Knowledge -Its production and application-are subject to ethical judgment. In today’s society we come across scientific research that has been discontinued because the methods used to obtain results are deemed unethical. In a similar vein, there are works of art that are banned because of the “unethical” knowledge they are perceived to relay. The use of perception and emotion as knowledge tools in ethics draws into human subjectivity and makes ethical judgment vary between regions, settings and even individuals. My first reaction to this title was to ask myself who, or what, determines what is considered ethical? Then I asked myself whether the subjectivity of ethics creates a bias in the judgment of what is ethical, and if so, how reliable are ethical judgments. After much thought, I realized that my first response to the question was limited. Considering the areas of knowledge and ways of knowing that are involved in the question, I began to think about the nature of the production of knowledge in the arts and the natural sciences and the limits that ethics may impose on this process. In this essay I will be discussing constrains put on the production of knowledge by ethical judgments with particular reference to the arts and the natural sciences as areas of knowledge. I will first begin by explaining what I understand and define as the production of knowledge in the two areas of knowledge that are concerned with this discussion. Knowledge in the natural sciences results from the scientific method, which is mainly collective and corrective and relies heavily on experimental procedure, which strives to be empirical, replicable and falsifiable. The knowledge produced through the scientific method is subject to criticism before i... ... middle of paper ... ...lamic artists to explore geometry, calligraphy and arabesque to an incredible extent. Geometry allows the Islamic artists to produce alternative works art forms that define their views of the world and beauty with out the use of iconography. These art forms have eventually come to be associated with the Islamic culture. One might begin to think, what conclusions can be drawn from the above discussion? From my perspective, I feel as though there is enough evidence to support the above assertions despite the counter claims. I have drawn from both real life situations and personal experiences and in the process understood the influence of ethical judgment in both areas of knowledge. Ethical judgment, therefore serves to ensure that we as individuals make moral choices in our everyday life, but in doing so can limit the methods available for the production of knowledge.
It is hard to pinpoint the true definition of ethics. Although it could be defined, in simple terms, as what the society approves of right and wrong, defining ethics as simple as that is “unethical”. In fact, since centuries, several philosophers have disputed with the definition of ethics and several have come up with their own philosophical ideas of ethics. But, for the time-being, the definition of ethics can be expanded to “well-founded standards of right or wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues” (Velasquez et. al). Because the definition of ethics is so confusing and conflicting, at times, it arose to a branch of ethics that investigates
Margaret R.,DeCosse, David, Andre, Claire, & Hanson Markkula, Kirk O. (1988). Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Issues in Ethics, V. 1, N. 2. Sobel, Russell S. &
Bush, S. S., Connell, M. A., & Denney, R. L. (2006). Ethical Practice in Forensic Psychology: A Systematic Model for Decision Making. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/11469-001
Ethical judgements often add complex implications to the pursuit of knowledge, regardless of the area of knowledge. In the areas of the arts and natural sciences, ethics can pertain in diverging ways. For the arts, ethics often comes into question when determining whether or not it is worthwhile to sacrifice ethics for artistic choices and messages. For the natural sciences, in contrast, ethics is often debated in the pursuit of new knowledge. There are many different criteria to when it comes to the ethical justification of knowledge, all based on different perspectives; whether these judgements have a direct impact in knowledge production or come into play in hindsight depends largely upon how ethics is perceived.
Thiroux, Jacques P., and Keith W. Krasemann. Ethics: Theory and Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
Human beings are confronted with numerous issues throughout his or her lifetime that would require him or her to examine the best action to take to avoid the damaging consequences. In most cases, individuals restrain his or her action to take into consideration the consequences that may lead to the right or wrong behavior. One’s ethical and moral standards are first learned at an early age from his or her culture, how he or she is raised, religious background, and social system. Scientifically, there are various ethical theories, such as the virtue theory, deontological ethics, and utilitarianism (Boylan, 2009). By understanding these theories one can compare, contrast and uncover the reasoning behind his or her ethical and moral standards.
