Values and Ethics
- Principles or standards that guide behavior, reflecting what is important to an individual or group.
- Moral principles that govern behavior, determining what is right or wrong.
- Values and ethics are essential in guiding human behavior and decision-making.
- They help us distinguish between right and wrong, fair and unfair, just and unjust, legal and illegal, proper and improper.
- Culture is the ideas, laws, customs, and social behavior that people or societies live by.
- Cultures usually shape values and ethics.
Differences Between Values and Ethics
- Values are the principles and ideas that individuals or groups consider important.
- Ethics are the moral principles that guide behavior, often based on values.
A code of conduct for a professional organization may include principles like honesty, integrity, and respect.
Purpose and Impact
Values and ethics:
- Influence and shape ideas, practices, systems, and spaces.
- Guide choices and actions in every aspect of human activity.
Ethical Frameworks
Ethical frameworks help us make decisions by focusing on:
- The person performing the action.
- The action itself.
- The consequences of the action.
There is no universal agreement on which perspective is most important, leading to ethical conflicts.
