Examples of Ethics in Everyday Life

The ethics it is a conduct, decision or action that adapts to what, within the framework of a specific society, we consider to be good, favorable or acceptable. At the same time, it is the name given to the branch of philosophy that deals with morality and decision-making.

Ethics has been a common field of study and reflection among philosophers and thinkers since ancient times. Its origins date back to Ancient Greece and over the years it has embarked on numerous paths, variants and different perspectives, reflecting the great changes in the culture and the way of thinking of being human. As a field of study and theorization, ethics is often connected with other knowledge such as politics, anthropology, sociology, history and theology.

In our day to day, ethics is applied in a multitude of ways and opportunities, whether in regard to the exercise of our profession (professional ethics), to the work that we perform (work ethics), our relationship with the environment (environmental ethics) or in matters that have to do with health (medical ethics), to cite just a few examples possible. We usually talk about the

applied ethics when it comes to solving a punctual dilemma, and theoretical ethics when we reflect in the abstract on the nature of good and evil.

Examples of ethics in everyday life

Many situations in everyday life can serve as an example of the application of ethics. Some are:

1. A passer-by gets hold of a wallet on the street, checks it and gets the owner's ID and phone number. He then proceeds to call the owner and tell him that he has his wallet, they meet in a corner and he returns it, without touching the money or anything else that the wallet has inside.
2. A school teacher realizes that one of her colleagues, a very dear friend of hers, mistreats the most naughty children, and even insults or verbally assaults them. Despite the fact that she is a close colleague of hers, the teacher talks to him and warns him that, if he continues in this attitude, she must report it to the school coordinator.
3. The neighbors of a building realize that in an apartment a woman suffers from violence by her partner. Instead of remaining indifferent, the neighbors call the police and serve as witnesses to what they heard or saw, so that the woman can be defended and assisted by the authorities.
4. A young woman discovers one day that she is no longer in love with her boyfriend, and that she is rather attracted to a co-worker. Instead of cheating on her partner, the young woman decides to talk to him, explain what is happening and, after evaluating her options, they both decide to end the relationship.
5. A classmate lends José a Harry Potter book. José takes it to the pool and, in an oversight, some pages get wet in the book. José could dry the pages and discreetly return the book, and deny what happened when his friend finds out. But instead he decides to buy a new copy with his money and give it to his friend.
6. The doctoral student of a renowned scientist discovers a new principle of theoretical physics. Instead of hijacking recognition, the renowned scientist baptizes the new theorem with the surname of his student and publicly acknowledges the work accomplished.
7. During a history test, Pedro hands Miguel a piece of paper, asking for his help with the final question. The teacher, however, discovers Miguel and as punishment takes away the exam. Pedro, instead of remaining silent, gets up and confesses to the teacher that the paper is his and that if anyone deserves the punishment, it is him and not his classmate.

Examples of ethical dilemmas

An ethical dilemma is a situation where the right way forward is not entirely clear, and we are forced to evaluate our options and weigh which is the path that does the least harm or that brings the most well-being to all involved. Some examples of these dilemmas are:

1. A boy walks between the tables of a café, asking the diners for money, while his father watches from the end of the block. Giving him money is equivalent to giving it to the father, without knowing how he will spend it; but not giving it to him is denying him the possibility that his father will actually buy him something to eat. What is the most ethical option, to give or not to give a handout?
2. A young university professor and an older student meet and fall in love, but she continues to take classes with him. Can he really assess her objectively? Should she withdraw the course so as not to put him in an awkward position? Should they suspend their relationship until the course ends?
3. A psychoanalyst receives a patient with many emotional problems, who she tells him, in the context of psychotherapy, that he has planned to murder her father, an alcoholic and violent man who has made life miserable for him and his mother for decades. Should the psychoanalyst inform the authorities, violating his professional secrecy, or should he rather try to dissuade his patient without violating his trust? Should she let the patient make her decision or should she try to be the voice of conscience?
4. A plumber does a job on a home, gets paid, and is told the next day that the fixed item didn't work as it should. The plumber agrees to come back and fix it, but before he gets called in for another rather urgent and lucrative job. Which of the two jobs should he attend first?
5. A girl finds herself attracted to her best friend's boyfriend, who has told her that she plans to break up with him. Would it be okay for the girl to go out with the boyfriend after her friend dumped him? Should she give up her feelings out of fidelity to her friend, or in any case ask her first and risk making her friend feel betrayed?

References:

• "Ethics" in Wikipedia.
• “Ethical, ca” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
• “Ethics in everyday life” by Vladimir Bustinza in the University of Piura (Peru).

follow with: