It seems that each person has his own pyramid of values created throughout life. In fact, it is laid in the subconscious mind in childhood. Information received by a child under the age of 6 goes there directly. This also applies to the ethical standards of behavior that children receive by observing the actions of their parents and listening to their conversations.
Ethics is a very ancient concept, aimed at studying the actions of people and their legitimacy, their moral and moral qualities.
The science of good and evil
The word ethika, once used by Aristotle, later became a science, the study and development of which many philosophers of the world devoted themselves to. If the ancient thinker was interested in finding the answer to the question of what lies at the basis of human actions, then subsequent generations of sages were interested in the concept of ethics and morality in the pyramid of human values.
As a science she studies:
- what place morality takes in public relations;
- its existing categories;
- main problems.
The concept and subject of ethics relate to the following industries:
- normative indicators, the main study of which are the actions of people from the standpoint of such categories as good and evil;
- metaethics studies its species;
- Applied science of this plan studies individual situations from a moral point of view.
Modern ethics is a broader concept than its ancient philosophers imagined. Today, it helps not only evaluate any actions from the position of correctness, but also awakens the evaluative consciousness in people.
Ethics in antiquity
The sages of antiquity did not distinguish it as a separate scientific discipline, but ranked it as sections of philosophy and law.
Most of all in those days, it resembled moralizing aphorisms that help to awaken in people their best and noblest character traits. It was Aristotle who singled it out as a separate discipline, placing it between psychology and politics.
In a work entitled "Evdemian Ethics" Aristotle addresses issues relating to human happiness and the causes of its occurrence. The deep thoughts of this scientist were aimed at the fact that, in fact, for prosperity a person needs to have a goal and energy for its implementation. He believed that disobeying life to achieve it is a great recklessness.
For Aristotle himself, the concept and content of ethics became the foundation for the formation in the minds of his contemporaries of such norms as human virtues. Ancient philosophers attributed to them justice, morality, morality and others.
Even before the emergence of the Greek word ethika, which began to denote science that studies the morality and legitimacy of people's actions, at different times, humanity was interested in the questions of good, evil and the meaning of life. They are fundamental even today.
The concept of morality
The main criterion for the morality of a person is the ability to distinguish between the concepts of good and evil and the choice of non-violence, love for one's neighbor, following the spiritual laws of good.
Sometimes the concepts of "ethics", "morality", "morality" are considered synonyms that mean the same thing. This is not true. In fact, morality is the categories that ethics as a science studies. Spiritual laws, designated by people in antiquity, require a person to live according to the rules of honor, conscience, justice, love and kindness. The church once studied and observed the laws of morality, teaching the believers the 10 commandments. Today, this is done more at the family and school level, where ethics is taught.
A person who applies in practice and promotes spiritual laws has always been called righteous. The concept of ethics of morality is the correspondence of the categories of good and love to the actions that a person commits.
History is well aware of the destruction of powerful empires after the spiritual values of their peoples were replaced. The most striking example is the destruction of Ancient Rome - a powerful prosperous empire defeated by barbarians.
Morality
Another category that ethics studies is the concept of morality. This is a fundamental value for the development of both people and their relationships.
Morality is the degree to which a person is perfected in virtues such as goodness, justice, honor, freedom and love for the world around him. It characterizes the behavior and actions of people from the position of these values and is divided into personal and social.
Public morality is characterized by such signs as:
- compliance with prohibitions generally accepted for a specific population group or religion (for example, Jews should not eat pork meat);
- the culture of behavior inherent in this society (for example, in the African Mursi tribe, a plate is inserted into the lips of women, which is completely unacceptable to the peoples of other countries);
- actions prescribed by religious canons (for example, keeping the commandments);
- education in every member of society of such a moral quality as self-sacrifice.
On the basis of moral values, not only interhuman relations are built, but also between countries and peoples. Wars occur when one of the parties violates the accepted norms that were previously the basis for peaceful coexistence.
History of Professional Ethics
The concept of professional ethics appeared as long ago as the first crafts. The oath of Hippocrates, known to all doctors, for example, is one of the types of such ancient charters. Soldiers, Olympic athletes, priests, judges, senators and other representatives of the population had their own ethical standards. Some were spoken orally (do not go into a strange monastery with your charter), others were written on tablets or papyruses that have survived to this day.
Some such rules of antiquity today are perceived as recommendations and prohibitions.
The workshop charter, which was drawn up in the 11-12th centuries in each craft community in its own way, is more similar to the concept of professional ethics. They indicated not only the responsibilities of each workshop with respect to colleagues and artels, but also their rights.
For violation of such a charter, an exclusion from the community of artisans followed, which was tantamount to ruin. The concept of a merchant’s word is well known, which can also be called an example of an oral agreement between representatives of one or different guilds.
Types of Professional Ethics
The concept and subject of ethics in each profession implies those features of activity that are inherent in this particular work. The moral standards that exist for each profession determine the actions of workers within the framework of accepted rules and order.
For example, there is such a thing as medical, legal, economic, military secret and even confession. Professional ethics include not only moral principles and rules of behavior inherent in any human activity, but also a single team.
If in violation of the working charter of the employee an administrative punishment or dismissal awaits, then if the moral code of the profession is not respected, he can be judged by the laws of the country. For example, when a medical worker is convicted of conducting euthanasia, he will be arrested as a murder.
The main types of professional ethics include:
- medical;
- military;
- legal;
- economic;
- pedagogical;
- creative and others.
The main rule in this case is high professionalism and dedication.
Business ethics
The concept of business ethics belongs to the category of professional morality. There are many unwritten (in some cases, they are indicated in the charters of companies) laws that prescribe to businessmen and business people not only the style of clothing, but also communication, conclusion of transactions or documentation. Business is called only that person who observes moral standards of honor and decency.
Business ethics - a concept used since the time people concluded the first transaction. Different countries have adopted their own rules for negotiating, it does not matter whether it concerns business or diplomatic relations, or places where transactions are concluded. At all times, there were stereotypes of a successful person. In ancient times, these were rich houses, servants or the amount of land and slaves, in our time - expensive accessories, an office in a prestigious area and much more.
Ethical categories
Concepts, categories of ethics - these are the basic tenets of morality, which determine the degree of correctness and incorrectness of human actions.
- good is a virtue that personifies all the positive that exists in this world;
- evil is the opposite of good and the general concept of immorality and meanness;
- good - concerns the quality of life;
- justice - a category indicating the same rights and equality of people;
- duty - the ability to subordinate one's own interests for the benefit of others;
- conscience - the individual ability of a person to evaluate his actions from the position of good and evil;
- dignity - an assessment of human qualities by society.
These are far from all the categories that this science is studying.
