On ethics

Ethics is about making choices that may not always feel good or may not seem beneficial to you but are the right choices to make. They are the choices that make "model citizens" and examples of the golden rules. We've all heard about the golden rules: Don't hurt, don't steal, don't lie, or the most famous aphorism of Confucius. "Do unto others what you don't want others do unto you." These are not just catchy phrases; these are words of wisdom that any productive member of society should strive to live by.

In our personal lives, most people try to do the golden rules. Ethics are thought of by many people as something that is related to the private side of life and not to the business side. In many businesses, having ethics is frowned upon or thought of as a negative subject. This is because business is usually about doing what's profitable, not about what's really the right thing to do.

Many people tend to disregard ethics specially politicians in many cases. Money or monetary gain can influence people to do unethical things either in the workplace or in everyday life. In the words of Benjamin Franklin "nothing in this world is sweeter than honey but money".

Ethics can also be defined as beliefs that distinguish right from wrong. These beliefs are normally passed down from the family to help you make the right decisions when the need arises. Morals are also on the same line as ethics when talking about doing the right thing. People's morals can be totally different but should follow the same overall pattern in determining right from wrong. Ethics and ethical principles extend to all spheres of human activity. They apply to our dealings with each other, with animals and the environment. They should govern our interactions not only in conducting research but also in commerce, employment and politics. Ethics serve to identify good, desirable or acceptable conduct and provide reasons for those conclusions.

When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between right and wrong, such as the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you), a code of professional conduct like the Hippocratic Oath (“First of all, do no harm”), a religious creed like the Ten Commandments (“Thou Shalt not kill…”), or wise aphorisms like the sayings of Confucius.

Most people learn ethical norms at home, at school, in church, or in other social settings. Although most people acquire their sense of right and wrong during childhood, moral development occurs throughout life and human beings pass through different stages of growth as they mature. Ethical norms are so ubiquitous that one might be tempted to regard them as simple commonsense. On the other hand, if morality is nothing more than commonsense, then why are there so many ethical disputes and issues in our society? It is because the common sense is on uncommon. One plausible explanation of these disagreements is that all people recognize some common ethical norms but different individuals interpret, apply, and balance these norms in different ways in light of their own values and life experiences. (Gervin F. Bumanglag; Alvincent S. Siena; Ted Peter A. Pagba; Sevie Valencia; Angelo A. Taylan)