AMITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS &

SOCIAL RESPOSIBILITY

Dr Anshul Malik
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Course Objectives
• To understand the concept of professional
ethics.
• To identify ethical issues at workplace.
• To learn to match code of ethics with
appropriate profession.
• To understand theories of ethics.
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Learning Outcomes of the course

• Relate code of ethics with appropriate profession
• Comprehend the concept of professional ethics
• Analyse various ethical issues at workplace
• Interpret theories of ethics and their implications
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Module I: Philosophy and Ethics

• Introduction to philosophy; definition, nature and scope,
concept, branches
• Origin of Ethics
• Ethics: definition, moral philosophy, nature of moral
judgments and reactions.
• Theories of Ethics(Utilitarian Theory, Right Theory &
Casuist Theory)
• Benefit of Ethics
• Freedom in ethical discourse
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Module II: Ethical Issues and

practices at Workplace
• Ethical Dilemma’s
• Challenges in ethical decision making
• Redressal of grievances
• Employee Rights
• Conflicts of Interest
• Employee Relationship at workplace
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Module III: Code of Ethics

• Principle of Ethics
• Compliance based and value based code of ethics
• Professional obligation
• Role of regulatory authority
• Respect for Privacy
• Confidentiality
• Inform Consent and debriefing
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Module IV: Sustainable Practices

• Green Practices
• Ethics to handle VUCA environment
• Importance of sustainability
• Sustainable Business practices
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Inclusive development
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Module V: Ethics in different

Domain
• Role of ethics in different domain
• Ethics in Research, Medicine, Engineering, Sciences,
Entrepreneurship, Psychology, Journalism,
Management, law, Humanities etc.
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Professional Skills Development

Activities
• PSDA 1: Students will carry out a survey outside their department to
identify and understand the translation of professional values and
ethics in daily work practices. Students will compile a report based
on it.

• PSDA 2: The students will analyse a case study based on any

corporate scam violating professional ethics (Give presentation in
team of 3).

• PSDA 3: The students will carry out a home assignment on how the
course on professional ethics will help them in achieving personal
and professional goals.
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MODULE I
• Knowing others is intelligence, knowing
yourself is true wisdom” - Lao Tzu
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MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental
problems, such as those connected with existence,
knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
• Philosophy is the rational attempt to formulate,
understand, and answer fundamental questions.
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Nature of Philosophy
1.Philosophy is a set of views or beliefs about life and the
universe, which are often held uncritically.
We refer to this meaning as the informal sense of
philosophy or “having” a philosophy. Usually when a
person says “my philosophy is,” he or she is referring to
an informal personal attitude to whatever topic is being
discussed.
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Nature of Philosophy
2. Philosophy is a process of reflecting on and criticizing
our most deeply held conceptions and beliefs.

•These two senses of philosophy— “having” and “doing”— cannot be treated

entirely independent of each other, for if we did not have a philosophy in the
formal, personal sense, then we could not do a philosophy in the critical,
reflective sense. Having a philosophy, however, is not sufficient for doing
philosophy. A genuine philosophical attitude is searching and critical; it is open-
minded and tolerant—willing to look at all sides of an issue without prejudice. To
philosophize is not merely to read and know philosophy; Philosophers are
reflective and critical.
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Nature of Philosophy
• 3. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world
as a whole.

Philosophy seeks to combine the conclusions of the

various sciences and human experience into some
kind of consistent world view. Philosophers wish to
see life, not with the specialized slant of the scientist
or the businessperson or the artist, but with the overall
view of someone cognizant of life as a totality.
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Nature of philosophy
• 4. Philosophy is the logical analysis of language and
the clarification of the meaning of words and concepts.

Certainly this is one function of philosophy. In fact, nearly

all philosophers have used methods of analysis and
have sought to clarify the meaning of terms and the
use of language. Some philosophers see this as the
main task of philosophy, and a few claim this is the
only legitimate function of philosophy.
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• 5. Philosophy is a group of perennial problems that interest

people and for which philosophers always have sought
answers.
• Philosophy presses its inquiry into the deepest problems of
human existence. Some of the philosophical questions
raised in the past have been answered in a manner
satisfactory to the majority of philosophers. Many questions,
however, have been answered only tentatively, and many
problems remain unsolved.
• “What is truth?”
• “What is the distinction between right and wrong?”
• What is life and why am I here?
• Why is there anything at all?
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IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSPHY
1. The study of Philosophy enables us to think carefully and clearly about
important issues.
2. In studying Philosophy, we learn to take a step back from our everyday thinking
and to explore the deeper, bigger question which underpins our thought.
3. The focus in the study of Philosophy is to learn not what to believe, but how to
think.
4. Studying philosophy sharpens your analytical abilities, enabling you to identify
and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in any position.
5. It hones your ability to construct and articulate cogent arguments of your own.
6. It prompts you to work across disciplinary boundaries and to think flexibly and
creatively about problems which do not present immediate solutions.
7. Because philosophy is an activity as much a body of knowledge, it also
develops your ability to think and work independently.
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BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

