Ethics Resource Repository

What is Ethics?

Ethics is the discipline that looks at how people do and should act in regard to subjects of moral worth (from the Greek ethike, meaning custom). Ethics can be described as value guided beliefs that guide human behavior.  Philosophers, ethicists, theologians, scholars and people like you and me, search to determine moral standards of right and wrong that humans ought to live by. People that study ethics often develop an awareness of the consequences of their actions and an appreciation of right and wrong. Studying ethics initiates the formulation of one's own ethical standards, as well as, construction and enhancement of the laws and social norms that citizens ought to live by in a just society.

What Ethics Is Not?

Feelings

"Feelings are not supposed to be logical. Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions." -David Borenstein 

Ethics is independent of emotions: People often correlate ethics with their emotions, but ethical decision making is not a subject of being governed by one’s own emotions. Since humans are creatures of cognitive reasoning and thought, humans have the ability to bypass their feelings to make the right ethical decisions. If people always follow their emotions they may withdrawal from choosing the right ethical decision. Emotions can lead people astray from ethical decision making.  Proper ethical decision making exists despite how people feel about them.

 Religion

"Religion and morality go together like boiled beef and carrots. You often find them together but it is perfectly possible to have one without the other." - Martin Willett

Ethics is independent of religion: People often associate religion with ethics, but you can have one without the other.  Ethics is a component of religion, but not unique to religion.  Ethical consciences existed in human behavior even before organized religions laid out their standards. Ethics is constantly working regardless of religion. Religion of course, encourages good values and sets a high bar for ethical standards, but if ethics was only exclusive to religion then it would only apply to religious people. Religion does not account for those people are not religious, but still practice good ethical behavior. Religion encourages good values and motivates ethical behavior, but ethics is not exclusive to religion nor is it same as religion.

Law

     "No moral system can rest soley on authority." -A.J. Ayer

Ethics is independent of authority: Laws can sometimes deviate away from ethics. Nazi Germany allowed for its society to commit genocide and permitted anti-Semitism. Some laws can be legal but not ethical such as slavery, child labor and women's oppression. Moral principles exist regardless of its legality.

Whatever Society Accepts?

    "Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character." -Margaret Chase Smith

Ethics is independent of popularity: In most cultures, citizens accept certain principles that are considered ethical, but moral principles of culture can deviate from what is ethical. At one point slavery was a common practice in many societies. However, even before societies condemned slavery as wrong, owning another human being is typically regarded as unethical.  Majority opinion does mean that anything is ethical. Gravity still exist, even if society refuses to believe in its actuality. Standing against one’s own peers can be one of the hardest instances of practicing good ethics.  

Recommended Webpages:

Ethics Resource CenterThe Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization whose vision is a world where individuals and organizations act with integrity. Their website contains ethics information, resources, research, and links to other ethics-related sites.

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University includes multiple resources on applied ethics. This link particularly has a great article on describing ethics.

The National Ethics Center (Ethics Core)
Ethics CORE has a large and constantly growing and professionally curated collection of ethics curricula, reference materials, peer-reviewed research, multimedia exercises, and a wide range of other resources to support and extend ethics research. Their open-access repository accepts contributed resources, and our powerful federated search provides tools to locate ethics-related resources.

The Kenan Institute for Ethics
The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University supports the study and teaching of ethics and promotes moral reflection and commitment in personal and professional communities. The website features ethics movie series, case studies, blog, etc.