Ladies and gentlemen, with your permission I will talk about the importance of ethical awareness in our interactions with each other and our work. It is vital to know the importance of ethics in our midst. Many people fail to realize that it is our responsibility to make our surroundings conducive to all of us irrespective of our age, gender, or even social status.
Exercising our God-given right of making the world a better place for all of us demands enormous commitment, consciousness, and competency; virtues that can only be attained through proper ethical awareness and practice.
Before we go into the details on the importance of ethical awareness, it is vital that we find out what ethics is. Ethics is a branch of philosophy concerned with morality. Ethics deals with what is wrong or what is right, good or bad.
Kelly (2006) argues that for people to cordially coexist in society, some basic standards of ethical values have to be observed. In this regard, it is vital that people should be informed on their role in observing moral values in society. Ethics affects all aspects of our life: law, medicine, education, public service, military, business, and even our personal relationships.
Kelly (2006) classifies ethics into the following branches: descriptive, normative, applied, and Metaethics.
Descriptive ethics is a branch of ethics that deals with the facts and reasoning behind human social, cultural and political activities. According to Mackie (2000), normative ethics is majorly concerned with the moral actions of man in reference to societal rules and regulations expected from all of us in society. He further says that applied ethics involves moral outcomes accomplished in society. It focuses on the motives behind an action and explains what makes people adopt some behaviors at the expense of others. Metaethics, on the other hand, is more advanced and is associated with the analysis of the meaning of normative, descriptive, and applied ethics. It is concerned with the supernatural and tries to explain what is beyond our understanding under normal circumstances.
Let us now look at the reasons why ethical awareness is important in our lives. By learning and practicing ethics we define and refine our conducts and aspiration to conform to societal values (Lakoff G. and M. Johnson, 1999). By observing and adhering to societal codes of conduct, we create positive habits in ourselves and this increases the possibility of attaining the ideal society.
However, this is easier said than done, creating this ideal society of high level of ethical awareness and practice demands enormous commitment, consciousness, and competency. This means that we should consistently do the right thing even if such an action could lead to innocent suffering. A lot of sacrifices are required from us if we want to attain a greater degree of the practice of ethical values.
This means that individuals need not only be models of high ethical practice and awareness but also be examples of high moral standards to others. The people who surround us should find something to emulate in us. If we cannot set standards and abide by them, no one will be motivated to leave their perverse behavior or borrow a leave from us. Ethical awareness makes us not only responsible but also accountable both to ourselves and to the people we relate with: be it our teachers, friends, bosses, etc.
Mackie (2000) agrees that ethical awareness can also be acquired through education. Learning institutions play a key role in educating us on the importance of ethical conduct in our society. Properly educated people are enlightened and realize the value of good morals. Such people do not need to be reminded nor encouraged to do the right thing. It is in their system and habits; it comes out automatically. They refrain from bad habits even without thinking of the positive consequences of good morals.
Usually learning institutions also teach ethics and ethics-related courses. Such courses are designed professionally to include everything students are supposed to learn in regard to norms of society (Lakoff G. and M. Johnson, 1999).
This enables learners to acquire skills that make them useful members of the universe. No wonder nowadays many colleges and universities offer philosophy, ethics, and ethics-related subjects as common courses.
Seminars and workshops are also good forums through which morality can be instilled in our people. This is commonly used by organizations and governments to train their staff on ethics and philosophy related to their professions. Civil servants, corporate workers, doctors, teachers, and lawyers are common professions that make use of this strategy. Through these forums, professionals are taught emerging trends of ethical conduct in their specific professions. These moral lessons serve to enhance their careers. Through this, professionals understand what is expected of them and how they can practice the same for the benefit of mankind. A teacher who has high moral values can easily transmit the same to his/her students (Kelly, E., 2006).
Conclusion
Ethical awareness is very important in our society; morality promotes integrity, tranquility, peaceful coexistence as well as professional building.
Ethics is concerned with morality; distinguishing right from wrong. It defines a person’s personality and perceptions. It is divided into descriptive, normative, applied, and Metaethics. It is mainly acquired through practice, observation and education.
Thank you!
Reference List
Kelly, E. (2006).The Basics of Western Philosophy.Oxford: Greenwood Press.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson. (1999) Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and its Challenge to western Thought. Texas: Basic Books.
Mackie, J.L. (2000).Ethics:Inventing Right and Wrong. London: Penguin.