Ethics Essay, Research Paper

Ethics have a fluid existence therefore making them extremely difficult to define. They are in a constant state of change. They change with the times within the individual. People change their ethics though the course of their lives due to things they’ve experienced and lessons they’ve learned. They can be based on any number of different things or a combination of many things. They exist at different levels for each individual. Many peoples ethics are based on their religion. They follow a set of rules out of fear of the unknown or the wrath of their god not out of moral obligation. Others are afraid of more present power that sway them to develop their ethics such as their parents, siblings, friends, etc. The true test of a person’s ethics is what they do when no one is watching or waiting to pat them on the back or yell at them. The true nature of a person is shown when they’re alone with themselves. It’s impossible to fairly judge anyone’s ethics because you would be judging them by your own. Only you can judge your own ethics and decide whether they are “right” or not. Its up to the individual to stick by their choices as well. What choices would we make if society wasn’t judging us? More than a few people merely follow the general will of the public. They “go with the flow”. In the past people were shot in the streets as a regular occurrence. People were lynched and beheaded and now we look back on those times and cause them of being unethical, immoral, and savage but are our ethics today really so much better?Few people in the world today actually have a strong sense of their own ethics. Most people don’t think about being able to look themselves in the mirror as a result of their actions. Our society simply wonders if they’ll get caught and punished. We live in a time where the main motive of a good deed is publicity. Most people follow the general sway of the population. They do what they do because others tell them to. Very few people actually develop a sense of what their ethics are. People long for the approval of others around them. I read once that, ” If your honest because honesty is the best policy, then your honesty is corrupt.”

Ethics to me are a set of rules made by yourself that you use to govern your life. They’re the rules you live by when no one is there to say “good job”, or when someone is there telling you you’re wrong. They’re the rules you follow regardless of the rest of the world. Its something that lives inside of you that tells you how to live. Where does this ultimate sense of right and wrong come from? For some people it is the word of their god, for others it is the words of their friends and family, for others it’s a combination of all of these and still others have yet to find their “way” in life. When I sat down to attempt to find the root of my ethical nature I come up with a few simple rules I live by that have served me well. Always tell the truth. Nothing in life is above being honest. Always consider the consequences and ramifications of your actionsDon’t hurt other living thingsAlways take responsibility for your actionsThe matter of a persons ethics comes down to a case by case analysis. It can’t be looked at simply as what they claim to believe. Its a part of them. Its how they behave towards others and themselves. It comes down to what they are willing to do to get what they want and where they draw the lines in life. My ethics basically comply with the social structure we live in. They fit the laws of society but are broad and open to a case by case interpretation and evaluation. Many people may agree with my ethics and many more have their own evolve set but few actually but them into effect. People in general in these times seem to lack the passion to stand behind their ideas. They aren’t willing to be inconvenienced to stand by what they believe in.