Types of Ethics (with examples)

The ethics It is the branch of philosophy that is dedicated to studying human behavior and elucidating what is right from what is wrong. It is the analysis of the behavior of people and the reflection on those actions or situations that may be harmful or that have implications that may affect the dignity or the life of another being. For example: A national senator who never goes to congressional sessions is a person with a questionable work ethic.

As a branch of thought, ethics has accompanied the history of humanity at all times, because people, as beings Acting decision-makers are subject to deciding which paths to take and whether these are correct for themselves and for the environment they live in. surrounds them. However, it is in Ancient Greece, with thinkers like Aristotle or Plato, when the foundations of ethics that continue to influence the West are established.

In modernity, there are many situations and disciplines, or almost all, that have debates and ethical positions on their procedures and projections. For example:

The ethical debate generated around the cloning of human beings.

This is why the classifications and types of ethics are linked to moments in history, as well as to paradigms that have founded new ways of approaching problems ethically.

• See also: Ethics in everyday life

types of ethics

Three major typologies or branches of ethics can be found that classify it according to its object of study. These are metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics:

metaethics

It is the one that questions about its own discipline. In other words, metaethics is the one whose object of study is the origins of ethical principles, their history, their configuration over time and their transformations. The birth of ethics is associated with George Edward Moore and the publication of his book ethical principle, which analyzes, among other things, concepts such as what is good, what it is to be good, how it is defined and under what circumstances. For example: An investigation into what has been considered bad behavior in the Middle Ages.

normative ethics

It is the one that reflects on the criteria and the ways in which ethical behavior is determined. In other words, normative ethics asks what are the rules or norms that must be taken into account for someone to be a highly ethical person. Three main postulates converge in this type of ethics:

• consequentialism. As his name indicates, he is one who looks at the result or effects of actions, and the main postulate is that if the consequence of an action is good, then it is ethical. Around this there are debates such as who is the beneficiary of the action. For example: If Robin Hood steals so that some people do not suffer from hunger, he would presumably be talking about ethical conduct from the consequential point of view.
• Deontology. It is the one that establishes that there are certain actions that must be fulfilled regardless of things such as the effects or measuring their degree of benefit, since in themselves they are actions established as ethical. For example: Visiting parents every weekend is an ethical action, even though each visit is becomes difficult for the son due to the claims and complaints that his parents address to him every time no way.
• virtue ethics. It is the one that ensures that the subject remains firm in a personal way and also committed to the qualities and characteristics of what is considered virtuous behavior. The ethics of virtues is found in Plato, who establishes that there are actions that contribute to both individual and global well-being. In this regard, it is worth asking about the definition of virtuoso. Faced with this dilemma, there are various classifications, such as that of the Florentine Giotto di Bondone, who considers that a person virtuous is one that behaves under the following virtues: prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice, faith, charity and hope. For example: Helping the needy is behaving ethically under the premise of virtue.

This group also includes two aspects that adhere to the practice or not of a religion or an established spiritual belief. These two additions are:

• secular ethics. It is one that rests on the basis of reason, logic and common sense. Secular ethics, also called secular ethics, does not derive from a supposed revelation or supernatural guidance. For example: An altruistic behavior based on the idea that it contributes to a more equitable distribution of wealth.
• religious ethics. It is one that is based on the principles of the religion that is practiced. For example: A good Christian is ethical when he honors his parents because that is what the holy scriptures establish.

applied ethics

It is the one that consists of the analysis of concrete and specific situations in almost all branches and disciplines of knowledge, which require an establishment of criteria so that the actions do not become harmful to the individual or to society in general.

