Applied ethics is, in the words of Brenda Almond, co-founder of the Society for Applied Philosophy, "the philosophical examination, from a moral standpoint, of particular issues in private and public life that are matters of moral judgment". It is thus a term used to describe attempts to use philosophical methods to identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human life. Bioethics Bioethics is the philosophical study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy, for example, is concerned with identifying the correct approach to matters such as euthanasia, or the allocation of scarce health resources, or the use of human embryos in research. Environmental ethics Environmental ethics is the part of environmental philosophy which considers extending the traditional boundaries of ethics from solely including humans to including the non-human world. It exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including law, sociology, theology, economics, ecology and geography is concerned with questions such as the duties of humans towards landscapes or species. Business ethics Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole. Applied ethics is a field of ethics that deals concerns questions such as the limits on managers in the pursuit of profit, or the duty of 'whistleblowers' to the general public as opposed to their employers. As such, it is a study which is supposed to involve practitioners as much as professional philosophers. [1]
Applied ethics is distinguished from normative ethics Normative ethics is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of questions that arise when we think about the question “how ought one act, morally speaking?” Normative ethics is distinct from meta-ethics because it examines standards for the rightness and wrongness of actions, while meta-ethics studies the meaning of moral, which concerns what people should believe to be right and wrong, and from meta-ethics In philosophy, meta-ethics is the branch of ethics that seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, and ethical statements, attitudes, and judgments. Meta-ethics is one of the three branches of ethics generally recognized by philosophers, the others being ethical theory and applied ethics. Ethical theory and applied ethics make up, which concerns the nature of moral statements.
An emerging typology for applied ethics (Porter, 2006) uses six domains to help improve organizations and social issues at the national and global level:
- Decision ethics, or ethical theories and ethical decision processes
- Professional ethics, or ethics to improve professionalism
- Clinical ethics, or ethics to improve our basic health needs
- Business ethics, or individual based morals to improve ethics in an organization
- Organizational ethics, or ethics among organizations
- Social ethics, or ethics among nations and as one global unit
Contents |
Modern approach
Much of applied ethics is concerned with just three theories:
- utilitarianism Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its utility in providing happiness or pleasure as summed among all sentient beings. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome. The most influential contributors to this ideology were Jeremy, where the practical consequences of various policies are evaluated on the assumption that the right policy will be the one which results in the greatest happiness,
- deontological ethics Deontological ethics or deontology is an approach to ethics that judges the morality of an action based on the action's adherence to a rule or rules. Deontologists look at rules and duties, notions based on 'rules' i.e. that there is an obligation to perform the 'right' action, regardless of actual consequences (epitomized by Kant's notion of the Categorical Imperative The categorical imperative is the central philosophical concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, as well as modern deontological ethics. Introduced in Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, it may be defined as a way of evaluating motivations for action), and
- virtue ethics Virtue ethics is an approach to ethics that emphasizes the character of the moral agent, rather than rules or consequences, as the key element of ethical thinking. This contrasts with consequentialism, which holds that the consequences of a particular act form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action, and deontology, which derives, derived from Aristotle's and Confucius's notions, which asserts that the right action will be that chosen by a suitably 'virtuous' agent..
