What does the word Ethics mean to me?

In the dictionary the definition for the word ethic is,

‘ethic n. moral principal or frame work; (ethics) moral principles; the discussion of these.’

This led me onto the definition of the world moral;

‘moral adj. concerned with right and wrong conduct; virtuous.’

Therefore the discussion of ethical issues is basically the discussion of what is right and what is wrong.

Childhood

The notion of right and wrong is something that is taught from childhood. As children we are taught that lying, cheating and disobeying our parents is wrong and that telling the truth, good manners and doing as we are told is right. This is something that is then reflected in our adult lives and in how we conduct ourselves both professionally and socially.

Religion

Although I am not a particularly religious person myself I found myself thinking of how right and wrong is in fact related and perhaps based on religion. In most religions we are taught that if we do not adhere to the rules set down by that particular religion or commit sin we will then pay for it in the afterlife.

I have always been interested in the idea of karma. This is a Buddhist belief that;

‘The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny.’

This is basically the notion that if we do something that is seen as wrong or immoral then we will pay for it in the course of our lives. This is something that is determined by destiny rather than a physical occurrence.

Law

In law if we do something wrong we then have to pay for what we have done and the punishment is decided on how heinous the crime in question is in accordance to the country’s law. This is not however decided by a higher entity but rather our peers.

Business

In business and politics right and wrong and what is considered to be ethical is often put second to personal gain and greed which are two things that are seen as sin when referring to the holy book but in business are seen as doing whatever it takes for the good of a company and personal and financial success. An example of where this has happened in modern society is where two big name retailers where pinpointed in recent years for having ‘sweat shops’ in foreign counties to cut back on costs. This is something that is seen as completely unethical when thinking of human rights and yet was happening nevertheless. This is just one example of when the notion of morals and ethics become somewhat cloudy.

Personal

When thinking of right and wrong in a more personal sense I feel it is very much down to personal belief and upbringing. This is something that sometimes can conflict with social or professional conduct and is very much a judge of ones personal character.