Applied ethics seeks to establish limits to human actions in various fields and from there its different types start:

• Professional ethics. It is the one that refers to the behavior of a person in the exercise of the profession and trade of it. It is the conceptual framework that applies to the work and contribution of each of its members. Many companies even have ethical behavior manuals that employees must follow. For example: A watchman who sleeps in shifts during the night would be unethical.
• medical ethics. It is the one that evaluates the actions and conduct of health professionals, who are expected to ensure the protection of life and the care of their patients at all times. For example: A doctor who does a strict and controlled follow-up of one of his patients with a chronic illness follows an ethical conduct.
• Bioethics. It is the one that refers to the decisions and possibilities of life in relation to behaviors that have been always seen as negative and against the protection of humanity, such as abortion or euthanasia. Bioethics also concerns aspects such as the use of technology for biological purposes. It is one of the types that has become popular in recent times. For example: The cloning of human organs is a widespread ethical debate today.
• teaching ethics. It is the one that has its field in the pedagogical practices and in the conduct of the personnel who are in charge of training other people. It is governed by principles of justice, equity and commitment to training in accordance with the provisions of the institution and national codes, among others. For example: A teacher who always grades according to meritocracy.
• military ethics. It is the one that refers to the codes and establishments of life in the military. The behavior of members of the armed forces follows strict codes of conduct and behaviour, among other things, because they are authorized to use force, have access to tools such as firearms, for representing the country and having an implication patriotic A specific field of application of military ethics is the courts of Justice military, created exclusively to deal with criminal cases in which a member of the forces has been involved. For example: A soldier who receives bribes has little ethics.
• Business ethics. It is one that is part of the conduct of companies and associations for profit as legal persons. Ethics is established for those actions that large companies carry out in the exercise of their business and the possible damages or benefits that they do to their internal or external clients or to the society in general. For example: A firm that pollutes has little ethics.
• environmental ethics. It is one that is based on the relationship between people and the environment and its preservation for future generations. It is a type of ethics that is very current in recent decades due to the environmental deterioration caused by large polluting industries. Environmental ethics covers a wide spectrum of actions, from recycling in a family home, to the emission of polluting gases from a large factory. For example: A clothing company that applies policies so that its raw materials are biodegradable has a high standard of environmental ethics.
• sexual ethics. It is the one in charge of studying the application of ethics to human sexuality and its practice in different types of societies. This category includes current debates such as orientation and sexual education, sexual exploitation, adultery, among others. For example: A school that considers giving sex education to its students enters into an interesting discussion about how to do it ethically.
• sport ethics. It is the one that refers to the practice of sports and the people who make it up (corporations, athletes, coaches, sponsors). Sports ethics is committed to healthy and fair competition, without harming any of the actors involved. For example: A basketball team that does a medical and nutritional checkup of its athletes every month has a high ethical standard.
• communication ethics. It is the one that is the responsibility of the media and the informative massiveness. It is associated with the practice of professions such as journalism, in which ethics is important because they are organizations that influence public opinion and are part of the construction of reality collective. For example: A radio news program that does not broadcast opinions and sticks to the facts in the most objective way possible has high ethics.
• research ethics. It is one that is reduced to investigative work of any kind, especially in spaces such as academics in which research production is very high and occupies large areas of the knowledge. With this type of ethics, the guidelines are established so that a study is well executed and transparent in all its phases. For example: A university must publish the results of its research in full, even if it would affect its own reputation.

examples of ethics

1. A boss who does not make his employees work overtime demonstrates professional ethics.
2. A young man who does not tell lies has a high degree of ethics.
3. A company that avoids polluting and generates recycling campaigns is considered to have business ethics.
4. A coach who takes care of the mental health of his athletes has sports ethics.
5. A policeman who is fair when it comes to mediating conflicts has a military ethic.
6. A lawyer who does not mislead his clients and works for them honestly has high professional ethics.
7. A school principal who implements innovation strategies in his institution has a high degree of teaching ethics.
8. A parishioner who keeps the Ten Commandments demonstrates standards of religious ethics.
9. A charitable and supportive man is the possessor of an ethic of virtues.
10. A nurse who devotedly cares for the patients in his care has high medical ethics.

Interactive exercise to practice

Follow with:

• Difference Between Ethics and Morality
• Moral and ethic
• amoral conduct
• Moral standards

References

• "Ethics" in Wikipedia.
• "Types of ethics: characteristics and examples"in online psychology.