THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF ZANZIBAR
(SUZA)
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (DDS 111)
ETHIC AND DEVELOPMENT
Compiled by Nahoda, A.M
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Ethic and development
• Content
i. Definitions of the concepts;
ii. Civic ethic and professional ethics
iii. Responsible citizenship
Ethics
• The word Ethics originate from Greek word
“ETHOS”. The word means traditionally and
generally accepted way of behaving of doing
things.
• Ethics refers to the study of what is morally
good and bad, what is right and wrong.
• Is the systems of value and custom
instantiated (represented by) in the lives of
particular groups of human beings
Ethics
• Ethics is the word that refers to morals, values,
and beliefs of the individuals, family or the
society
• Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned
with distinguishing the right from the wrong.
• Almost all social groups, from the smallest
voluntary association to whole societies,
generate and promote ethical codes; that is,
they socialise their members into a
conception of moral and immoral action
Ethics
• Three concepts central to the subject matter
of ethics are distinguished:
1) Good (which refers to the ideal, or the thing
that is desired); (virtue)
2) Right (what is not wrong); and
3) Ought (which refers to obligation, duty, or
responsibility, both of the individual and of
the society).
Ethics
• In the real sense ethics try to answer the
analysis of concept such as:
• OUGHT
• SHOULD
• DUTY
• MORAL
• RULES
• RIGHT/ WRONG
• OBLIGATIONS/RESPONSIBILITY
Ethics
Hence a person is:
• Ethical if he does what he ought to do.
• A person is ethical if he does what he should
do.
• A person is ethical if he perform his duties
• A person is ethical if he has high morals and
does what is right.
Ethics
Morals:
• Morals are the welfare principles enunciated by the
wise people, based on their experience and wisdom.
• Morality is concerned with principles and practices of
morals such as:
• (a) What ought or ought not to be done in a given
situation?
• (b) What is right or wrong about the handling of a
situation? and
• (c) What is good or bad about the people, policies, and
ideals involved?
Ethics
core moral values
• Rushmore Kidder’s research identified 5 core
moral values
– Honesty
– Respect
– Responsibility
– Fairness
– Compassion
Rushmore Kidder, in Shared Values for a Troubled World: Comversations with Men and Women of Conscience (1994 ) and
Moral Courage (2005)
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Ethics
• An moral dilemma is a situation a person
faces in which a decision must be made about
appropriate behavior.
• Person A finds a briefcase containing
important papers and $1,000.
• What should he/she do about it?
• A person B saw a robber breaking his
neighbour house
• What should he/she do about it?
Ethics
Ethical theories
• Ethical theories are sometimes classified into
three basic types: virtue, deontological, and
consequentialist theories
• Virtue theories take judgments about persons or
agents as the most basic;
• Duty-based or Deontological ethics
• Deontological theories take judgments about
actions;
• Consequential theories look at consequences
Ethics
Ethical theories
• Who is responsible? Who did it? Virtue
theories
• What was done? Deontological theories take
judgments about actions;
• What is the impact/ effect of the action/
behaviour? Consequential theories look at
consequences
Ethics
Importance of Ethics
• Ethical behavior is necessary for a society to
function in an orderly manner
• The need for ethics in society is sufficiently
important that many commonly held ethical
values are incorporated into laws.
• Ethical behaviour enhance good governance
and accountability.
Ethics
Importance of Ethics
• Ethics asks us to think carefully, even about
feelings that May be very strong.
• Ethics asks us to live mindfully :to take some
care about how we act and even about how
we feel.
• Unethical behaviour result in inefficiency in
the performance of assigned responsibilities.
Ethics
Importance of Ethics
• Unethical behaviour result in mistrust of the
government and its employee by the civil
societies.
• Unethical behaviour result in distortion of
programme achievements as result of misuse
of public funds
• Unethical behaviour encourage black market
operations likely to lead to national instability.
Civic ethic
• Civic ethics are the moral duties and rights, as
a citizen of the village or the country or an
integral part of the society and environment.
• An individual may exhibit civic ethics by
voting, volunteering, and organizing welfare
groups and meetings
• In modern state obligation and rights of the
citizens are normally enshrined in the
constitution.
Civic ethic
• Rights enshrined in the URT constitution are:
• The Right to Equality: All human beings are
born free, and are all equal; All persons are
equal before the law.
• The Right to Life: Every person has the right
to live and to the protection of his life by the
society in accordance with law.
• Right to personal freedom: Every person has
the right to and to freedom to live as a free
person.
Civic ethic
• Right to privacy and personal security: Every
person is entitled to respect and protection of
his person, the privacy of his own person, his
family and of his matrimonial life, and respect
and protection of his residence and private
communications.
• Right to freedom of movement: Every citizen
of has the right to freedom of movement in
the United Republic and the right to live in any
part of the United Republic
Civic ethic
• Right to freedom of religion: Every person has
the right to freedom of thought or conscience,
belief or faith, and choice in matters of religion,
including the freedom to change his religion or
faith.
• Freedom to participate in public affairs: To vote
the local or state government, to contest in the
elections to the local or state government.
• Right to work: Every person has the right to
work, and right to just remuneration
Civic ethic
• Right to own property: Every person is entitled to
own property, and has a right to the protection of
his property held in accordance with law.
• Right to freedom of association: Every person is
entitled to freedom, subject to the laws of the
land, to freely and peaceably assemble, associate
and cooperate with other persons, express views
publicly, to form or join associations formed for
the purposes of preserving or furthering his
beliefs or interests or any other interests.
Civic ethic
• The duties are:
• Duty to participate in work: Every person has
the duty to participate voluntarily and
honestly in lawful and productive work.
