168 Definition of Ethics and Societal Responsibility
168 Definition of Ethics and Societal Responsibility
Learning Objectives
This section explores the questions of the role of ethics in science, the role of responsibility of science for society, and the responsibility society has in science. It is not meant as an in-depth study of ethics in general. Please look at philosophy books for a thorough study of ethics.
What Is Meant by “Ethics”?
Ethics is the study of the standards of right and wrong that inform us as to how we ought to behave. These standards relate to unwritten rules that are necessary for humans to live among each other, such as “don’t hurt others.” We function better as a society when we treat each other well. Ethics can also refer to the standards themselves. They often pertain to rights, obligations, fairness, responsibilities, and specific virtues like honesty and loyalty. They are supported by consistent and well-founded reasons; as such, they have universal appeal. It’s never good to have a society that supports hurting others as a general rule; honesty and loyalty are positive attributes. Can we think of instances when hurting others is condoned (such as in war) and where honesty or loyalty may be misplaced? Of course! That’s one of the reasons why ethics are so complicated.
adapted from: Introduction to Ethics. Authors: Manuela A. Gomez, El Paso Community College. Introduction to Ethics by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY. Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. accessed from https://www.oercommons.org/courses/introduction-to-ethics/view on 3/16/2022
Types of Ethics
Ethics is a big field with different types and traditions. Only a few are listed in the following sections.
Personal Ethics
- Includes your personal values and moral qualities.
- Influenced by family, friends, culture, religion, education and many other factors.
- Examples: I believe using animals for research is morally wrong.
- Personal ethics can change and are chosen by an individual.
adapted from: Introduction to Ethics. Authors: Manuela A. Gomez, El Paso Community College. Introduction to Ethics by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY. Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. accessed from https://www.oercommons.org/courses/introduction-to-ethics/view on 3/16/2022
Common Ethics
- Ethics that the majority of people agree on.
- Many philosophers argue there is no such ethics.
- Do we have the same ethics in the world? Do we have the same ethics in the U.S.? Does everyone in your family share the same ethics?
- Examples: Murdering people for the sake of murder is wrong.
- Notice how this would change in the context of self-defense.
- Common ethics have to be very general to avoid disagreement.
adapted from: Introduction to Ethics. Authors: Manuela A. Gomez, El Paso Community College. Introduction to Ethics by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY. Attribution 4.0 International License, excep