Which unified ethical framework do you subscribe to and why? On what grounds is it justified? Do you consider ethics distinct from morals (I don't)? How so?
...
I...I actually am quite dissatisfied with every take on this matter I've yet come across (yet I still usually try to act ethically), so your input is greatly appreciated.
ebola
This is an interesting and important topic. I have several friends that are studying psychology and I have been discussing this topic with a few of them recently.
One may approach ethics and morals from different viewpoints, although I think that societal values play a large role in what one may consider as ethical. "Society", as we know it, encompasses such a massive plethora of concepts; cultural, spiritual, physical, mental, historical, and so on.
I think, as humans, that we all crave happiness; we all want it; we all strive for it. Generally we all enjoy happy feelings, hence it is no surprise we chase them. Usually happiness refers to a feeling: a sense of pleasure, gladness, or gratification. However, like all other feelings they slip away every time, no matter how hard we try to hold onto them. The other meaning of happiness is to live a "rich and meaningful life"; if we live a full life in this sense, it means we feel a full range of emotions – not just happiness.
It is through communicating that many of our morals appear physically, and it becomes apparent what ethical nature each being has, or aspires to. None of us are born with assertiveness skills, it is learned behaviour, and therefore it is something we can all work at. Assertiveness begins with respect for ourselves and for others. It enables us to make a choice about what we feel is important in our lives and the ability to act on that choice.
Along the line of thought that assertiveness is important for society, in terms of moral and ethical standards, assertiveness is being able to stand up for yourself; making sure your opinions, feelings, and needs are considered and not letting other people always get their way (whether these people’s agendas are deemed as ethical or unethical is irrelevant in this sense, but morals will often guide whether we allow them to have an impact on us in a physical or mental way). We can be assertive without being forceful or rude; this often comes to mind when I think about wars that have been, and are, being fought; could these have been averted if people just learned proper communication skills in the first place?
Ethics can be expressed through assertiveness; it is a skill that is learned; it is about communicating and behaving with others with respect and helps us to become more aware of our own selves and the morals that we have gained over the course of our life. No matter how confident we are, there will be times in our lives when we will find it difficult to deal with certain situations or people; ethical standards are different in each culture and society – it may be that religion drives a moral code in some societies, whereas in others that moral code may be learned through education, passed down to us as children (from our parents or guardians), or other ways.
Wants and needs are an important part of morals, and the sustainability of ethics. In this sense, it may be beneficial to work out what we want versus what others want, and finding the middle ground through this by being assertive and communicating effectively.
We likely all have a "friend" who
always wants to borrow money and is "forgetful" about paying it back. Often we deal with situations of this nature by losing our temper, by saying nothing, or giving in; this can lead to us feeling unhappy, angry, out of control, or anxious – the problem is not solved most of the time if this is the case. Communication is
so important in this sense.
Learning what behaviour is ethical or moral can be done through communicating effectively, not in an aggressive or passive way:
- when we take a passive stance to our needs, feelings, rights, and opinions we avoid conflict at all times and generally try to please others; in the short term this can lead to reduction of anxiety, avoiding guilt, and a sense of martyrdom; in the long term there may be a continuing loss of self-esteem, and increased internal tensions leading to unethical behaviour as a result of stress or feelings of low self-worth.
- when we take an aggressive stance to the same facets as mentioned in the above point, we are expressing "my needs are more important than yours and I am ignoring or dismissing yours"; in the short term we may have a sense of releasing tension or feeling more powerful; in the long-term there may be some guilt and shame, putting the responsibility for anger onto others, and resentment.
Being assertive is being both helpful and honest. We should ask for what we want/need openly and directly, expressing and respecting the rights and needs of others, and expecting others to do the same (sadly this is not always the case). If we are assertive we cannot expect others to magically know what we need/want, we cannot violate people’s rights, and we should not avoid difficult issues. The result of effective and assertive communication is an expression of ethics and morals that can be beneficial for society as a whole, and I think that is the way things should be.
That’s all I have for now, but feel free to criticise my opinion.
. Neither would a perfect unitary ethical system be, for the same reasons. justice is not without mercy. So you're going to have to think about it. well, for yourself really