Ethics

by **terminus** on Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:48 am ([msg=66]see Ethics[/msg])

First post! wewt!

Does anyone here actually know what ethics are? I mean besides the OED definition...

well.. theres the CoS definition of it.. then theres the definition in the dictionary...

I love how they take a nice sounding word, change its meaning and then use it to controll people. Sure they have done bad things and brainwashing people is generaly bad but I can't help but admire the techniques.

by **TheMindRapist** on Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:04 pm ([msg=124]see Re: Ethics[/msg])

Everybody has different ethics, there is no one correct definition.

I agree that there are no correct definitions but I do think there are definatly WRONG definitions floating around confusing people.

by **TheMindRapist** on Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:09 pm ([msg=141]see Re: Ethics[/msg])

Like what?

TheMindRapist wrote:Like what?

Like the misconception "To be ethical you need to do the right thing all the time always"

There is a such thing as having bad ethics, but that doesnt make you unethical

dictionary.com wrote:eth·ics [eth-iks]
–plural noun
1. (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
3. moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.

None of that has to do with what is right and what is wrong.

Number 2 is the most important definition however, since nine times out of ten, your actions are seen as ethical or unethical by others, not yourself.

What exactly do you mean by bad ethics? I suppose being unethical means having no ethics. I don't think there is such a thing as bad ethics, in the same way there is no such thing as a correct definition of ethics.

TheMindRapist wrote:What exactly do you mean by bad ethics? I suppose being unethical means having no ethics. I don't think there is such a thing as bad ethics, in the same way there is no such thing as a correct definition of ethics.

ethics that are objectified by society.

If someone thinks it's morally acceptable to rape women, then they have bad ethics.

There is a correct definition of the word, the idea, the concept, but not what it should be. Your ethics are your ethics, they are always right to you. The idea of bad ethics would be ethics that are wrong in the eyes of society.

If a CEO of a company steals $5,000 every month to gamble away, but re-pays all he owes at the end of the quarter, he thinks it's ethical, morally sound, since he's paying his debt. But society just sees a thief, therefore he has bad ethics.

You get what i'm saying?

by **TheMindRapist** on Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:55 pm ([msg=315]see Re: Ethics[/msg])

You seem to be saying that if a majority of people agree on something that is the definition of it being correct. Which I don't agree with. Just because many people might hold a similar set of ethical beliefs doesn't mean that they are correct. I think that ethics are largely based on your culture and upbringing, combined with personal experiences.

TheMindRapist wrote:You seem to be saying that if a majority of people agree on something that is the definition of it being correct. Which I don't agree with. Just because many people might hold a similar set of ethical beliefs doesn't mean that they are correct. I think that ethics are largely based on your culture and upbringing, combined with personal experiences.

Not a majority, but the majority. Just because 5 people think something is right does not make it so. However when society as a whole things something is right it is.

It basically comes down to what you said, culture and upbringing.

It comes down to what is socially acceptable. It is not ok to parade around town with your dick hanging out of your pants on most occasions, therefore most of the time, wherever you go, that is concidered wrong. It comes down to this, if you wouldn't do it in the town square, odds are it's wrong, and if it's part of your ethics, you have bad ethics.