Ethics and the 21st Century - Research Paper Example

PKG of Introduction When asked what ethics is, many in the contemporary world give quite different meanings depending on their culture, education, community, and profession among other factors. Generally, definitions of ethics are as divergent as the cultures, socioeconomic groups, races, ethnicity, and professions in the world. However, common definitions of ethics describes it as peoples’ feelings of what is wrong or right, religious beliefs and norms, what the law of the land requires, and societal standards of behavior (Blackburn, 2001). There are also those who do not know what ethics is or its implications and importance to humanity. It is now apparent that the meaning of ethics is rather difficult to discern and quite many people may not know the meaning of the word. Many literatures define ethics as the set of rational standards of right and wrong, pertaining to what people ought to do, their rights, obligations, benefits, fairness, and virtues (Blackburn, 2001). For an illustration, ethics place reasonable obligations on people not to murder, assault, slander, fraud, rape, or steal. Additionally, ethics deal with honesty, compassion, loyalty, and rights to life, privacy, and the right to freedom for good health and life and right to freedom from injury among others (Blackburn, 2001). In this century, ethics could also refer to the study and development of ethical standards for the contemporary and future society. As the world changes, earlier established social norms, peoples’ feelings, and laws could deviate from what was considered ethical, making it necessary that ethical standards are constantly examined to ensure they are not only reasonable but also well-founded. Thus, in the 21st century, ethics entails the endless efforts at studying and exploring peoples’ moral norms, beliefs and conduct so that the concerned institutions help in shaping the solidly based and reasonable ethical standards to live by (Blackburn, 2001). This paper thus undertakes an in-depth analysis of the 21st century’s ethical status, more so with regards to the moral choices that people make in ethically challenging situations. An Analysis of Ethics in the 21st Century The ethical or moral rules and standards governing peoples’ existence and actions in the contemporary world have changed greatly in the 21st century. Although barely into its second decade, the 21st century’s moral climate has been marked by hitherto unknown levels of dishonesty not only in the public spheres but also in peoples’ private lives (Bailey, 2004). Examples of the aspects of life that are faced with ethical situations and challenges in the contemporary world are sports, business, social relationships such as marriages, and politics. Innovations on areas such as technology, especially biotechnology that have made it possible for life to be engineered and extended and the varieties of surgical options for changing peoples’ dangers have particularly posed a lot of unique ethical challenges in the 21st century (Bailey, 2004). Consequent to these ethical issues, ethics, a rather precious gift for humanity’s sense of community, has been neglected and abandoned. In many ethical situations, people tend to be failed by various weaknesses of theirs even when they know quite well what ought to be done in these situations. Notably, if the current occurrences in the world are anything to go by, this is the time when people should exploit all sources of moral guidance, which is more crucial now than it has ever been in the history of mankind (Bailey, 2004). It is thus imperative that society, notwithstanding one’s socioeconomic status, culture, race, sex, ethnicity, or political alienations, should re-engage personal and communal ethics. The Effect of World Controversies and Disputes The 21st century has been marred by a lot of disputes and controversies, starting with the increased cases of terrorism such as the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Arab World uprisings are the other situations that have portrayed the fragile ethical situation the world faces in the 21st century. The ethical challenges the world faces in current times are thus not only prolonging but also widening with equally more multifarious and strenuous facets. The multifaceted nature of ethical issues in the 21st century is evidenced by the ever increasing threat to and the depletion of the environment and natural resources. Further, the ever-increasing gap between the poor and the rich in society has also posed serious ethical issues and dilemmas that should be addressed. The technological and globalization progresses the world faces have also implied that current ethical issues are global and not local as used to be the case in the past when peoples’ movements and interactions were limited to nations or neighborhoods (Bailey, 2004). To many stakeholders in the field of ethics, this hitherto unseen interconnections and interdependence among people from different regions and nations are considered potential ethical crises that ought to be addressed as they make people find it difficult to resolve trans-boundary ethical dilemmas and predicaments the global family faces in this century. UNESCO is one of the organizations that have been at the forefront in addressing the 21st century’s ethical issues and challenges. In a September 21st-22nd, 2001 conference held at the UNESCO Headquarters, in which the core agenda was the role of ethics in today’s globalized world, the structure of ethics in the 21st century was discussed. The other issues discussed in this conference were the different approaches towards establishing and an ethical environment and the future of ethics (UNESCO, 2001). At the conference, various definitions of ethical conduct were discussed. In most of these definitions, it was apparent that in the 21st century, ethical behavior implies being accountable and responsible in all that one does in addition to being sincere and trustful in both personal and professional businesses and interactions with people. The other elements of ethics in the context of the 21st century include being mindful and respectful of other people and their self-esteem and being fair and unprejudiced in relating and dealing with people (UNESCO, 2001). Empathy and gentleness in every