The Very Important Codes of Ethics and Religious Beliefs - Essay Example

My Personal of Ethics Ethics is a complex term which is hard to pin down. There are innumerable approaches to the term ethics. According to somepeople the term ethics is associated with what the human feelings tell is right or wrong, while some people think that ethics are associated with religious beliefs. Ethics according to some people mean to follow the law, and doing something whatever is acceptable in the society. Being a good person includes many aspects. The people measure you by the character, behaviour, principles of life, way of thinking and human ability and skills. Being a good person means setting moral standards for ourselves as well as for others. The human ethics always influence on the behaviour of individuals. As mentioned above ethics are related to human feelings. Human feelings are not all the time right. The thief who feels robbing is the only way to overcome poverty, he behaves accordingly. Then does this mean that he is ethical person just because he has done whatever his mind told him to do? According to Potter Stewart “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” The person has to differentiate between what his feelings are and whether they can be executed in the society he lives. Hence one cannot put forward his own views to prove him/her ethical. The things, which you feel right, and hence you do it, are acceptable if the other people are not being harmed by your behaviour. Hitler felt that Jews are the arch-enemies of Christianity and hence he decided to obliterate Jew community completely from the world. His act can never be justified for being ethical but his feelings on the contrary were impetuous. Another thought regarding code of ethics, is that the term is associated with your religious beliefs. You are Christian so you are ethical and I am Hindu or Muslim, so I am unethical. This is a sign of shallow and one- dimensional thoughts. As a person I do not believe in religious rituals performed by any of the world’s religion. On the contrary I find God everywhere out of the Church, Mosque or Temples. I find Him in the sweet fragrance stored in the flowers. I feel his existence in luminance of stars, in divine blueness of the sky, in the enchanting notes of soft breeze. I feel Him in the clouds of munificence. Sometimes I feel His existence in the grim harshness of Rough Ocean, in the thundering and lightning. I feel Him in the life sustaining mother’s milk, in an innocent smile of baby. I see him in the rising and setting sun. I experience Him in sweet music and clinking of musical instruments. I feel Him everywhere but in any idol, in temples, churches, mosques. So I never go to any of these places for worshipping God. I think that God is such a colossal power, which cannot be confined in the walls made by human beings. I personally feel that God all the time monitors you and your deeds because He is omniscient and omnipresent. According to your deeds you get reward from Him. He stays in our conscience and guides our beliefs all the time. Does this mean that I am atheist and unethical? Being ethical sometimes is misinterpreted. It is said that following laws means being an ethical person. Again the question is that if the laws are unethical then, how can the person be ethical by adopting the false laws? The Fugitive Act of 1793 required the returns of runway slaves (Article 4, section 2). This law made it compulsory to the slaves to return back to their masters and serve them. These laws did not allow offering rights to the black slaves. Women’s progress got stagnated completely due to the gender biased laws imposed on them in Afghanistan during Taliban rule. In such circumstances following such unfair laws is not the indication of being ethical. If the person is accepting the rules and norms of society and makes his pattern of behaviour according to the accepted norms of the society, he is regarded as an ethical person. Every time this rule is not applicable to prove the person’s ethics. Caste system is still dominant in India. In medieval era and British era, People from lower castes were tortured and humiliated by the upper class people. Some saints and reformers in medieval India tried to awaken the people. During British rule also the social reformers tried to reveal the futility of class division on caste system. In medieval period if the person from upper class touches the lower class person, he would lose his sacredness and then he had to bathe to bring his sacredness back. Even the shadow of the lower caste people was supposed to be inauspicious. Those social rules were accepted by both upper class and lower class people. Violating those rules was great offense. The Indian society was thus under the influence of these wrong perception and if the person did not follow those codes of ethics, he was supposed to be unethical. In the modern world of humanity and individuality the ethics are associated with well-founded standards of rights and wrongs. It is specifically prescribed in terms of rights, obligations, and benefits to the society, fairness, and virtues. As a responsible citizen of the nation the person has been given certain rights and if someone is grabbing these rights, it should never be tolerated. At the same time it is also important that the person should respect the rights of the others. If the person has been given certain rights he has to be aware of the obligations. Beliefs and Obligations to society to other individuals and to yourself "The need for special ethical principles in a scientific society is the same as the need for ethical principles in society as a whole. They are mutually beneficial. They help make our relationships mutually pleasant and productive. A professional society is a voluntary, cooperative organization, and those who must conform to its rules are also those who benefit from the conformity of others. Each has a stake in maintaining general compliance." (Stuart Altmann, Chair, Ethics Committee, Animal Behavior Society.). In the fast pace of globalization, the term individual ethics has broadened. A new multilingual, multicultural globalized world has emerged. The codes of conduct which I strongly believe are as follows: 1. Tolerance 2. Respectfulness 3. Integrity 4. Perseverance 5. Compassion 6. Caring nature 7. Give credits where it is due 8. Truth 9. Do not change to please others 10. Persistence for symbiosis Tolerance comes from your strong belief in positive change. Acquiring tolerance is a kind of noble virtue. It is the sign of code of ethics as well as a sign of healthy psychology. Good, and healthy human relationship is very important in maintaining harmony in our society. The human behaviour needs to be inclined towards generosity and inward kindness. It helps to improve the individual and obligatory to maintain peace and harmony in the society. Being the responsible member of the society the person needs to be respectful towards other people of different religions, races, ethnicity, cultures, gender etc. If you give respect to others, you will get respect from others. It is the simple logic which is useful for you individually and socially as well. Every individual comes from different family background and culture. Everyone has his or her own unique style of life which has to be respected. Biased approach can be the major obstacle in developing your code of ethics. Honesty is one of the most important virtues in human personality. Integrity or honesty helps you to make your good image. It is one of your best qualities by which you are judged by the people. Honesty is the quality which makes the people sure that whatever you are saying is true. As an individual level it is like a jewel in human nature. On professional level also trust matters a lot as far as your professional commitments are concerned. You can achieve highest level of honour by acquiring integrity. Perseverance is hard work, commitment to the work. Perseverance or diligence helps individual to spread positive energy. It is because deep below the perseverance lies a strong belief that the result of the efforts is success. It is perseverance that makes you to work by utilizing full potentials. Perseverance helps to grow endurance and patience. The person with perseverance can put his ideals and the other people try to follow him or her. It will also help to make an industrious nation. It was perseverance which made Helen Keller to fight against her disabilities and carve her name in the most respectable personalities of the world. As a responsible citizen of our nation it is our duty to be compassionate with everyone. This virtue will make you help the needy people. The society gives me good life so I owe to it. This belief really helps the society to become healthier. One of the very important codes of ethics is to give credits to other for their good job. It motivates the people to work more enthusiastically. It reflects one more facet of your personality and that is your candidness. Giving credit to people does not mean to flatter. By giving credit to the people for their good work, we thus gear them up for doing good job and showing commitment in their work. The motivated people then can change the entire face of the society. Being a responsible human being you have to be aware of the symbiosis on which the natural environment is based on. The mankind will ruin if this symbiosis collapses. Preserving our environment and taking care of it is also a part of individual code of conduct which will also help to save our planet. Read More