The Study of Today's Society - Essay Example

Aim of the topic This essay explores the meaning of ethics in today’s society as well as traditional societies. The overall aim is to explain that ethical issues are as important today as they were in the past. The universality of ethical issues is also discussed with special emphasis on how the issues relate to professions and morality. The essay focuses on four main areas where ethics are applied: religion, family, professions and government. In each of these areas, ethical issues are shown to be as important today as they were in the past. Introduction Ethical issues are at the heart of every society. In fact, ethics, according to Bowie (1981, p. 20), are commonly defined as referring to a theory, set of principles or a system of a society’s moral values As a study, ethics is an enquiry into the general nature of human morals as well as the specific moral choices that people make in the course of their lives. All professions are governed through different codes of ethics to which all members of that profession have to adhere while performing their duties. Ethics address questions of universal importance such as right and wrong, religious beliefs, compliance with the law, and standards of behaviour. Mankind has always wanted to lead an orderly life. While human beings are in pursuit of this kind of life, it becomes important for them to define what certain social norms should exist. Most ethical regulations that exist in modern society are codified and enacted within institutions such as religion, family, professions, and government and each of these institutions has been of help to people in the past as well as today. Ethical issues are as important today as they have been throughout the course of humankind’s existence. Ethics and religion Although ethics cannot be identified solely in terms of religious standards, most religions require those who profess them to display high ethical standards in the society. If ethics were to be confined to religion alone, they would apply only to the followers of that religion. However, Jenkins (2003, p. 112) contends that religion is instrumental in setting the standards for morality and ethics in every society. Being ethical, according to Gadamer (1999, p. 154), means doing what is acceptable to a particular society. Religions exist in different societies since they have been accepted. Some people, especially those who are religious, insist that there can be no morality without a religion. Some even say that there is no way in which atheists can be moral. Ethics and professions All professionals require that a certain code of ethics be adhered to by all members of that profession. When people do not conduct themselves in the right way in their professional duties, they have acted in an unethical manner. In most cases, the code of ethics of a profession, such as medicine, is universally applied. In this example, all medical practitioners are bound by the code of ethics to preserve, safeguard and respect human life while conducting professional duties. In another example, Black &Barney (2004 p. 162) assert that the ethical guidelines that govern law as a profession also draw on moral standards that enable members of the judiciary to become better arbiters in cases where there are conflicts. People have always needed, and in most cases preserved, a justice system within the provisions of moral and ethical standards. This is not to say that all laws that exist are based on proper ethical standards. For instance, colonial South Africa’s unethical apartheid laws were used to oppress people of certain races by denying them equal access to national resources. In every society, professions exist to improve the wellbeing of an individual as well as collective wellbeing. Sometimes, conflicts may arise on what is good for an individual or a section of the community and what is good for entire human race. Such conflicts arise all the time in all professions. When there are proper ethical guidelines in place, these issues are resolved very easily. The ethical guidelines that people look for relate to issues of fairness and principles of justice. Although professionals in a certain society may be acting in accordance with the laid-down codes of ethics, their actions may be wrong if these ethical guidelines themselves have not been properly constituted, that is, they become unethical. For example, according to Corey, Corey and Callahan’s (2005 p. 284) arguments, doctors who worked for the Nazi government in Germany, although acting in accordance with the guidelines provided by the government of the day, acted unethically whenever they facilitated Jewish executions. Nazi Germany is therefore a classic example of a morally corrupt society. The ethical issues that emerged during Nazi Germany are very similar to the ones that are emerging in modern societies, specifically in war-torn zones. Ethics, according to Jenkins (2003) may be defined as well-founded standards (of what is right and what is wrong) that describe what human beings ought to do in terms of obligations, rights, fairness, benefits to society and specific virtues. This definition does not allude to any dynamism in the definition. Therefore, something that was unethical for media practitioners in the 15th century remains unethical for media practitioners in the 21st century. This shows that although circumstances in which people live may change, the principles that define ethical issues in different spheres of life remain universally similar. Ethical issues in the family For the institution of the family to remain stable, there