1.
ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction :
the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and
obligation 2a : a set of
moral principles : a theory or system of moral
values * the present-day materialistic ethic * an old-fashioned work ethic —often used in
plural but singular or plural in construction * an elaborate ethics * Christian ethics b ethics plural in form but singular or plural
in construction : the principles of conduct
governing an individual or a group * professional ethics c :
a guiding philosophy d : a consciousness of moral
importance * forge a conservation ethic 3 ethics plural : a set of moral issues or aspects
(such as rightness) * debated the ethics of human
cloning
Many today, including some scholars,
question the validity of truth claims. They argue: “what might be right for you
might not be right for me; does truth exists, is there really absolute truth?”
If there is no absolute truth, ethics,
at best, can only be a set of guidelines imposed by a family, business, school,
religion, or some other such organization. If this be the case and we belong to
any such group but hold the opinion that absolute truth does not exist, even if
we agree to the terms set forth, say to an employer, are we unethical if we do
not live up to the standard we agreed to? No. There is no truth to be
accountable for and since there is no truth, ethics are nothing more than a
human construct. Sadly, this way of thinking is common today. We see this
played out, almost daily, in the media and perhaps in our own little corner of
the world.
Do we expect our children to obey us?
If their truth does not match our truth, what right do we have to enforce our will
on them? Can we really argue that we are right or know what is best for them? When
a college professor demands that students not cheat, is he or she within their
right? What difference does it make anyway when the goal is to obtain a degree
so that a high paying job can be gained? I suggest that this mindset is clearly
a picture of total chaos. BUT, is it intentional?
Let me skip now to the purpose of my
writing. Yesterday I was confronted with a situation that I would consider falling
under unethical behavior. A supervisor, who demands his employees adhere
strictly to a code of ethics, not only violated a company policy, he stomped it to pieces. His wrongful actions hurt an employee financially. His
supervisors are aware that this is the “norm” for him but since he is close to
retirement, they allow it. What message does this send to the existing
employees, worse yet, new employees? Is it okay to violate the company’s work
ethic after so many years of service or based on who you are or who you know? If
this is so, the rules only apply to some and not others. But who decides? What
if a new hire decides that they can violate the ethics code as long as they don’t
get caught? If they do get caught, who has the right to judge them? Are they
not practicing what they are being taught?
I think the word that fits here is hypocrisy.
Consider this: Would you desire the
following people to have been ethical in their training, experience, and
practice?
Your doctor?
Airline pilot?
Police officer?
Banker?
Real estate agent?
Auto mechanic?
Baby sitter?
A judge?
If we expect
these people to adhere to a moral or ethical standard but do not believe we
should live up to the same standard, are we not hypocrites as well?
Suppose we
get robbed in front of a group of witnesses. When the case goes to trial, the
witnesses and the accused lie under oath. Who are we to judge them? Their truth
may not align with ours but it is their truth. Maybe the witnesses fear
retaliation. They have no moral or ethical obligation to do what we think they
should. The judge, who they have never met, should have no expectation of them
to be honest, that is simply his truth.
You see, if
there is no absolute truth, no morality, no ethical standard, we can be denied
justice. Our whole system will collapse around us.
We cannot
control what others do but we can live up to a higher standard and practice
good moral and ethical behavior. What we do, not what we say, will form the
minds and hearts of our children. Is this not what we want for our children?
