Classifying ethics by neoethical principles is not enough. These principles do not allow for the anthropological dimension and its application, which has been the main role of ethics since the time of Aristotle. Ethics is treated as practical philosophy, a discipline that assists people in the most important decision-making.
1.1 Applied ethics
Applied ethics is the attempt to incorporate ethical theory into all kinds of practical disciplines and areas of human life. Examples include:- medical ethics; - journalistic ethics; - teaching ethics; - legal ethics; - political ethics;- Work ethics (business ethics)
1.1.1 Business ethics
Business ethics is also known as corporate ethics and is a form of applied ethics. It explores values and economic ideas and the way they are incorporated into everyday practical life. It searches for answers in corporations areas of business.Thomas Ng defines business ethics as follows: "Business ethics is the study of business situations, activities and decisions where issues of right and wrong are addressed." (Ng 2012). Business ethics uses descriptive ethics as a diagnostic tool to establish a corporations current ethical condition. It also uses the methods of normative ethics to project the ideal course of action that the corporation should be aiming for.The desirable course of action addresses:- customers; - employees; - Society; and- the ecosystem.
1.2 Anthropological orientation
As mentioned earlier, some ethical systems prefer to emphasise personal advantage over that of society. Some others prefer it the other way around, with the personal secondary to the communal. The previous chapter showed how to search for these values. This area is called 'theoretical ethics. The taskofapplied ethics isto incorporate theoretical knowledge into everydaylife situations. Workethics and applied ethical systems maintain relations between an individual and certain groups. A corporation can represent a group.An individual's life goals often differ from the interests and priorities of corporations. This is why ethicsis further divided by anthropological orientation into:- Social ethics; and- individual ethics.Ethics aims to unite the interests and goals of an individual with those of a corporation.
1.2.1 Social ethics
Social ethics attempts to find values that are generally accepted by the whole of society. In terms of professional or social orientation, social ethics can be divided into:Social ethics shapes relationships within any given community and at the same time presents its form to the outside world.
Business ethics is also known as corporate ethics and is a form of applied ethics. It explores values and economic ideas and the way they are incorporated into everyday practical life. It searches for answers in corporations areas of business.Thomas Ng defines business ethics as follows: "Business ethics is the study of business situations, activities and decisions where issues of right and wrong are addressed." (Ng 2012). Business ethics uses descriptive ethics as a diagnostic tool to establish a corporations current ethical condition. It also uses the methods of normative ethics to project the ideal course of action that the corporation should be aiming for.The desirable course of action addresses:- customers; - employees; - Society; and- the ecosystem.
1.2 Anthropological orientation
As mentioned earlier, some ethical systems prefer to emphasise personal advantage over that of society. Some others prefer it the other way around, with the personal secondary to the communal. The previous chapter showed how to search for these values. This area is called 'theoretical ethics. The taskofapplied ethics isto incorporate theoretical knowledge into everydaylife situations. Workethics and applied ethical systems maintain relations between an individual and certain groups. A corporation can represent a group.An individual's life goals often differ from the interests and priorities of corporations. This is why ethicsis further divided by anthropological orientation into:- Social ethics; and- individual ethics.Ethics aims to unite the interests and goals of an individual with those of a corporation.
1.2.1 Social ethics
Social ethics attempts to find values that are generally accepted by the whole of society. In terms of professional or social orientation, social ethics can be divided into:Social ethics shapes relationships within any given community and at the same time presents its form to the outside world.
Social ethics attempts to find values that are generally accepted by the whole of society. In terms of professional or social orientation, social ethics can be divided into:Social ethics shapes relationships within any given community and at the same time presents its form to the outside world.
economic ethics;
corporate ethics;
ecological ethics;
political ethics, etc.
Example: Since time immemorial, human societies have created associations and guilds that affiliate people of the same trade or profession. There are traces of guilds that existed as far back as the time of Ancient Egypt or Babylon. It is a well-proven fact that scribblers writers in ancient Babylon had to be members of a guild to carry out their profession.
Every guild had a code that formulated members' rights and duties, consisting of written rules that everyone had to follow. These rules were not only used when a member wanted to seek justice from another member, but represented the true ethos of the affiliated trades. If anyone breached the rules, the offenders could be expelled from the guild and this de facto prevented them from working in their own field.Social ethics in the corporate environment is similarly aimed at instilling an ethos by formulating ethical codes of conduct.Every code has to take into account:
1.2.2 Individual ethics
This area of ethics is concerned with the well-being of individuals, in particular their self-fulfillment in professional life. Ethics also examines the responsibility of individuals towards their immediate social environment (family) as well as issues of work relations with employees and their working relationships with other employees. The individual's role in society is also the subject of ethics.
Education:
This cultivates and enhances one's way of perceiving the world and the human beings within it. It also increases the wealth of the whole of society by supporting development.
Work:
This helps to develop skills in a creative way and cultivates humans desire for self-fulfillment.
Family:
This fulfills the need for love and intimacy. The family has an irreplacable educational role that cannot be transferred to other institutions. It sets behavioural models and creates values and thinking patterns applicable to the whole of society. For example, it teaches values involving respect for life, thefreedom of others, personal hygiene, etc.
Spare time:
This is mentioned more and more in connection with psychological hygiene, a healthylifestyle, sports, increased cultural awareness (fine arts), etc.
This area of ethics is concerned with the well-being of individuals, in particular their self-fulfillment in professional life. Ethics also examines the responsibility of individuals towards their immediate social environment (family) as well as issues of work relations with employees and their working relationships with other employees. The individual's role in society is also the subject of ethics.
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