• Historically, philosophical concerns have

been treated under these broad categories:
• 1. Logic
• 2. Metaphysics
• 3. Epistemology
• 4. Value theory
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LOGIC
• Logic is the systematic study of the rules for the
correct use of these supporting reasons, rules we can
use to distinguish good arguments from bad ones.
• Most of the great philosophers from Aristotle to the
present have been convinced that logic permeates all
other branches of philosophy. The ability to test
arguments for logical consistency, understand the
logical consequences of certain assumptions, and
distinguish the kind of evidence a philosopher is using
are essential for “doing” philosophy.
 Metaphysics 20

• Another traditional branch of Philosophy traditionally known as

metaphysics. For Aristotle, the term metaphysics meant “first
philosophy,” discussion of the most universal principles; later the term
came to mean “comprehensive thinking about the nature of things.” It
means, usually, the study or theory of reality.
• The question of metaphysics is: what is reality? What is real? Is reality
some kind of “thing”. Is it one or is it many? If it is one, then how is it
related to many things around us? Can ultimate reality be grasped by
five senses, or is it supernatural or transcendent?
• Metaphysics undoubtedly is the branch of philosophy that the modern
student finds most difficult to grasp. Metaphysics attempts to offer a
comprehensive view of all that exists. It is concerned with such problems
as the relation of mind to matter, the nature of change, the meaning of
“freedom,” the existence of God, and the belief in personal immortality.
 EPISTEMOLOGY 21

• The technical term for the theory of knowledge is epistemology,

which comes from the Greek word episteme, meaning
“knowledge.” In general, epistemology is the branch of philosophy
that studies the sources, nature, and validity of knowledge.
There are three central questions in this field:
(1) What are the sources of knowledge? Where does genuine
knowledge come from or how do we know? This is the question
of origins.
(2) What is the nature of knowledge? Is there a real world outside
the mind, and if so can we know it? This is the question of
appearance versus reality.
(3) Is our knowledge valid? How do we distinguish truth from error?
This is the question of the tests of truth, of verification.
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• Traditionally, most of those who have offered answers to

these questions can be placed in one of two schools of
thought—rationalism or empiricism.
• The rationalists hold that human reason alone can discover the basic
principles of the universe.
• The empiricists claim that all knowledge is ultimately derived from sense
experience and, thus, that our knowledge is limited to what can be
experienced.
• It should be clear that there is a necessary relation between metaphysics
and epistemology.
• Our conception of reality depends on our understanding
of what can be known. Conversely, our theory of
knowledge depends on our understanding of ourselves
in relation to the whole of reality.
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VALUE THEORY
• Value theory is the branch of philosophy that studies
values. It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics,
and social and political philosophy.
• In broad terms ethics concerns itself with the question
of morality. What is right and what is wrong in human
relations? Within morality and ethics there are three
major areas: descriptive ethics, normative ethics, and
metaethics. Descriptive ethics seeks to identify moral
experience in a descriptive way. We seek to identify,
within the range of human conduct, the motives,
desires, and intentions as well as overt acts
themselves.
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• Descriptive ethics consider the conduct of individuals, or personal

morality; the conduct of groups, or social morality; and the culture
patterns of national and racial groups.
• A second level of inquiry is normative ethics (what ought to be).
Here philosophers try to work out acceptable judgments regarding
what ought to be in choice and value. “We ought to keep our
promises” and “you ought to be honorable” are examples of
normative judgments— of the moral ought, the subject matter of
ethics.
• Third, there is the area of critical or metaethics. Here interest is
centered on the analysis and meaning of the terms and language
used in ethical discourse and the kind of reasoning used to justify
ethical statements. Metaethics does not propound any moral
principle or goal (except by implication), but rather consists entirely
of philosophical analysis. What is the meaning of “good?” and Can
ethical judgments be justified? are typical problems for metaethics.
 AESTHETICS 25

• Concerns the theory of art and beauty. Questions of art and beauty
are considered to be part of the realm of values because many
philosophical problems in aesthetics involve critical judgments.
There are wide differences of opinion as to what objects call forth
the aesthetic response, and what beauty really is. Our concepts of
beauty may differ not because of the nature of beauty itself, but
because of varying degrees of preparation in discerning beauty.
Therefore, if we cannot perceive beauty in objects that others find
beautiful, it may be wise to withhold judgment until we are capable
ourselves of making a competent analysis of the aesthetic
experience.
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SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSPHY

• Social and political philosophy investigates value judgments
concerning society, the state, and the individual’s relation to these
institutions.
• The following questions reflect the concerns of social and political philosophy:
• Why should individuals live in society?
• What social ideals of liberty, rights, justice, equality and responsibility are desirable?
• Why should anyone obey any government?
• Why should some individuals or groups have political power over others?
• What criteria are to be used in determining who should have political power?
• What criteria are to be used in determining the scope of political power, and what
rights or freedoms should be immune from political or legal control?
• To what positive goals should political power be directed, and what are the criteria for
determining this?
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ETHICS- Definition

