But, is it ethical?
I came across this statement “for everything human beings do by intelligence rather than instinct, any course of conduct they choose when they might have chosen differently, is a moral action in “The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand and it stopped me in my tracks. I had to study this statement and make a decision about its validity.
I consider the words ‘moral’ and ‘ethical’ to be interchangeable.
We all have the ability to do harm or to do good to other people; and we all are fully aware of that capacity. How can we know this? We can know this because we are capable of imaginatively placing our self into the boots of the other person?
Young children know this, as is evident by there shouts of condemnation:
“That’s not fair!—“She won’t share!—“He hit me and I didn’t do anything to him!—“He promised!—“Cheater, Cheater!—“Liar, Liar!—“It’s my turn!
I suspect most of us, adults and children; learn these ‘ethical principles’ through social osmosis (without conscious effort). We ‘know’ these principles of ethical behavior but often fail to practice them because there are always so many other forces pulling us in another direction.
The forces pulling us into unethical behavior are many; for example, ego and social centric forces, self-delusion, selfishness, and especially because of our ignorance and the complexity of the problems we face.
Webster defines educate as—to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically [beauty] especially by instruction. Webster defines indoctrinate as—to imbue [infuse] with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle.
I think that it is imperative for each adult to become conscious (aware plus attention) of the difference between these two terms--‘educate’ and ‘indoctrinate’--and also to recognize just how much of our attitude toward matters of ethics results from our education or from our indoctrination.
I agree with the statement in the first paragraph, do you? I find it I to be staggering to realize this to be a fact, do you?
But, is it ethical?
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orangesox1
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But, is it ethical?
I agree with the first statement, however I wouldn't have considred the words 'moral' and 'ethical' to be interchangable.
We learn our moral (rather than ethical) principles through social osmosis according to what we percieve to be right and wrong, through observing modelling and being taught. Ethics, I belive help us decide wether we are making the correct moral desision, such as when there is a moral dilema.
For example; two people are taken to hospital with in seconds of each other. One is an outstanding citizen the other a mentally disturbed person. Both need the only life support machine available in the hospital and will die with out it. What should you do? it's not morally right to let someone die but you have to make a decision. I would think that your decision would have to be ethically based rather than morally based as morally you can't let either die, so based on ethics you have to make a decision.
Does that sound right to you? or maybe you can think of a better example.:-2
We learn our moral (rather than ethical) principles through social osmosis according to what we percieve to be right and wrong, through observing modelling and being taught. Ethics, I belive help us decide wether we are making the correct moral desision, such as when there is a moral dilema.
For example; two people are taken to hospital with in seconds of each other. One is an outstanding citizen the other a mentally disturbed person. Both need the only life support machine available in the hospital and will die with out it. What should you do? it's not morally right to let someone die but you have to make a decision. I would think that your decision would have to be ethically based rather than morally based as morally you can't let either die, so based on ethics you have to make a decision.
Does that sound right to you? or maybe you can think of a better example.:-2
But, is it ethical?
Orange..
The dictionary considers that the two words ‘moral’ and’ ethical’ are synonymous. I suspect many people will give different meanings to the two words but I suspect there will be little correlation with any of the meanings but I think that everyone will agree both words relate to the principles of what is right and wrong.
The dictionary considers that the two words ‘moral’ and’ ethical’ are synonymous. I suspect many people will give different meanings to the two words but I suspect there will be little correlation with any of the meanings but I think that everyone will agree both words relate to the principles of what is right and wrong.