The question “what is ethics?” it touches us constantly, as we often see in the news and in the general media people talking about ethics, as when a politician was absent with ethics when engaging in a corruption scheme or a businessman failed with ethics when committing fraud against the tax collection system Supervisor. But, after all, what is ethics?
We can advance that ethics is linked to people's actions and it is what defines which actions can be considered right or wrong, defining what is right and wrong. THE Philosophy has been concerned with ethics studies since the Antique, and the Sociology it can use the philosophical concepts that involve ethics to better understand the social relationships between people.
What is ethics and morals?
The word ethics derives from the term ethos, present in the ancient Greek language. ethos has two variants: ethos (character) and ethos (custom). O moral term derives
from the latin translation for the term ethos, which turned moris. In general, ethics and moral are very similar. Morals consist of a code of conduct, moral customs and habits of a particular place, while ethics intends to be the rationalization of this morality.THE moralis socially created, takes root in societies through habit and tradition and says what can or cannot be done. Already ethics is dedicated to reflecting on moral actions, determining what is right or wrong, what should be maintained as a legitimate moral process, and what should be removed from this process, for better coexistence between people of a given society. To learn more about the subject, read the specific text:difference between ethicsthe and moral.
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What is it to be ethical?
being ethical is act in accordance with ethics and morals. In this sense, what is morally right is established by convention according to each society, since what is right in some societies may be wrong in others. In other words, being ethical can mean respecting codes of conduct.
However, as much as there are different codes of conduct, some elements must always be respected by someone who intends to act ethically, otherwise, one falls into what we call moral relativism, this é, accept any practice, as absurd as it is, for understanding that that practice is inserted in a context cultural and in a certain code of moral conduct.
Read too: How are “oranges” used in corruption?
Examples of ethics
Some everyday and everyday situations can illustrate what it is to act ethically, and they are moresimple or morecomplex. See some examples:
Do not gain self-improvement through incorrect actions, such as cutting a line at the bank to gain more time;
Do not appropriate someone else's property, regardless of the value in question;
Do not use public office, political or otherwise, or positions in private companies to obtain illicit personal advantage;
Respect people's lives and individuality.
Know more: Bioethics: applied ethics to scientific and medical research
professional ethics
Professional ethics is nothing more than the application of moral and social conduct norms approved in social conventions in the field of professions. Every professional must act ethically, respecting their field of work, the standards of conduct of the profession, co-workers and everyone around them.
A doctor, for example, must respect the codes of conduct established within the field of medicine, as well as respect the lives and individuality of their patients. Likewise, a teacher must act in accordance with what the teaching duty establishes, in addition to maintaining full respect for the student's individuality and person. A lawyer must act ethically towards the jury and his client, not using illicit strategies to defend your client and not disrespecting the right to defense and confidentiality of the client.
by Francisco Porfirio
Sociology Professor
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PORPHYRIO, Francisco. "What is ethics?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/o-que-e-sociologia/o-que-e-etica.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