•ETHICS is an area of study that deals with

ideas about what is good and bad
behaviour : a branch of philosophy dealing
with what is morally right or wrong
 Origin of Ethics 28

• The term ethics is derived from the Greek

word ethikos which itself is derived from
the Greek word ethos, meaning custom or
character. In philosophy, ethical behavior
is that which is “good.” The field
of ethics or moral philosophy involves
developing, defending, and recommending
concepts of right and wrong behavior.
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• Ethics is a science of morality, and it

discusses the contents of moral
consciousness and the various problems
of moral consciousness. Moral
consciousness is the consciousness of
right and wrong. It involves three factors
1.Cognitive or intellectual,
2.Affective or emotional,
3. Conative or volitional
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 Moral Values 32

• Integrity,
• Determination,
• Loyalty,
• Truthfulness,
• Honesty,
• Giving respect to each other etc should be
inherited by every individual.
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Nature of moral judgements and

reactions
• The moral judgement is the judgement which
deals with the moral value or quality of an action.
• A moral judgment is given on the voluntary and
habitual actions of a rational being. The voluntary
actions of a rational person which involve
deliberation, choice, and resolution, have the
moral quality of rightness and wrongness.
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• Moral judgment is active in nature.

Because moral judgment is given upon
voluntary and habitual acts of persons and
not upon their passive experiences.
• Moral judgment is social in character.
Because, as we know, voluntary acts of a
person are right or wrong, because they
more or less affect the of interest of
others.
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One reason for this is that “morality” seems to be

used in two distinct broad senses:
a) descriptive sense and b) normative sense.

1.descriptive refers to certain codes of conduct put

forward by a society or a group (such as a religion),
or accepted by an individual for her own behavior,
or
2.normative refers to a code of conduct that, given
specified conditions, would be put forward by all
rational persons.
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Approaches to ethics
• Philosophers nowadays tend to divide ethical theories
into three areas: meta-ethics, normative ethics and
applied ethics.
• Meta-ethics deals with the nature of moral judgement. It
looks at the origins and meaning of ethical principles.
• Normative ethics is concerned with the content of moral
judgements and the criteria for what is right or wrong.
• Applied ethics looks at controversial topics like war,
animal rights and capital punishment
 Theories of Ethics 37

• Utilitarian Theory- Utilitarian ethical theories

are based on one’s ability to predict the
consequences of an action. To a utilitarian, the
choice that yields the greatest benefit to the
most people is the one that is ethically correct.
• Rights Theory-
• In ethical theories based on rights, the rights established
by a society are protected and given the highest priority.
• Rights are considered to be ethically correct and valid
since a large population endorses them. Individuals may
also bestow rights upon others if they have the ability
and resources to do so.
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• Casuistry, in ethics, a case-based method of

reasoning. It is particularly employed in field-
specific branches of professional ethics such
as business ethics and bioethics.
• Casuistry typically uses general principles in
reasoning analogically from clear-cut cases,
called paradigms, to vexing cases. Similar cases
are treated similarly. In this way, casuistry
resembles legal reasoning. Casuistry may also
use authoritative writings relevant to a particular
case.
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Benefits of Ethics
1. Attention to business ethics has
substantially improved society.
2. Ethics programs help maintain a moral
course in turbulent times.
3. Ethics programs cultivate strong teamwork
and productivity.
4. Ethics programs support employee growth
and meaning.
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5. Ethics programs are an insurance policy — they help

ensure that policies are legal.
6. Ethics programs help avoid criminal acts “of omission”
and can lower fines.
7.Ethics programs help manage values associated with
quality management, strategic planning and diversity
management .
8. Ethics programs promote a strong public image.
9. managing ethical values in the workplace legitimizes
managerial actions, strengthens the coherence and
balance of the organization’s culture.
10. formal attention to ethics in the workplace is the right
thing to do.
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Freedom in Ethical Discourse

• Freedom is as old as the existence of
man. It is a general term used in everyday
activity mostly to express how free one is
in his or her actions. But freedom in ethical
discourse cuts across critical and rational
discussions alongside many disciplines.
This is because, no matter how free man
is, everywhere seems to be in chains –
Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
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• Freedom comes with personal

consciousness to choose to act freely in a
certain way rather than the other. Thus,
freedom in ethical discourse comes with
choice and freewill. Hence, one is free to
choose or not to choose. But do you know
that “even when one chooses not to
choose, he/she ends up making a choice
(choosing)”?
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Definition of Freedom:
• The various meaning of the term “freedom” centers around three
major themes.
• The first is the possibility of the subject to act as man wills to satisfy
his tendencies, aspiration etc (freedom of actions as opposed to
constraint, servitude etc. civil and political liberties, etc.)
• The second is the power of self-determination without any
necessitation in willing. If only from the pressure of the nature
slightly distinct form the ego (freedom of willing, freewill as opposed
to Necessity).
• The third is the fulfillment of reasoning subject by the internal
domination of reason, of superior motivations over feeling and over
inferior motivations (rational freedom).