What are ethics?

It’s a simple enough question, but its really much more than that.  It’s also something I wouldn’t have really thought much about until my human resources class today.  We were told to write the definition of what we thought ethics were.  I wrote “a set of beliefs and values a person has that helps them determine their own definition of what is right”.

Merriam-Webster defines ethic as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation”, “a set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values”, and “a guiding philosophy”

So if that’s what ethics are then how do we come to know them? Are they learned or intuitive or situational?  As children, we begin to learn ethics, from our families, schools, and religious affiliations.  We are taught what is right and wrong, but eventually we grow up and learn that everything in no longer black and white, and instead there is a lot of gray.  Throughout high school and college we are making our own decisions about what is right and wrong.

This means ethics become situational.  We were asked if everyone has the same ethics, which to me seems like a stupid question, because everyone has different experiences that help them develop the values and ethics they have.  So if everyone’s ethics are different then does that mean some are “better” or more “right” than others.  That is where the conflict lies.  Think about what happens with people disagree over ethics and morals.  Remember when some people thought slavery was okay and others didn’t?  Wars are created from differences in morals.

I think that to “stand firm” in your morals means sticking up for what you believe is right.  But what happens when that’s not what someone else believes is right.  I don’t think that we are required to agree with everyone’s morals, we won’t.  But instead it’s more important to at least try and understand why they feel that way.  Understanding why someone is the way they are makes us a lot more likely to be tolerant.  I’m not saying we have to be tolerant of everything, but next time someone does something you don’t agree don’t start off with judgment, instead ask them about it.  Is it really our place to judge?  Are we even able to always stick to our own morals?

One girl in my class said “stealing is wrong, but what if you have to steal medicine for your child to keep them alive”.  How wrong is it then?  We don’t always know the circumstances behind everything, but the more we do know, the more we will understand that person.

In my life, the things that determined my morals started with my parents and my upbringing.  Being raised in a middle class, white, Christian home in the south defines much of who I am.  But above this, the biggest influence of my life is my relationship with Jesus Christ my savior and all that it means for my life.  That is what defines my view of right and wrong.