• Duty to abide by the laws of the land: Every
person has the duty to observe and to abide
by this Constitution and the laws
Civic ethic
• Duty to safeguard public property: Every person
has the duty to protect the natural resources of
the United Republic, the property of the state
authority, all property collectively owned by the
people, and also to respect another person’
property.
• Duty to defend the nation: Every citizen has the
duty to protect, preserve and maintain the
independence, sovereignty, territory and unity of
the nation.
Professional ethics
• Work ethics is defined as a set of attitudes
concerned with the value of work, which
forms the motivational orientation.
• Work ethics are very common in the public
services, private sectors but most commonly
in the profession.
• Profession such as engineering, doctor,
lawyers, bankers and journalist need ethics
code of conducts,
Professional ethics
• Codes refer to any of various systems or
collection of principles, rules, or regulations
that do not constitute a legal code.
• A set of rule of procedures and standard of
materials designed to secure uniformity and
protect public interest.
• The ‘codes of ethics’ exhibit, rights, duties,
and obligations of the members of a
profession and a professional society
Professional ethics
• Importance of codes of ethics
1. It creates an environment in a profession, where
ethical behavior is the basic criterion.
2. It guides and reminds the person as to how to
act, in any given situation.
3. It provides support to the individual, who is
being pressurized or tortured by a superior or
employer, to behave unethically.
4. It helps in employees’ awareness of ethical
issues, establish, and nurture a strong corporate
ethical culture.
Professional ethics
5. Protect the status quo. They create minimum
level of ethical conduct and promotes
agreement within the profession.
6. Create good public image. The codes present
positive image of the committed profession to
the public, help the professional to serve the
public effectively
7. Deterrence and discipline. The codes serve as
the basis for investigating unethical actions. The
professional societies sometimes revoke
membership or suspend/expel the members,
when proved to have acted unethical.
CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT FOR
THE PUBLIC SERVICE TANZANIA
In order for the Public Service to be efficient and
respected Public Servants must behave and conduct
themselves in the following manners :• 1. Respect all Human Rights and be courteous;
• 2. Perform diligently and in a disciplined manner;
• 3. Promote team work;
• 4. Pursue excellence in service;
CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCTFOR
THE PUBLIC SERVICE TANZANIA
• 4. Pursue excellence in service;
• 5. Exercise responsibility and good
stewardship;
• 6. Promote transparency and accountability;
• 7. Discharge duties with integrity, and
• 8. Maintain political neutrality.
Professional ethics
What is a Profession?
• Is any occupation/ job/ vocation that requires
advanced expertise self regulation, and
concerted cervices to the public good. The
characteristics of profession are:
• Advanced expertise
• Self regulation
• Public good
• Ethical Standards
• Monopoly
Professional ethics
• Advanced expertise: The expertise includes
sophisticated skills and theoretical knowledge
in exercising judgment. This means a
professional should analyse the problem in
specific known area, in an objective manner.
• Self-regulation: One should analyse the
problem independent of self-interest and
direct to a decision towards the best interest
of the clients/customers. An autonomous
judgment (unbiased and on merits only) is
expected. In such situations, the codes of
conduct of professional societies are followed
as guidance.
Professional ethics
• Public good: One should not be a mere paid
employee of an individual or a teaching college
or manufacturing organization, to execute
whatever the employer wants one to do. The
job should be recognised by the public. The
concerted efforts in the job should be towards
promotion of the welfare, safety, and health of
the public.
• Ethical Standards: Professional societies
promulgate the codes of conduct to regulate
the professionals against their abuse or any
unethical decisions and actions affecting the
individuals or groups or the society.
Professional ethics
• Monopoly is achieved in two ways:
• (a) the profession convinces the community
that only those who have graduated from the
professional school should be allowed to hold
the professional title. The profession also gains
control over professional schools by
establishing accreditation standards
• (b) By persuading the community to have a
licensing system for those who want to enter
the profession. If practicing without license,
they are liable to pay penalties
Why the Interest in Professional Ethics?
• Unlike work ethics which are general in
nature, professional ethics are specific to a
particular profession
• As occupations become more specialized, the
ethical issues become more specialized
• Professional societies have increased efforts
to establish ethical codes to guide members
• Increasing public scrutiny, lack of traditional
deference
• Regulatory oversight, public protection
Why the Interest in Professional Ethics?
• It creates group identity
• Share education, training, requirements for
admission
• Special uncommon knowledge
• Knowledge used in the service of others…
positive social need
• Involves individual judgment, (some)
autonomy in decisions
• Adherence to certain values
• Penalties for substandard performance
Responsible Citizenship
• A responsible citizen is the one who act according
to his rights and perform his duties.
• A responsible citizen is an ethical person
• Becoming and staying informed eg through
Newspapers, news, radio, education,..
• Participating in democracy eg by voting
• Abiding by Rules and Laws
• Consideration of others eg through charitable
work, donations, volunteering,…
REFERENCES
Blackburn, Simon. (2001).Ethics: A Very Short Introduction.
Oxford:Oxford University Press
Craig, Adward(ed). (2005) The shorter Routledge encyclopedia of
philosophy. London: Routledge.
Lanone,A.P (2001). Dictionary of World Philosophy. London: Routledge.
Naagarazan,R.S. (2006). A Texts Book of Professional ethics and Human
values.New Delhi: New Age International
URT. 1977 Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania.
URT. A Code of Ethics and Conduct for the Public Service
Warburton, Nigel. (ed). (2005)Philosophy: Basic Readings .London:
Routledge.
Weston, Anthony. (2006). A practical companion to ethics. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.