Ethics is the code of conduct or way of behavior used to determine what is right and what is wrong. It is always used to determine or set the standard or norm which will be compared with the actual to know whether it is right or wrong.
In the context of a business organization, it is very essential to follow ethical conduct in order to maintain the social relationship. As the business organization is part of society its prime responsibility is to follow the code of conduct that impact society positively or negatively. Business activities need to be executed in accordance with the ethical conduct standard so that social welfare and social commitment can be achieved.
Following are a few of the types of ethics that describes the way the ethical conduct is implemented.
- Prescriptive or normative ethics
- Descriptive ethics
- Meta-Ethics
Applied ethics
Prescriptive or Normative Ethics
Prescriptive ethics are the standards used to determine how an individual should behave in society. Right behavior or wrong behavior can be judged by prescriptive or normative ethics. What prescriptive or normative ethics directs or provides guidelines to take the right decisions? Normative ethics determines the standards according to which the code of conduct is followed or implemented.
Utilitarianism:
Their theory suggests that Paulo or implementation of the decisions which is the right for the welfare happiness or utility will stop.
Example
Doctors can take decisions to treat the patient to diagnose this is contagious and have much more risk of spreading to anyone who is in contact with that patient. Even the doctor taking diseases to treat such patients is an example of such ethics.
Deontology:
This ethics belongs to the behaviour which resists the importance of presenting the truth with respective of the impact. For instance, the criminal may confess its crime in part of the police irrespective of its impact on its punishment labour. Telling the truth without thinking about the circumstances of all the impact is an example of deontology ethics. The rules and duties are implemented irrespective of negative impact.
Virtue ethics:
This type of ethics belongs to the code of conduct which directs adopting various good characteristics such as honesty, compassion, courage, etc. These characters help needy people.
People having the virtue of kindness can help the poor or needy people and can be a good character of people belonging to virtue ethics. All type of social work done by people is due to the virtue ethics they are implementing in their behavior. Many great people have this type of ethical behavior in their practices.
Example
- Honorable Mother Teresa devoted Lord for others is an example of kindness she is implemented in her practices.
- Baba Abde in Maharashtra helped work the Adivasi people a lot without taking care of themselves.
Descriptive Ethics:
Unlike normative ethics, descriptive ethics are involved in describing and observing the diversity of the beliefs or codes of conduct implemented by an individual or by a specific culture. Prescriptive or normative ethics directs how individuals need to behave what is right and what is wrong based on moral principles whereas descriptive ethics involved observing and describing the code of conduct implemented by the people considering it right or wrong.
Cultural Relativism:
Cultural relativism is responsible to diversify the various ethical models in various cultures. These cultural values are relative to a specific culture.
Example:
- Eating nonviolent beef is accepted by Western culture or Muslim culture whereas in Hindu culture eating beef is not accepted and morally it is completely wrong.
- Hijab in the Muslim community or religion is and symbol of the dignity and owner of a woman. It protects the woman’s beauty from others and it represents the honesty and dignity of women. Where has in the Hindu religion hijab is not accepted or mandatory. So it belongs to cultural relativism which increases the diversity of the culture however it is considered morally right.
Meta-Ethics
This type of ethics described the concepts whether it is wrong or white. This type of ethics describes the concept or ethical concepts whether it is right or wrong. It addresses the various dimensions of concepts that will be implemented. Nature of concepts or moral value of any concept that will be implemented by the people.
Moral Realism:
It belongs to describe the moral or ethical concepts or nature of that concept that will be implemented as the code of conduct. For example, the statement “murder is bad activity” and it is morally wrong that can be claimed by moral realists.
Moral Relativism:
It belongs to the Ethics or code of conduct that can be accepted by society or cannot be accepted by a society that depends upon the way the society thinks perspectives. This type of code of conduct or ethics is based on factors such as the culture believes of the society.
Example
Polygamy is accepted by various cultures in our society whereas polygamy is not accepted legally and socially in some societies. In a country like India Polygamy or polyandry cannot be accepted by society legally and socially. But in some countries like Switzerland and Cambodia polyandry polygamy is not a crime or accepted by society.
Applied Ethics:
Apply ethics involved in the application or use of the various ethical values or codes of conduct in specific areas of society or specific situations or issues in our society. It helps to guide the code of conduct to be implemented in the various areas of society. It helps to guide decision-making in various fields.
Bioethics:
Bioethics is involved in the code of conduct to be implemented in the field of genetics biotechnology and medicine. In order to take the decision which involved ensuring avoiding the negative impact on society.
Environmental Ethics:
Environmental ethics has the name itself explains what it means and is involved in describing the code of conduct that has to be followed in the field of environment. The code of conduct implemented in the environment is very necessary to protect the environment. For example, the smuggling of Chandan Wood is a crime that describes the code of conduct implemented to protect the environment.