Personal ethics might also be called morality, since they reflect general expectations of any person in any society, acting in any capacity. These are the principles we try to instill in our children, and expect of one another without needing to articulate the expectation or formalize it in any way.
Principles of Personal Ethics include: 1.Concern for the well-being of others 2. Respect for the autonomy of others 3.Trustworthiness & honesty 4.Willing compliance with the law (with the exception of civil disobedience) 5. Basic justice; being fair 6.Refusing to take unfair advantage 7.Benevolence: doing good 8. Preventing harm
Principles of Professional Ethics
Individuals acting in a professional capacity take on an additional burden of ethical responsibility. For example, professional associations have codes of ethics that prescribe required behavior within the context of a professional practice such as medicine, law, accounting, or engineering. These written codes provide rules of conduct and standards of behavior based on the principles of Professional Ethics, which include: 1.Impartiality; objectivity 2.Openness; full disclosure 3. Confidentiality 4. Due diligence / duty of care 5.Fidelity to professional responsibilities 6.Avoiding potential or apparent conflict of interest
Even when not written into a code, principles of professional ethics are usually expected of people in business, employees, volunteers, elected representatives and so on.
Principles of Global Ethics
Global ethics are the most controversial of the three categories, and the least understood. Open to wide interpretation as to how or whether they should be applied, these principles can sometimes generate emotional response and heated debate.
Principles of Global Ethics include: 1.Global justice (as reflected in international laws) 2.Society before self / social responsibility 3.Environmental stewardship 4. Interdependence & responsibility for the ‘whole’ 5. Reverence for place