One modern approach which attempts to overcome the seemingly impossible divide between deontology and utilitarianism is case-based reasoning Case-based reasoning , broadly construed, is the process of solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems. An auto mechanic who fixes an engine by recalling another car that exhibited similar symptoms is using case-based reasoning. A lawyer who advocates a particular outcome in a trial based on legal precedents or a judge, also known as casuistry In applied ethics, casuistry is case-based reasoning. Casuistry is used in juridical and ethical discussions of law and ethics, and often is a critique of principle- or rule-based reasoning. The term "casuistry" originates from the Latin casus ("case"). Casuistry does not begin with theory, rather it starts with the immediate facts of a real and concrete case. While casuistry makes use of ethical theory, it does not view ethical theory as the most important feature of moral reasoning. Casuists, like Albert Jonsen and Stephen Toulmin Stephen Edelston Toulmin was a British philosopher, author, and educator. Influenced by the Austrian born British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Toulmin devoted his works to the analysis of moral reasoning. Throughout his writings, he sought to develop practical arguments which can be used effectively in evaluating the ethics behind moral issues (The Abuse of Casuistry 1988), challenge the traditional paradigm The word paradigm has been used in linguistics and science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" (paradeigma), "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" (paradeiknumi), "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" (para), " of applied ethics. Instead of starting from theory and applying theory to a particular case, casuists start with the particular case itself and then ask what morally significant features (including both theory and practical considerations) ought to be considered for that particular case. In their observations of medical ethics committees, Jonsen and Toulmin note that a consensus on particularly problematic moral cases often emerges when participants focus on the facts of the case, rather than on ideology An ideology is a set of ideas that discusses one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense (see Ideology in everyday society below) and several philosophical tendencies (see Political ideologies), or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class or theory In philosophy, theory refers to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action. Theory is especially often contrasted to "practice" (Greek praxis, πρᾶξις) which is a concept that in its original Aristotelian context referred to actions done for their own sake. The other type of actions are those "technical" ones done. Thus, a Rabbi, a Catholic priest, and an agnostic might agree that, in this particular case, the best approach is to withhold extraordinary medical care, while disagreeing on the reasons that support their individual positions. By focusing on cases and not on theory, those engaged in moral debate increase the possibility of agreement.
List of subfields of applied ethics
- Animal rights Animal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings. Advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions, but agree that animals should be viewed as non-human persons and members of the issues
- Bioethics Bioethics is the philosophical study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy
- Business ethics Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole. Applied ethics is a field of ethics that deals
- Computer ethics
- Education ethics
- Environmental ethics Environmental ethics is the part of environmental philosophy which considers extending the traditional boundaries of ethics from solely including humans to including the non-human world. It exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including law, sociology, theology, economics, ecology and geography (e.g. global warming Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. According to the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 20th)
- Government ethics
- Hospitality ethics Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. that is, the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with liberality and goodwill. Hospitality frequently refers to the hospitality industry, which includes hotels, restaurants, casinos, catering, resorts, membership clubs,
- Human rights Human rights are "rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Proponents of the concept usually assert that everyone is endowed with certain entitlements merely by reason of being human issues (e.g. gender ethics / sexism Sexism, a term coined in the mid-20th century, is the belief or attitude that one gender or sex is inferior to, less competent, or less valuable than the other. It can also refer to hatred of, or prejudice towards, either sex as a whole , or the application of stereotypes of masculinity in relation to men, or of femininity in relation to women. It, classism CERD · CEDAW · CDE · ILO C111 · ILO C100 · ILO C169 · Protocol No. 12 ECHR, racism CERD · CEDAW · CDE · ILO C111 · ILO C100 · ILO C169 · Protocol No. 12 ECHR, Capital punishment Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from Latin capitalis, literally "regarding the head" . Hence, a capital crime was originally one)
- International ethics (e.g. world hunger)
- Legal ethics Legal ethics encompasses an ethical code governing the conduct of persons engaged in the practice of law and persons more generally in the legal sector
- Marketing ethics Marketing ethics is the area of applied ethics which deals with the moral principles behind the operation and regulation of marketing. Some areas of marketing ethics overlap with media ethics
- Media ethics Media ethics is the subdivision of applied ethics dealing with the specific ethical principles and standards of media, including broadcast media, film, theatre, the arts, print media and the internet. The field covers many varied and highly controversial topics, ranging from war journalism to Benetton advertising / journalism ethics Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by professional journalists. Historically and currently, this subset of media ethics is widely known to journalists as their professional "code of ethics" or the "canons of journalism". The basic