Panza, C. & Potthast, A. (n.d.) “A snapshot of key ethical theories.” Retrieved from, http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/a-snapshot-of-key-ethical-theories.navId-323314.html?print=true on 04/21/2014
What a person see, hears, or feels in their life will influence one’s understanding of ethics. What is true for one will not be true for all, because of how people make decisions. For example, nurses can face
Production of knowledge is generally seen in a positive light. However, when ethics and morality become involved in the process of production, judgements will undoubtedly be made that may seem to limit the availability of that knowledge. Ethical judgements are made by the combination of a knower, his or her standard of value, and the situation itself. In the field of the arts and natural sciences, ethics plays a crucial role in the extent one may possibly be allowed to go to when discovering new knowledge. Reason and emotion are important ways of knowing that help guide knowers in making certain moral decisions. Both ways of knowing can be associated with teleological or deontological arguments; the ethics are based on either an objectives-focused or obligations-focused mindset. In this essay, I will be discussing the limitations set on both the arts and the natural sciences as areas of knowledge. To what extent do ethical implications hinder the way art can be produced or the methods involved in expanding society’s knowledge of science?
To the great extend ethical judgements limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and the natural sciences. But in my opinion such a limitations are essential, while people need to be to some extend controlled. The boundaries are needed because giving to people to much freedom and power is very dangerous. The only one problem in case of ethical judgements is that the perception about something wrong or right differs among the people. I think that this comes from the inside, generally there are some “informal laws” how to behave, what is good and bad, but this is a personal matter of every single person which ones from that “laws” he or she accept and reject. The morality is determined by culture and experiences and differs among people. If there would not be something like moral code the production of knowledge in art the same as in natural science would not have any limitations. Using examples from art and biology I will try to show how ethical judgements limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and the natural sciences, but also I will try to explain my statement that such a limitations are necessary.
Introduction Generally, ethics is defined as standards of performance that explain how human beings should opt to react during many circumstances in which they meet with friends, citizens, parents, teachers, children, professionals, and businesspeople, among others. However, ethics is different from feelings, as feelings make significant information’s available for our ethical preferences. Although some people possess highly mature behaviors that cause them to feel awful when they get involved in the wrongdoings, most of the people normally enjoy doing bad things. Ethical decision-making And frequently people will feel uncomfortable when they are mandated to make difficult decisions.
Ethics is the study of moral values and the principles we use to evaluate actions. Ethical concerns can sometimes stand as a barrier to the development of the arts and the natural sciences. They hinder the process of scientific research and the production of art, preventing us from arriving at knowledge. This raises the knowledge issues of: To what extent do moral values confine the production of knowledge in the arts, and to what extent are the ways of achieving scientific development limited due to ethical concerns? The two main ways of knowing used to produce ethical judgements are reason, the power of the mind to form judgements logically , and emotion, our instinctive feelings . I will explore their applications in various ethical controversies in science and arts as well as the implications of morals in these two areas of knowledge.
Art is limited in a very large number of ways by the ethical judgements we make, but it is also often brought into existence as a result of our morals and emotions. These judgements seem to handicap the production of knowledge of and through art, but they are also vital to it. This is a sign that abandoning our morals would be difficult, but impractical for the arts. For science, however, abandoning these morals to avoid the obstacle of ethical judgements would allow us to understand much more than we do today, and even more than we did hundreds of years ago; however, these judgements also keep our developments in check. They may prevent some good, but they definitely prevent irreversible harm as well. It is clear that ethics has many drawbacks, but it is a necessary element of our lives.
Ethics define a broad meaning on the subject itself. Baumhart,R (1987) states that ethics can be separated into 2 things. Firstly, it could be identified as a great level of right or wrong which can relates to the actions of p...
Ethics are moral principles or values that govern the conduct of an individual or a group.It is not a burden to bear, but a prudent and effective guide which furthers life and success. Ethics are important not only in business but in academics and society as well because it is an essential part of the foundation on which a civilized society is built.