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ONE of the challenging questions we come across in life is what is right and wrong? Sometimes these are referred to as good and bad. Ethics vary from person to person, place to place, and from time to time.
In modern society untouchability and slavery have long being abandoned. This is a classic example of how ethics change *1 - /$( ) -*.. +' .ǟ ) needs to understand clearly what
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*2 1 -Ǡ /# ,0 ./$*) *( . how do we decide what is right and wrong? Irrespective of the context whether it is a corporate or society at large, the approach of dealing ethical problems remains the same.
It is better to take the help of three leading frameworks to decide on ethical confrontations rather than merely relying on personal opinions or emotions.
The most useful and simple frameworks are ethics of duty, discourse ethics and ethics of consequence. An individual with an ordinary prudence may easily apply the fundamental principles of these approaches and resolve issues arising out of ethical dilemmas in day-to-day life.
If a decision is not backed by good intention (hypothetical), then it is an unethical decision. ) /#$. *)/ 3/Ǡ Ǭ 0/4ǭ ( ). pure cause which enables an
/#$ ' /$*)ǟ 0/ $/ $. 1 -4 $Ʀcult to judge the intention of the decision maker that it is pure. This philosophy of ethics was proposed by a popular German philosopher Immanuel Kant.
*2 1 -Ǡ 1 ) $! .$)"' ƥ / + -/4 ./ $). !-*( discourse, then the decision remains to be unethical. Probably, bringing all aggrieved parties under a single roof and ensuring they all will be happy is a herculean task. Discourse ethics was promulgated by German philoso+# - 0-" ) -( .ǟ
Ethics of consequence presume a decision is right if it brings maximum good to a maximum number of people. It is very popularly known as the +-$) $+' *! Ǭ( 3$(0( # ++$ness to a maximum number of + *+' ǭǟ
*2 1 -Ǡ $/ 0) -($) . /# happiness of minorities. Where a government or MNC is undertaking a major project, it is quite natural that the project may have some negative impacts either on the environment or on the selected stakeholders.
Though we make cognisance of negative impacts, the project in question may simultaneously yield greater positive societal impact too. The positive and negative impacts of a decision are weighed against each other. If positive outcomes are greater than the negative outcomes, then the decision is ethical.
) /# */# - # ) Ǡ $! /# ) " tive outcomes are higher than the positive outcomes, then the decision is unethical. Ethics of consequence was suggested by a popular English philosopher Geremy Bentham.
The next question comes, what $. /# .$")$ơ ) *! /#$ .ǧ 1 - the years, reporting of unethical practices in the newspapers, TV channels and social media has increased many folds. A variety of potentially harmful products are being sold ranging from food and beverages to electronics and medicines.
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CONTEXT WHETHER IT IS A CORPORATE OR SOCIETY AT LARGE, THE APPROACH OF DEALING ETHICAL PROBLEMS REMAINS THE SAME