Introduction to Ethics

CE 421 – Civil Engineering Laws, Ethics and Contracts

Professor
Etymology of Ethics
 Derived from the Greek word “ethos”, which means
“way of living” or can also mean “custom”, “habit”,
“character” or “disposition.”
 It is a system of moral principles.
 It is concerned with what is good for individuals and
society and is also described as moral philosophy.
 The discipline concerned with what is morally good
and bad and morally right and wrong.
What is Ethics?
 (1) What makes an act morally right or wrong (a
question of conduct)?
 (2) What makes a person or something good or bad (a
question of value)?
 (3) How to draw the correct conclusion about what
we ought to do or what kind of person we ought to
be?
 (1) and (2) are theoretical/conceptual questions and
(3) is a practical question about moral reasoning.
Ethics in Action
 It is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with
human conduct, more specifically the behavior of
individuals in society.

 Ethics reflects on human beings and their interaction

with nature and with other humans, on freedom, on
responsibility and on justice.

 It is concerned with human independence when it

focuses on the relationship that exists between
humans and the world.
Ethics in Action
 This independence is the primary condition in ethical
decision-making and in any objective analysis of the
facts.
 Individuals demonstrate independence when, in a
decision-making process, they choose to free
themselves as much as possible from their
conditioning.
 It allows judge objectively and to decide what
direction to take, it will be understood that making
ethical decisions is difficult.
Characteristics of Ethical Issues
 Moral disagreements are common.
 Moral issues are often controversial and open-ended.
 It is often difficult to arrive at some consensus.
 How serious could people disagree with one another?
 Could the disagreement be radical and fundamental?
 People even disagree about what and how much they
disagree.
What is morality?
 a system of rules for guiding human conduct, and
principles for evaluating those rules.
 Two points are worth noting in this definition:
 morality is a system; and
 itis a system comprised of moral rules and
principles.
Basic Components of a Moral System
1. Rules of Conduct - Action-guiding rules, in the form
of either directives or social policies

2. Principles of Evaluation - Evaluative standards used

to justify rules of conduct

3. Grounds for justifying moral principles – Religion,

Philosophy, and Law
Moral Theories
 A moral theory consists of a set of moral principles.
 These principles specify the conditions under which
an action is morally right or wrong, or what makes a
person or something good or bad. (Theoretical
questions (1) and (2))
 They purport to guide our moral reasoning (Practical
question (3)).
Moral Theories
 Together with facts about different moral situations,
moral rules that guide the morality of specific kinds
of actions could be derived.
 Together with facts about an individual case, we can
further judge whether an individual act is morally
right or wrong, or whether a person or something is
good or bad.
Structure of a Moral Action
 Person  Action  Consequence
 Person: What makes a person morally good? Be
courageous, kind, and so on? Do the motive,
character, and intention of the person matter in
deciding whether an action is right or wrong?
 Action: What makes an action morally right? Should
the motive, character, or intention of the actor be
taken into consideration? Should it be solely
determined by the consequences?
 Consequence: What constitutes a good or bad
consequence?
Three Kinds of Moral Theories
 Consequence-based theories
 Deontological theories
 Virtue-based theories (approaches)
Consequence-based Theory
 It is based on two principles:
 Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on
the results of that act
 The more good consequences an act produces, the
better or more right that act
 It gives us this guidance when faced with a moral
dilemma: “ A person should choose the action that
maximizes good consequences.”
 And it gives this general guidance on how to live:
“People should live so as to maximize good
consequences.”
Deontological based Theory
 Deontological (duty-based) ethics are concerned with
what people do, not with the consequences of their
actions.
 The word 'deontological' comes from the Greek
word deon, which means 'duty'.
 Duty-based ethics teaches that some acts are right or
wrong because of the sorts of things they are, and
people have a duty to act accordingly, regardless of
the good or bad consequences that may be produced.
Virtue-based Theory
 Virtue ethics is person rather than action based: it
looks at the virtue or moral character of the person
carrying out an action, rather than at ethical duties
and rules, or the consequences of particular actions.
 A right act is the action a virtuous person would do in
the same circumstances.
 In that way, virtue ethics is concerned with the whole
of a person's life, rather than particular episodes or
actions.
 A good person is someone who lives virtuously - who
possesses and lives the virtues.
Applied Ethics
 Applied ethics are an educational practice:
 It aims to accelerate the awareness process and to
accompany the exercise of judgment, because “moral
judgment cannot be learned; it must be cultivated”.
 Applied ethics are a political practice:
 It seeks to establish optimum conditions for exercising
moral judgment. Applied ethics are a political practice
because it is “concerned with the common good”.
 Applied ethics are a philosophical practice:
 It aims to develop systematic, creative criticism based
on meditation on human excellence.
Code of Ethics
 A code of ethics is a guide of principles designed to help
professionals conduct business honestly and with integrity.
 A code of ethics document may outline the mission and
values of the business or organization, how professionals
are supposed to approach problems, the ethical principles
based on the organization's core values, and the standards
to which the professional is held.
 A code of ethics, also referred to as an "ethical code,"
may encompass areas such as business ethics, a code of
professional practice, and an employee code of conduct.
Code of Ethics
 For members of an organization, violating the code of
ethics can result in sanctions including termination.
 In some industries, specific laws govern business
conduct. In others, a code of ethics may be
voluntarily adopted.
 The main types of codes of ethics include a
compliance-based code of ethics, a value-based code
of ethics, and a code of ethics among professionals.