02 Essence and Purpose of Ethics Nov 03 2012

ETHICS: ESSENCE
AND PURPOSE
Lecture No. 02
Objectives
 At the end of this unit the student should
be able to:
 define and explain what ethics means
 understand why people should lead moral
lives
 discuss the similarities and differences
between law and ethics.
Essence and Purpose of
Ethics?
 While law consists of the laid-down rules that
guide people’s behavior in a state, ethics is the
branch of philosophy which deals with
judgment as to the right or wrong, desirability
or undesirability, approval or disapproval of our
actions.
 Ethics are a normative science of conduct
which is concerned with the right thing to do.
 Ethics and morality are often used
interchangeably.
 But Odunewu (2000) points out the difference as
follows: “while morality refers to behavior that is
acceptable, ethics deals with the criteria by
which decisions about right and wrong are
made”.
 Those who lead ethical lives are generally
regarded as “good” people.
 The Josephson Institute for the Advancement
of Ethics (Josephson Institute, 2003) identifies
certain values as being essential to ethical life.
They are:
 Honesty
 Integrity
 Promise-keeping
 Fidelity
 Fairness
 Caring for others
 Respect for others
 Responsible citizenship
 Pursuit of excellence
 Accountability
Let us now take these concepts one by one and
discuss what they mean or imply in their
ordinary sense, at least.
Honesty
implies telling the truth always. Honest
people are generally respected even if
they are poor. The universal belief is
that such people will be ultimately
rewarded. Hence, the popular maxim:
“Honesty is the best policy”.
 Integrity is being in a state of
entireness, or wholeness, or an
unimpaired state of uprightness,
honesty and purity.
 Promise-keeping means discharging
obligations and honoring agreements.
 Fidelity means being loyal and faithful
to one’s spouse, friend, business
partner, associate, comrade, or beliefs.
Fairness involves treating each person
or each case equally and according to
the rules or law.
 Caring for Others is the mark of kindness
and generosity.
 Respect for Others is a mark of humility,
tolerance and patience.
 Responsible Citizenship means being
law-abiding, doing one’s civic duties,
such as paying tax, voting and respecting
constituted authority and maintaining
peace and tranquility in one’s
neighborhood and work place.
 Pursuit of Excellence means
commitment to the highest standards
both in personal life and in the world of
work. It implies not given to the
acceptance of mediocrity, and being
willing to go the extra mile to ensure
that things are done properly,
regardless of personal cost.
 Accountability means proving that one
has performed one’s duty creditably
and is willing to submit oneself for
scrutiny.
Why Should People Lead
Ethical (or Moral) Lives?
 We have identified 10 reasons as why
people should lead moral lives. They are as
follows:
 Almighty Allah, our creator, expects us to
lead moral lives.
 The society expects us to lead moral lives.
 Our families expect us to lead moral lives.
 We need to lead moral lives to be in
harmony with our fellow humans.
Why Should People Lead Ethical (or Moral) Lives?
 We need to lead moral lives to be at peace with

our consciences.
 We need to lead moral lives to live long.
 We need to lead moral lives to be healthy.
 We need to lead moral lives to be productive.
 We need to lead moral lives to show good
examples to the younger generation.
 We need to lead moral lives to serve the society
better and win respect for ourselves and our
professions.
Why Ethics Pertains Only to Humans?
 Only the higher animal, that is, human should be
concerned with ethics. The lower animals cannot
show concern for ethics, nor can they be held
accountable for their actions.
 What then are the things about humans that make
them concerned about ethics?
 Okunna (1995) identifies the following as the
characteristics of humans which predispose them to
being ethical beings:
 Human beings are rational
 Human beings are social
 Human beings are learning beings
 Human beings have feelings
Human Beings are Rational
 Humans are endowed with intellect which enables
them to reason, while lower animals have instincts.
Their instincts guide them live their lives: catch their
prey, escape danger and procreate.
 Some animals like dolphins, apes and dogs exhibit
what one might be tempted to call intelligence, but it
still regarded by experts as not to be ascribed
intelligence, which is the preserve of man.
 At the same time, some human beings sometimes
act in ways which tend to suggest that they are just
like animals, that is, behaving irrationally or out of
instinct.
 This is probably why the ethical philosopher,
Immanuel Kant, believes that the greatest good can
be achieved if humans will follow their rational
nature and suppress their instincts.
Human Beings are Social Animals
 Also, according to Kant, man’s relationship with other
humans is his motivation for being ethically-minded.
 Another philosopher, Erich Fromm says that man
finds fulfillment only in relation with his fellow man. It
is this social nature that is also responsible for human
progress.
 If man lived on earth merely to satisfy his biological
needs, it would not have mattered how other human
beings regard him.
 But human beings are concerned about what others
think about them, and indeed, how they will be
remembered when they die.
Human Beings have Feelings
 Only humans have the capacity to feel
compassion for others. This is the
compelling reason why the mass media
publish human interest stories, that is,
stories about humans which make others
stop and think: “this is a human being like
myself”.
 Because humans have feelings they act in
morally acceptable ways which promote
solidarity and togetherness.
Human Beings are Learning
Beings
 Only human learns from experience, and
this enables him to cultivate norms of
ethical conduct aimed at ensuring societal
continuity. If there is no experience there
will be no foresight. Knowledge is acquired
not only from personal experience but also
from other people’s experiences recorded
in books and the other mass media, or
passed on as oral tradition from one
generation to another.
Law and Ethics Compared and
Contrasted
 Law and ethics may have the same basic
objective, namely, to ensure order, protect
the rights of the individual and preserve the
state.
 Yet, they differ in their peculiar
characteristics and processes. The following
are the basic differences between law and
ethics.
 Law is imposed by the outer society, while
ethics is self-imposed and self-enforced (e g.
by a professional body for its members).
Law and Ethics Compared and Contrasted
 Law has a definite effective date while ethics has no
effective date.
 Law can expire, or be repealed, but ethics is continuous.
 Law has more formal institutions, such as the legislature,
police, judiciary (the courts, tribunals, court-martials,
etc.) penitentiary (prison, reformatory, etc), but ethics
has less formal institutions for its formulation and
enforcement. Indeed, the chief enforcer of ethics is the
conscience.
 “While morality protects a way of life by tabooing
immoral action even before it takes place, laws only
provide a resource after the deed has been done”,
according to Caster (1983).
CONCLUSION
A good man is so regarded because he is
ethically minded and leads his life in
morally acceptable ways. On the other
hand, a bad man is bad because he is not
morally upright.
 In all societies there are standards by which
actions can be regarded as good or bad.
 Without a concern for ethics there will be
no difference between a human being and
an animal.

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ETHICS: ESSENCE

 We need to lead moral lives to be at peace with

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