICH, K. (2013). Nursing ethics: across the curriculum and into practice. Burlington, MA, Jones & Bartlett Learning. VELASQUEZ, M. G. (2011). Philosophy: a text with readings. Australia, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Read More

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