Ethics, Applied Ethics and

Professional Ethics

Prof. Kumar Neeraj Sachdev

Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences
 Introductory Issues
• Ethics, Applied Ethics and Professional Ethics
• Concept of a Profession
• Ethics and Professions

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 Nature of Ethics: Two Questions
• How should I live (a good human life)?
Character (Virtues)
• What should I do (in a particular moral
situation)?
Fundamental Moral Principles and Moral
Rules of Conduct
• Good Life and / or Right Conduct
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 Nature of Ethics: Definition

Ethics is an attempt to arrive

at an understanding of the
nature of values to live a good
life.

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 Frameworks of Ethics
A framework of ethics is a mechanism for assessing
whether a particular action, rule or a policy is
ethically justified. It helps to sharpen one’s moral
vision.
Certain characteristics of an acceptable ethical
theory are: prescriptive, universal and practical. A
few chosen examples of frameworks of ethics are:
• Indian Ethics
• Virtue Ethics
• Deontological Ethics
• Utilitarian Ethics
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 Applied Ethics
• Ethics is a practical science but still in recent
technologically advanced societies it is linked to
the conduct of particular social or professional
groups.
• The link takes into account the relevance and
application of values, virtues, and principles in
specific instances of social or professional
behavior.
• The examples of applied ethics are: medical
ethics, environmental ethics, legal ethics,
professional ethics, business ethics, engineering
ethics, management ethics, computer ethics,
internet ethics, etc.
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 Professional Ethics
• Professional ethics is a study of the conduct of
professionals in the specific context of moral
issues such as whistle blowing in the practice
of professions.
• A profession is a regulated practical
application of specialized knowledge and skill
in a formal setup for the benefit of mankind
and on a broad scale the planet earth.

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 “Ethics is not easy, and it makes sense to think
that discovering ethical truth as it relates to
professional practice will take some effort.”

Rowan, John, and Zinaich, Jr.,

Ethics for the Professions, Wadsworth, 2003

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 Case Study

 Govind, a fresh MBA from the Badami Institute of Management, was recruited by
a well-known company, which had come to the institute for campus recruitment
for the first time. The company’s President Manishankar had heard of the
Institute’s course on ethics and was keen to get a band of younger managers who
would stand by ethics. Govind had expected to start his career with the glamorous
task of preparing grand marketing strategies. Instead, he was thrown into the field
competing with ‘crooks’ as he called them. He was given a tough target for the
first year. On the last day of the year when he was desperately trying to inch
across, he met his immediate boss George, an old timer of the company, who told
him that he could give him a tip that would enable him to cross the magic figure,
provided Govind paid him Rs 50, 000. This was 50 per cent of the bonus Govind
would get if he could achieve the annual target. Should he accept George’s
proposal?

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 Thank you.

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