is a need for ethical considerations to be taken by each member of the family on a daily basis. Issues of personal freedoms, rights, obligations and responsibilities, when handled in the right way in the family setting, have far-reaching implications, one of them being the cementation of the relationship between couples as well as among parents, children, relatives and the entire society. Christie and Hoffmaster (1986, p. 88) inform that on the family front, ethical issues involve advance care planning, health care, relationships with family and friends, and the right to privacy. Regardless of one’s age, advance planning entails preparedness for life’s emergencies that may alter the structure and outlook of the family. It is the ethical responsibility of parents to make advance care planning decisions on behalf of their children or any other members who, owing to different circumstantial reasons, may not be able to make such decisions on their own. In terms of medical care, issues of medical ethics apply to members of the family, considering that the family is the most fundamental institution in any society. When medical practitioners engage in professionally unethical practices, the first sufferers are the family members of the patient. According to an observation made by Walrond-Skinner and Watson (1987, p. 25), it is often taken for granted that when family members are responding to the ethical call of responsibility and moral obligations when catering for all the needs of a sick family member. However, a family member has the right to prevent medical practitioners from sharing certain medical information with other family members. Ethically, they also have every right to prevent doctors from disclosing their treatment preferences to family members. Matters of ethics and the family also involve aspects such as privacy and religion (Walrond-Skinner & Watson (1987). It is ethical for a spouse to offer their mate some privacy whenever it is demanded on morally acceptable grounds. Likewise, it is ethically acceptable and possible for spouses to follow different religions. The issue of family religion and ethics has always been an important one for all societies. However, the recommendations offered in different communities differ depending on their cultural and social practices. Ethical issues and the government Throughout history, ethical issues have always constituted an important yardstick of evaluating the success of governments. Various debates relating to ethical issues and concepts as applied by governments remain an attractive area of enquiry by historians and political scientists. In modern times, just like in former times, governments attract great public interest since they are an embodiment of a social contract between the government and the governed. Furthermore, government ethics are very important since they prevent politicians and leaders from waywardness, which they are very capable of, as history has taught,. Government ethics determine how the affairs of the state should be run on a daily basis. According to Bowie (1981, p. 198), they also define the obligations, rights and moral responsibilities of leaders as representatives of electorates and as individuals, such that it becomes easy to tell when they behave unethically. For Rosenbach et al. (2006, p 15), ethics have everything to do with the governments that exist today, just as it was the case with all governments that have existed throughout human history. Geuras and Garofalo (2005, p. 25) agree that government ethics constitute a form of professional ethics. They are important determinants of behaviour and conduct of all government officials, including elected leaders, elected representatives, public servants or political staff. In the past, rulers have always made reference to practical ethical considerations when making decisions, either for their own benefit or for the benefit of their subject. Although they are mandated to make laws, it is their responsibility to act ethically all the time. Sometimes, they disregarded ethical codes of conduct at their own peril, for example, when draconian laws in England made people to rise against absolutism in the 15th and 16th century. In today’s democratic societies, elected leaders also pay attention to the ethical codes when making decisions that affect electorates. In conclusion, ethical issues are as important to humankind today as they were in the past. matters of ethics apply to individual discretion whereby one acts in a fair manner, something that involves taking up responsibilities and obligations that are for the benefit of everyone who is concerned. References Black, J, & Barney, R 2004, Ethics across Professions: A Special Double Issue of the Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, London. Bowie, N 1981, Ethical Issues in Government: Philosophical Monographs, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Christie, R & Hoffmaster, B 1986, Ethical issues in family medicine, Oxford University Press, London. Corey, G, Corey, M, & Callanan, P 2005, Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, Thomson Books, Belmont. Gadamer, H 1999, Hermeneutics, Religion, and Ethics: Yale Studies in Hermeneutics, New York. Geuras, D, & Garofalo, C 2005 Practical Ethics in Public Administration, Management Concepts, Inc., Vienna. Jenkins, J 2003, Ethics and religion, Heinemann Educational Publishers, Oxford. Rosenbach, WE, & Taylor, RL (eds) 2006, Contemporary Issues In Leadership, Westview Press, Berkeley. Walrond-Skinner, S, & Watson, D 1987, Ethical Issues in Family Therapy, Routledge & Kegan Paul, New York. Read More