Ethical principles are a philosophical stance which directly or indirectly leads to a standard based around ethics. Ethics means ‘moral principles that govern a person or group’s behaviour’.
The four principles of ethics are:
Integrity
To behave in accordance with ethical principles, act in honesty, fairness and in good faith.
Impartiality and independence
To remain impartial and to conduct oneself in the interests of others and to ensure that any personal views and convictions do not compromise ethical principles, or official duties.
Accountability
To take responsibility for one’s decisions, actions and their consequences.
Respect
To continue to respect the diversity, equality, dignity, worth and privacy of all people. We should at all times promote a high level of professionalism towards decisions and actions to make sure these are upheld, through mandates and objectives.
For those who are in a place of power and have responsibility, it is even more important they remain impartial. Others are relying on them to get that right, whether it’s in politics, in business or through an institution.
For society and the world to live in sync and in harmony with each other, it is important we all live by the same rules. (Source:who.int)
Different ethics can be applied to different situations to inform our thinking and support decision making, but their overriding consideration should always be to ensure that high ethical standards are embedded in everything we do.
I certainly agree with your suggested ethical principles and for me respect of everyone regardless, is the most important of these.
Thanks. Yes, agreed. That's not happening of course. It's what's wrong with the world today.
When I was growing up, respect was something you did without question. As children we had respect for our elders, no matter what.
Although respect must be earned and it has to work both ways, we must continue to be respectful no matter what.
Each and everyone of us is accountable to ourselves and the universe. Just because someone isn't, doesn't mean we mustn't be either.
It doesn't cost to be respectful. The world needs more of it.
Yes, it would be great if everybody in the world was willing to live by the same rules, but obviously this isn't happening, so it's no wonder the world is in such chaos.
So many groups want to live by their own set of rules even if it means living in the stone age and acting like cavemen. I have learned many lessons about living by principles recently, when dealing with people who don't like to live by the rules and choose to live by their own.
Only recently have I realized that it's okay to live by my own principles even if others don't agree with them. It's just a shame that it only took me until I was 50 years old to realize it.
Thanks Randy. Yes, rules and principles are different. Rules are 'rules of the road' which we should all be working towards.
Our principles act as the foundation for our belief or behaviour system, but then we must still play by the 'rules of the road.'
As you say, what's going on out there isn't playing by the rules.