Ethical System - an Overview - Assignment Example

? Ethics and number submitted Ethics Ethics is one of the most debatable topics in almost every aspect of our life (Stahl, 2008, p. 27). There is a lot of subjectivity and conflicts of opinions in the field of ethics. This conflict of ethical perspectives originates in the conflict of cultures, norms, beliefs, values, trends and traditions. Our perceptions of ethics and our definition of good and bad is fundamentally influenced by our cultural traditions and learning. This paper provides a comprehensive insight into my perceptions about the different aspects of ethics including the most convincing system of ethics, ethics’ principles, definition of good life, source of ethics, definition of ethically bad life, judgment in the realm of ethics, value of ethical decisions beyond immediate outcomes, and its implications on humans. The sense of and compliance with the principles of ethics is what makes man superior to all living creatures. The most convincing ethical system is utilitarianism. It is “probably the basic moral philosophy of most nonreligious humanists today’’ (Harris, 2002, p. 119). Utilitarianism suggests that in any situation, one should adopt that course of action that maximizes the utility for all of the sentient beings. An action that is generally considered objectionable in normal circumstances might be the right course of action in a particular situation because the context and situation might be equally different and unique. One needs to see what is the requirement of a given situation and in what potential ways can the maximum utility of a decision can be achieved in a positive way. Nevertheless, there is a certain level of subjectivity in this process that is difficult to avoid. This involves concerns about whether one should maximize the average, or the sum of the total utility. In addition to that, the utility of future beings also needs to be taken into account. In any case, the only factor that one should care about is maximizing the utility. The fundamental principles of ethics are maintenance of discipline and decorum and spread of mental as well as physical well-being. According to web.mnstate.edu (2012), there are four fundamental principles of ethics, namely the principle of beneficence, respect for autonomy, nonmalefience, and justice. The principle of beneficence obliges us to take such measures that make our actions good. This means that we should make effort to prevent others from harm. Nevertheless, adoption of this principle often involves us into a conflict with the respect of others’ autonomy. We are ethically obliged to have reverence for others’ autonomy so that their decisions regarding their lives are respected. It is the fundamental principle of human dignity. The principle of respect for autonomy deters us from interfering in the competent adults’ decisions and assigns us the responsibility of empowering others. The principle of nonmalefience instructs us not to harm others. In cases where it is not possible to avoid the harm altogether, we are ethically obliged to minimize the harm. Our actions should be such that more good is produced in their consequence than harm. The principle of justice requires us to give others what they deserve. Therefore, we need to consider all people equal and should deal with them impartially. The good life is that in which one never deters from getting one’s right and at the same time, always grants others their rights. An ethically good life is indeed a life that is functionally good (McKinnon, 1999, p. 69). In this world, everybody is interconnected. We have certain obligations toward others and others also have some obligations toward us similarly. To live a good life, we should neither compromise upon our own rights nor deny others their rights. If we compromise upon our own rights but grant others their rights, we essentially become selfless. Selflessness is just as harmful, if not more, for the quality of life as selfishness is. If we always get our rights but do not grant others theirs’, we become selfish that brings the quality of life down because we become socially excluded or get involved in activities that cause more harm than good. A good life does not mean a life without challenges or problems. Human psychology has been naturally designed in such a way that we need to encounter challenges in order to explore our own hidden abilities. It is the very abilities that empower us and improve our quality of life. Therefore, facing challenges is not a problem, but avoiding challenges is! Ethics cannot be exclusively characterized either as a natural or a learned behavior in its entirety. It is partly natural and partly learned. Every human being is born with a conscience that tells him/her what is right and what is wrong. We are naturally born with the sense of differentiating between justice and injustice, good and bad, happiness and sadness, and right and wrong. It is the very ability of telling one aspect from the other that makes us superior to all living creatures and makes us human beings. We do not wear clothes just because we have been taught or told to wear clothes. We would feel the need to cover our bodies even if no one told us to do so. Same holds true for every aspect of life. Nevertheless, our conscience and feelings are heavily influenced by what we think, and our thinking in turn is heavily influenced by what we are taught. Therefore, the role of learning in the development of our sense of ethics cannot be overlooked. What we are taught from the early childhood becomes embedded in our minds and our way of thinking is fundamentally influenced by our learning both that we get from our guardians in the early stages of life and through the various experiences we get in everyday life as we grow. An ethically bad life is one in which we cause more harm to the society than good if our actions are assessed in totality. A person that leaves the world in more pain and sorrow than peace, he has essentially lived an ethically bad life. Following the principle of the theory of utilitarianism, whether life is ethically good or bad fundamentally depends upon the utility of our actions. If the utility and overall happiness in the world has increased as a result of our actions, we have lived an ethically good life. Similarly, if the utility and overall happiness in the world has decreased or correspondingly the overall sorrow in the world has increased as a result of our actions, then we have lived an ethically bad life. Nevertheless, it is imperative that an individual deliberately chose to do more harm than good in order to live an ethically bad life, because there is no accountability in ethics without conscious decision making. There is no better judge to declare whether we have lived an ethically good or bad life than our own conscience. Leaders are appreciated for some of their actions on one hand and criticized for others on the other hand. While the extent to which their actions spread peace or violence is debatable and is subject to the individualistic and collective interests of the analysts, a leader has lived an ethically bad life if he deliberately chose to spread violence or terrorism in the society. There are a variety of ways in which humans differentiate between good and bad in the realm of ethics. In most of the scientific and professional settings, people use theories of ethics like the utilitarian theory and the deontological theory of ethics to reach their decisions depending upon which theory appeals to them more in the given circumstances. There is also a considerable population of people that differentiate between the good and bad actions on the basis of their religious teachings because they consider their religion their cardinal and most fundamental source of ethics. The value of ethical actions extends beyond the immediate outcomes of those actions. It includes the long-term consequences of the actions. Besides, the ethical actions taken by an individual help us understand that individual as a person. We may or may not be directly affected by others’ actions, but only through observing their actions and their intentions behind those actions irrespective of the outcomes is a fundamental way how we build our perceptions about others. Besides, what we do in this world has implications on our life both in this world and in the world hereafter. Human beings are not free. This world is like an exam hall. What we do here has implications on this life immediately and our future in the life after death eventually. God has given us the powers that we use. It is our moral and ethical responsibility to use them in the rightful manner so that the positive effects of our actions are stronger and more as compared to the negative effects. Our intention, in the first place, should be only to spread peace and benefit others, though certain negative outcomes might understandably be inevitable. This perspective imparts the need for us to be very responsible and careful about ourselves as well as others. “Ethics inevitably employs determinations and judgments about values” (Devettere, 2010, p. 2). Concluding, utilitarian ethics is the most convincing system of ethics. Four main principles of ethics are beneficence, respect for autonomy, nonmalefience, and justice. A good life is that in which rights are both gained and granted. Ethics is both spontaneous and learned. A life in which one deliberately causes others more harm than good is ethically bad. People differentiate between good and bad in different ways. Human beings are accountable for their actions both to the society and God. References: Devettere, R. J. (2010). Practical Decision Making in Health Care Ethics: Cases and Concepts. Georgetown University Press. Harris, C. E., Jr. (2002). Applying moral theories (4th ed.). Stamford, CT: Wadsworth. http://web.mnstate.edu. (2012). Four fundamental ethical principles (a very simple introduction). Retrieved from http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20115/Four_Basic_principles.htm. McKinnon, C. (1999). Character, Virtue Theories, and the Vices. Broadview Press. Stahl, B. C. (2008). Information Systems: Critical Perspectives. Routledge. Read More