Lecture # 02

The Essence and Purpose of Ethics

While law consists of the laid-down rules that guide people’s behavior in a state, the
disobedience of which attracts penalties, ethics is the branch of philosophy which deals with
judgment as to the rightness or wrongness, desirability or undesirability, approval or disapproval
of our actions. Webster Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines ethics as the discipline
dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. Ethics can also be defined
as 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:
a) Honesty
b) Integrity
c) Promise-keeping
d) Fidelity
e) Fairness
f) Caring for others
g) Respect for others
h) Responsible citizenship
i) Pursuit of excellence
j) Accountability.
Let us now take these concepts one by one and discuss what they mean or imply in their ordinary
sense, at least.
a) 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”.
b) Integrity is being in a “state of entireness, or wholeness, or an unimpaired state of
uprightness, honesty and purity”.
c) Promise-keeping means discharging obligations and honouring agreements.
d) Fidelity means being loyal and faithful to one’s spouse, friend, business partner,
associate, comrade, or beliefs.
e) Fairness involves treating each person or each case equally and according to the
rules or law.
f) Caring for Others is the mark of kindness and generosity.
g) Respect for Others is a mark of humility, tolerance and patience.
 h) 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 neighbourhood and work place.
i) 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.
j) 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?
This writer has identified 10 reasons why people should lead moral lives. They are as follows:
i) God our maker expects us to lead moral lives.
ii) The society expects us to lead moral lives.
iii) Our families expect us to lead moral lives.
iv) We need to lead moral lives to be in harmony with our fellow humans.
v) We need to lead moral lives to be at peace with our consciences.
vi) We need to lead moral lives to live long.
vii) We need to lead moral lives to be healthy.
viii) We need to lead moral lives to be productive.
ix) We need to lead moral lives to show good examples to the younger generation.
x) 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
From the foregoing it is evident that only the higher animal, that is, man 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:
3) identifies the following as the characteristics of humans which predispose them to being
ethical beings:
a) Human beings are rational
b) Human beings are social
c) Human beings are learning beings
d) Human beings have feelings
a) Human Beings are Rational
Humans are endowed with intellect which enables them to reason. The lower animals do not
have intellect but instinct. It is this instinct which enables them to live their lives: catching their
prey, eating, escaping from danger and procreating. Even though some animals like dolphins,
apes and dogs exhibit what one might be tempted to call intelligence, they are 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.
b) Human Beings are Social Animals
Also, according to Kant, man’s relationship with other humans is his motivation for being
ethically-minded. Indeed, according to another philosopher, Erich Fromm, man finds fulfillment
only in relation with his fellow man. It is this social nature of man 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.
c) 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.
d) Human Beings are Learning Beings
Only humans learn from experience, and this enables them 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.
a) Law is imposed by the outer society, while ethics is self-imposed and self-
enforced (e.g. by a professional body for its members).
b) Law has a definite effective date while ethics has no effective date.
c) Law can expire, or be repealed, but ethics is continuous.
d) 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. Moreover,
 e) “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.
SUMMARY
In this unit, we have discussed the essence and purpose of ethics. We saw several definitions of
ethics and the difference between ethics and morality, even though they are often used
interchangeably. We also listed and explained 10 values which are essential to the ethical life.
They are honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, fairness, caring for others, respect for
others, responsible citizenship, pursuit of excellence and accountability.
Also covered were 10 reasons why people should lead ethical or moral lives. In this unit also, it
was pointed out that ethics is of particular concern to humans because they are rational, sociable,
and capable of learning and have feelings. The lower animals are not bothered about ethics, and
you know why.
Finally, we compared and contrasted ethics with law, drawing the similarities and differences.