Ethics Definition

1. Identify and thoroughly explain your definition of ethics.

Answer: The dictionary defined ethics as rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad. It seem like ethics and morality are the same. To me, ethics is the unwritten rules handed down from our parents, grandparents, teachers, priests, friends, and other relatives who taught us from when we were little on how to act, speak, think, react, and yes, even to pray properly. A long time ago, it is considered ethical for children not to be heard but only to be seen. Modern parenting though dictates that children should be encouraged to express themselves. I believe that ethics requires discipline and self-control. We have to do what is right and not just what is convenient for us.

2. Give an example of an ethical question that you heard about recently on television or in the newspaper.

Answer: Is assisted suicide ethical? This question has been on the news lately due to the act of 29 year old Brittany Maynard of California who ended her life last year by taking advantage of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.

3. Why is the study of ethics necessary for graduate students?

Answer: With the abundance of resources from the Internet, now more than ever, the study of ethics is necessary for graduate students because it is so tempting to just google the topic you need and copy, paste and present it as your own. Quoting from our very own University’s Academic Honesty/Plagiarism policy “Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s information as though it were your own. If you use another person’s words, ideas or information, or if you use material from a source – whether a book, magazine, newspaper, business publication, broadcast, speech, or electronic media – you must acknowledge the source.

Requiring graduate students to study ethics is a timely reminder that we are being held to a higher standard and should act accordingly”.

4. Using Case #4 as your reference, explain what justice is, using John and possible behaviors in this instance as your illustrative example. (Remember that you are not being asked for “right and wrong” answers here - - you are being asked to discuss the issues involved in each of the viewpoints).

Answer: There are