circumstance are the other identified principles of ethical behavior in the contemporary society. Although quite simple, the contemporary principles and elements of ethics in the 21st century are quite powerful. The powerfulness of these principles lies in the fact that they are important in all spheres of human life and institutions. It is only imperative that people embrace these principles during these ethically challenging times. Further, once these principles of ethics are embraced, people should not let public perceptions disorient their beliefs (Bailey, 2004). It is worth noting that sticking to these principles is basic to the existence and survival of the human race since without ethical standards, people would indulge in activities that would hurt and endanger the human race. In other terms, in the 21st century, ethics should be the basis on which people make decisions affecting their daily lives. Instead of the dilemma of deciding between a right and a wrong, people living in the 21st century should be faced by the dilemma of making a choice between two rights, not to say that one of these choices is unacceptable (Bailey, 2004). Rather, it only highlights the importance of being compassionate, responsible, and careful while making choices. This should particularly be the case in the current economically and socially shifting climate in which public and personal opinions vary due to pressures from external forces (UNESCO, 2001). Remaining loyal to ethical standards, principles, and responsibilities thus requires the upholding of integrity, diversity, honesty, and access. The Role of Ethics in the 21st Century Just like it does bears the effects of the technological and scientific advances that have dominated the human race, the world currently bears the weight of a lot of ethical problems and issues. For instance, in the 21st century, people have to make do with technology in their daily lives. However, technological and scientific issues cannot be addressed without philosophical and ethical considerations and accountability (Bailey, 2004). What is more, ethical considerations and reconciliation must also be involved in the interactions among the many cultures of the world. According to many a scholar, philosophy (thought and wisdom) should be integral to arriving at ethical clarifications of issues and problems in current times, even problems related to science and technology, which currently influence life to a great extent. The effect of globalization on ethics in the 21st century cannot be overemphasized. The two types of ethics encountered in the increasingly globalized world are those dealing with state sovereignty and power structure and that relating to the liberal market. These types of ethics and their close relationship will evidently affect the status of global ethics in the contemporary world. The current globalization trends imply that ethics has become the basis of all institutions, be they learning, religious, educational, or government institutions (Vendemiati, 2004). Unfortunately, most people cringe and get spell bound whenever they hear the word ethics. The reason is that ethics is often associated with sanctions, internal disciplinary affairs, and lawsuits. To make ethics a friendly and well-embraced issue in the contemporary society and institutions, it is important that persistent ethics training be designed and implemented by these institutions. Despite the existence of many literatures and research findings, a lot needs to be done with respect to the instruction of ethical courses (Vendemiati, 2004). For instance, many instructors on ethics do not have the latest ideologies and knowledge on the subject. The other drawback to ethics training is the vast ethical framework for institutions, units, and individual officers have to deal with (Vendemiati, 2004). The approach of “one-stop-shop” currently in use in ethics training is also not effective in the 21st century, which has been marred with increased globalization, immigration, and multiculturalism. It is thus of the essence for stakeholders such as students, instructors, and officers should be conversant with the different ideologies and philosophies of ethics to competently deal with the ethical challenges of this century (Vendemiati, 2004). However, it would be an exercise in futility to train students and employees on ethics and its elements without reviewing its importance in the 21st century. First, ethics are the fundamentals rules of all professions without which there would be not established rules to govern professions and distinguish them from quackery or amateurism (Vendemiati, 2004). For instance, dentists, journalists, performers, actors, and doctors require good ethics to perform in their professions. In essence, all professions require ethical guidelines for formation and organization. Conclusion That ethics continues to be a major and integral societal issue in this century cannot be overemphasized. The increased globalization, immigration, multiculturalism, and technological/scientific advancements have implied that ethical issues continue to widen, necessitating the stakeholders to be on the look out for ways of expanding the meaning and effectiveness of ethical standards and policies. Consequently, the meaning of ethics continues to change to cover new areas that were hitherto not considered prone to ethical considerations. For instance, international interconnections, biotechnological advances, and increased immigration and the resultant multiculturalism have made ethics a rather expansive concept that requires reformations and adequate awareness creation and training. References Bailey, J. I. (2004). “Ethics and the 21st Century. Centre for the Study in Ethics in Society.” Western Michigan University. Retrieved on October 10, 2012 from http://www.wmich.edu/ethics/pubs/vol_xv/judith_bailey.pdf Blackburn, S. (2001). Being good: A short introduction to ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. UNESCO. (2001). “Report on Ethics for the 21st Century, Division of Human Sciences, philosophy and the Ethics of Science and technology.” Retrieved on October 10, 2012 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001246/124626eo.pdf Vendemiati, A. (2004). In the first person, an outline of general ethics. Rome: Urbaniana University Press. Read More