University of Phoenix Material
Introduction to Ethics for the University of Phoenix Students
Ethics are many things, but they are also not many things. It is easier to first say what ethics are
not: a religion; a political stance; or a fad. Ethics are also not something that can only be
understood by extremely intelligent people.
Ethics are personal and, at the same time, a very public display of your attitudes and beliefs. It is
because of ethical beliefs that we humans may act differently in different in situations. Ethics can
and do shift, whether we are with family, at work, at a sports event, at a religious gathering, in a
professional organization, with friends, or alone. The list is endless.
The key to understanding our ethics is to understand our own belief systems. What do you
believe and why? What people, readings, or events have led you to believe what is right and
wrong? As you progress through your undergraduate major course of study, you will be expected
to understand and apply appropriate ethics in any given scenario. Ethical standards do differ,
which is why we so often hear the phrase ‘situational ethics’ to describe how people justify their
own shifts in ethical stances. Why ethical standards differ depends on a number of factors,
including personal background, field of study (e.g., a scientist may have different ethics from an
English professor), and the attitudes of other, respected people. A person’s ethics may also shift
because he or she may or may not want to take responsibility for an issue or action. Usually,
whether they realize it or not, an individual’s personal and professional ethics are built on a
foundation of basic ethical theory.
The great Greek philosopher Aristotle used ethics first as a standard of behavior (e.g., a code of
ethics) and, secondly, as an area of study exploring the nature of morality:

What is good?

What is not good?

Why do we think of it as good?
 Why do we think of it as not good?
This is the philosophical or theoretical use of the word ethics. It is this use of ethics that forms a
major area of concern in many areas of society today. It is important that we root our ethics in an
ethical theory so that we are as consistent as possible in our decision making.
We also need to realize that our personal and professional ethics may clash with the ethics of
others, depending on their view of the world and their own background or understanding of a
situation. There are always ethical reasons to help us explain what we do and why. These ethical
reasons can and often do help us in our decision-making process and in our actions. At the same
time, we should recognize and honor the ethical decision-making processes of others that may be
different from our own system.
There are a couple of items about ethics that may seem a little confusing. First, some people
believe that ethics are legal and binding; however, ethics are not the same as laws. Things that
are legal may not be ethical, and things that are ethical may not be legal. Examples: Capital
punishment may be legal, but many people debate the ethics of deliberately putting a person to
death; it may be illegal to assist a felon, but many people could not stand by and not provide
assistance if the person was critically injured and dying.
Second, you should also know that in ethics there are no absolutes of right and wrong, no black
and white answers. Ethical values have a tremendous range, which many people describe as
varying shades of gray. That is why it is so important for you to discover your ethical stances.
What do you believe and why? Can you justify your answers to yourself? Many people use a
Code of Ethics to help with difficult issues, but a code can generally only be used as a guidepost,
not as an absolute answer to a specific issue.
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Ethics is a large field of study, and it is not the intention of this class to cover the vast and often
abstract philosophical area in depth at this time. The intent of this section is to provide you with a
foundational understanding of the major ethical positions that underlie the decision-making
process. In the field of ethics, there are four major classifications of ethics: Deontological,
Teleological, Rights-Based and Human-Nature.
Most people do not fall into one of these categories and stay in it forever throughout their lives.
We actually ebb and flow between many of these theories as we live our personal and
professional lives. The real key to understanding ethics is to understand: what we believe, why
we believe it, and how we act out those beliefs in all our lives.
1. Deontological
a. The word comes from the ancient Greek word deon, which means “duty.” Many ethicists
call this type of ethical approach “duty-based” because people who practice this type of
ethics approach often feel they have a moral obligation or commitment to act in a certain
manner.
b. One of the most famous theories under this category is The Categorical Imperative by
Immanuel Kant, or the idea that if you believe in something, you will always behave in
that manner no matter what. So, if you believe it is wrong to tell a lie, you will not lie even
if it is to save someone’s life.
c. Also included in duty-based ethics are:
1) Pluralism, the idea that reality is composed of many ultimate substances, so no one
thing is correct but many things are correct; and
2) Moral Rights, or set standards of right and wrong.
d. Some famous people who might be considered as duty-based ethical people include
Rev. Billy Graham and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.
2. Teleological
a. This word also comes from ancient Greek, this time meaning “end” or “purpose.” Many
ethicists call this type of ethical approach “goal based” because the people who practice
this type of ethics approach believe there is an intricate design to the universe and their
goal is to achieve the most perfect society possible.
b. Included in goal-based ethical theories are:
1) Utilitarianism, or the greatest good for the most number of people; and
2) Consequentialism, or a person’s actions are right if the results are more favorable
than unfavorable.
c. Some well-known people who might be considered goal based include President George
W. Bush, Alan Greenspan, and industrialist Donald Trump.
3. Rights-Based
a. Rights-based ethics stem from the idea that norms in society receive their force from the
idea of mutual agreement. In other words, certain things are acceptable in a community
because the majority of people in the community agree to the behavior as acceptable.
b. Many people who are advocates of human rights follow rights-based ethical theories,
such as:
1) Justice, or moral rights and honor for people; and
2) Equality, or the idea that all people should enjoy equal rights.
c. Rights-based people might include Secretary of State Colin Powell, the late Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. and actor Martin Sheen.
4. Human-Nature
a. People who believe in human-nature ethics are people who see the passions and flaws
of people as a very real issue. Human-nature ethics tend to deal with the extremes of
human behavior—both good and bad—and practitioners find little room for middle
ground.
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b. Many of the people who follow human-rights ethical theories include:
1) Egoists, who think and act only for themselves;
2) Hedonists, who believe that pleasure is the chief goal; and
3) Virtue, or people who believe in moral excellence, rightness, and responsibility.
c. Some well-known people who might follow human nature include Playboy publisher Hugh
Hefner (hedonism) and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (virtue).
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