A Word on Ethics
After mulling over a recent conversation about ethics, I thought it might be a good idea to throw a definition or two out there to really get everyone’s heads in a spin. While it seems so fantastic to grab onto the definitive (the ‘black and white’ and ‘right and wrong’ mentality), the truth is, there is so much heavy gray matter that comes into play when considering ethics.
I for one believe in absolutes, a firm notion of right and wrong, and a clear delineation between good and bad. But how does one define such absolutes? Doesn’t perception throw everything into a tailspin? What if my definition of “bad” is someone else’s definition of “good,” or worse, not even something they feel the need to consider? What makes my book of absolutes the correct one? And if I am unable to offer anything other than, “because it’s my view of reality, and that’s just the way things are on my world,” then what is the purpose of all of this mess?
Let’s step back a minute and look at the definition of “ethic.” The American Heritage Dictionary (2000, 4th edition) offers the following:
1. (a) A set of principles of right conduct. (b) A theory or a system of moral values: “An ethic of service is at war with a craving for gain” (Gregg Easterbrook).
2. ethics (used with a sing. verb) The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy.
3. ethics (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession: medical ethics.
Sounds great. Except for the vague use of “right conduct.” And the continual use of “moral” and “morals” (…as defined by…?). And perhaps the complete lack of an absolute that I think many wish existed. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if the definition read, “1. (a) A set of principles of right conduct, such as: Do not kill; do not steal; do not lie; etc.” But I suppose that is what religious ideology gives us, right? Except that given two major world religions to compare, inevitably, one can find conflict and contradiction among the many definitive definitions of right and wrong. So does that mean that all religions are bunk? Or that only one is correct?
After some head scratching, we eventually make our way to ethical theories such as Moral Theory, Relativism, Utilitarianism, Egoism, and many, many more. So where does all of this adventure get us, since we are no nearer to ethical absolutes than when we started?
I have been frustrated by the lack of a simple answer in the past, but have since enjoyed the journey. The truth is, even if we feel strongly that there are absolutes (and are pig-headedly certain that our absolutes are the ‘right’ ones) knowing that there are other ethical theories out there may help us in a difficult situation, such as relating to someone with vastly different views, or coping with a reality that we might struggle to explain under our own ethical theory.
In the end, though I still look every day for the infallible ‘good’ and ‘bad’, I have learned to enjoy the journey much more. And the further I go, the more I am humbled, and the deeper my understanding of how far I have yet to travel becomes.
TAGS: This entry was posted on Monday, March 13th, 2006 at 12:51 am and is filed under Business Ethics, CalPoly MBA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.