Ethics and Morality in Society

Study Notes

Ethics is derived from the Greek word "ethos," meaning character, and refers to moral principles that govern behavior in conducting an activity.
Right is always right, and wrong is always wrong.
Law enforcement officers are scrutinized more than most other professions, and they are looked up to as role models and leaders.

A framework of ethics is a description of what ethics are, providing a perspective for reasoning and guiding behavior.
It helps to distinguish right from wrong and provides a guideline for making choices.
Ethics is a philosophical study of morality.

Beneficence: striving to achieve the greatest amount of good, choosing the best solution to an ethical dilemma.
Least Harm: choosing an option with the least harm possible, to the fewest people, when no beneficial choice is available.
Justice: applying fairness and equity, allocating resources and opportunities to reach an equal outcome.
Respect for persons/autonomy: allowing people to make decisions that apply to their own lives, giving them control over their lives.

Morality is derived from the Latin word "mos," meaning custom.
Morality refers to a rule prescribing what is right and wrong, and is a value of acceptable and unacceptable norms in a given society.

Ethics is derived from the Greek word "ethos," meaning character, and is confined within a particular space and time frame.
Morality is derived from the Latin word "mos," meaning custom, and is seen from the perspective of an individual.

There are three essential elements of morality: a moral community, a set of moral values, and a moral code.
All three elements are necessary, and none is sufficient on its own.

Ethical standards are standards that, when followed, promote moral values such as honesty, fairness, kindness, and good behavior.
These standards are developed by a society and are meaningful to that particular society.

Modern ethics is concerned with whether an individual act violates a specific ethical norm.
Traditional ethics is concerned with what kind of person one is becoming through one's habitual activity.

Moral and ethical values evolve over time, changing towards development and growth.
The focus shifts from individual values to national values, and eventually to all life, including flora and fauna.