- Medical ethics Medical ethics is primarily a field of applied ethics, the study of moral values and judgments as they apply to medicine. As a scholarly discipline, medical ethics encompasses its practical application in clinical settings as well as work on its history, philosophy, theology, and sociology
- Military ethics (e.g. just war theory Just War Theory is a doctrine of military ethics of Roman philosophical and Catholic origin studied by moral theologians, ethicists and international policy makers which holds that a conflict can and ought to meet the criteria of philosophical, religious or political justice, provided it follows certain conditions)
- Neuroethics Neuroethics is the ethics of neuroscience, or the neuroscience of ethics
- Public administration Public administration is the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day." Any unelected, public employee is a public administrator: police officers, municipal budget analysts, HR benefits administrators, city managers, Census analysts, and cabinet secretaries are public administrators. Public administrators are ethics
- Research ethics Research ethics involves the application of fundamental ethical principles to a variety of topics involving scientific research. These include the design and implementation of research involving human experimentation, animal experimentation, various aspects of academic scandal, including scientific misconduct , whistleblowing; regulation of
- Sexual ethics
- Social work ethics or Ethics in social work
- Sports ethics
See also
- Ethics Ethics is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good vs. bad, noble vs. ignoble, right vs. wrong, and matters of justice, love, peace, and virtue
- Ethical codes An ethical code is adopted by an organization in an attempt to assist those in the organization called upon to make a decision understand the difference between 'right' and 'wrong' and to apply this understanding to their decision. The ethical code therefore generally implies documents at three levels:
- List of ethics topics This list of ethics topics puts articles relevant to well-known ethical debates and decisions in one place - including practical problems long known in philosophy, and the more abstract subjects in law, politics, and some professions and sciences. It lists also those core concepts essential to understanding ethics as applied in various religions,
Bibliography
- Chadwick, R.F. (1997). Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. London: Academic Press. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-12-227065-7.
- Singer, Peter (1993). Practical Ethics Practical Ethics is an introduction to applied ethics by modern bioethical philosopher Peter Singer. It was published in 1979 and has since been translated into a number of languages, causing outrage in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The 1993 second edition has new chapters on refugees and the environment, and new sections on equality and. Cambridge University Press. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-521-43971-X. (monograph)
Anthologies
- LaFollette, Hugh (2002). Ethics in Practice (2nd Edition). Blackwell Publishing. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-631-22834-9.
- Singer, Peter (1986). Applied Ethics. Oxford University Press. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-19-875067-6.
- Frey, R.G. (2004). A Companion to Applied Ethics. Blackwell. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 1-4051-3345-7.
- Porter, R. (2006). The Health Ethics Typology: Six Domains to Improve Care. Socratic Publishing. ISBN 0-9786699-08
Journals
- Business Ethics Quarterly
- Business and Professional Ethics
- Environmental Ethics
- Ethics (since 1890)
- The Journal of Ethics
- Journal of Applied Philosophy
- International Journal of Applied Philosophy
- International Journal of Philosophical Practice
- Journal of Business Ethics
- Journal of Business Ethics Education
- Professional Ethics
- Teaching Ethics
External links
- Association for Practical and Professional Ethics at the University of Indiana
- Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at Australian National University, Charles Sturt University and University of Melbourne
- Center for the Study of Interdisciplinarity at University of North Texas
- HospitalityEthics.com
- Chris Young, How to teach an introduction to applied ethics
- Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University
- W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia
- Rock Ethics Institute at Pennsylvania State University
- Society for Business Ethics
References
- ^ Brenda Almond, 'Applied Ethics', in Mautner, Thomas, Dictionary of Philosophy, Penguin 1996
Categories: Applied ethics | Ethics
|
Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:39:04 GMT+00:00
Fog City Journal They violated one of the principal precepts of medical ethics : First, do no harm. Government physicians and psychologists who participated in and ... Doctors Without Morals OpEdNews
341px x 500px | 124.70kB
[source page]
If it s going to get used anyway and if it s just lying there I say we the people should directly benefit and at least this once kick all that trickle down nonsense to the curb When it comes to matters of private vs public property few people think everything should be privately or publicly held Even advocates of the most extreme communist society recognize that
Purplebike
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:01:00 GM
Applied Ethics. (PHI 1603) is available this summer! Tell your friends! I'll be teaching two sessions on campus! Kent Campus. 321237 Wednesday 5:30 pm - 9:15 pm 05/10/2010 - 08/01/2010. South Campus. 324305 Tuesday 5:30 pm - 9:15 pm ...
Q. How would professional and situational ethics be applied?
Asked by krayz4u00 - Sun Jun 3 15:50:36 2007 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. any time you're acting, you're supposed to act with ethical standards. you consider whether what you are doing is right.
Answered by brian - Sun Jun 3 16:54:58 2007
