Free Custom «Ethics Paper» Essay Paper

Introduction

The term ethics refers to a philosophical concept which is used as guidance to human being. It helps individuals to understand the concept of life in its totality by distinguishing between morality and immorality. Ethics is a very important thing which is applicable in all spheres of life. There is a Meta, normative, descriptive and applied ethics. These can be explained using the hedonist, utilitarian, deontologist and pragmatic theories (Solomon, R.C. (2007). This paper explains the applications of ethics to the day to day life of man in the society. It does this by emphasizing the ideologies of the classical philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates.

Importance of Ethics

As already explained, ethics is a very universal concept applicable to all the areas of life including business, health, politics, religion and the public sector, just to mention, but a few. This means that it should be practiced by all the people in order to ensure that there is a peaceful coexistence amongst all of them. As explained by Aristotle, people should not only focus on themselves as individuals. Instead, they should learn to understand that they live in a completely diverse society with lots of people who have conflicting interests and world views. In this regard, some of the most important uses of ethics include the following:

First, ethics is a very important tool in the development of business. Actually, business is one of the activities which can not exist without the observance of business ethics. One of the major goals of any business investment is to make profit. Naturally, al businesspeople always tend to make the maximum possible profit. However, this is usually done without considering the welfare of the clients which is basically the most important party for the success of any venture. In this case, the observance of business ethics can help to tame the conduct of businessmen by compelling them to shun away from practices such as hoarding, misleading adverts, selling of harmful products and overcharging their clients only to deliberately exploit them (Blackburn, S., 2001). The knowledge of business ethics can help to ensure that businessmen conduct their activities morally without causing any form of discomfort to their clients, the state and the general public. This will mean that there will be moral business operations like fair pricing, even distribution of products and the selling of high quality and quantity commodities in the market to all the customers without any discrimination.

Secondly, knowledge of ethics can be very instrumental in the medical profession. Any medical practitioner is supposed to adhere to the standard codes of ethical conducts expected of them. It has become a prerequisite requirement that graduating medics commit themselves to the famous Hippocratic Oath in which they publicly declare that they would stick to the medical professional ethical requirements. This is why they should discharge their duties with utmost confidentiality, integrity, diligence, commitment and benevolence. An ethical medical practitioner will act responsibly by providing appropriate services to his patients at all the times. Meaning, they critically listen to them before taking any step. For instance, they will keep all the secrets regarding their patients and seek for their conscious consent before performing activities like surgical operations.

Besides, ethics can be used to promote peace and harmony in the society. This is because it will instill a standard code of conduct generally accepted by all the people.  If individuals can behave in a certain manner which is considered right in the society, it will be possible for them to relate well with others without any conflict. According to the utilitarian theory, making a decision which provides the maximum possible benefits to many people is the only way through which the larger society can be united (Solomon, R.C., 2007). As a result, there will be an understanding amongst all the people. I believe that that this happens because of the satisfaction that they will derive from such decisions. Otherwise, making a hedonistic decision purposely for selfish gain, can lead to conflicts which can, of course, be detrimental to the larger society.

Eventually, ethics can be so beneficial if properly applied in politics and public administration. Its application in politics can help in coming up with viable ideologies in the governance of the country. Politics as an interesting profession is quite attractive and influential. This means that politicians should always conform to the ethical codes of conducts. If they do this, they can properly manage all the public resources, not to benefit themselves, but to benefit the entire society. By this, they will be offering their services for the benefit of the general public. The application of ethics can be very instrumental in the proper management of public funds. It can enable the administrators to put the interests of the public primary to anything to anything else. This will be in line with Jean Jacque’s theory of social contract which explains that leaders should be answerable to the electorates (Blackburn, S., 2001).

Conclusively, I would like to agree with the fact that ethics is a multifaceted concept which universally applies to the day to day life of man. As the paper has proven, it can be beneficial in the success of business, medical, social and political spheres. It is a principal arbiter and determinant of harmonious coexistence in the society. In this regard, I would like to assert that it is a paramount philosophy which everyone should uphold. If properly applied, it can benefit everyone and make the world a better place in which everyone is yearning to live forever.