The Importance Of Administrative Ethics

1. Duties- Svara (2015) suggests that a touchstone of administrative ethics is based on duties that promote public service, benefits to society, virtue, and principles. Duty defines the “action required by one’s business, occupations, or function”, but also the action or behavior due by moral or legal obligations.

2. Virtues- Ethics of virtue focuses on the overall development of character and how each person has the ability to achieve individual excellence through effective self- reflection and the development of virtues. Virtues are attributes or traits that enable us all to reach our full potential as human beings. In this approach to ethics, an ethical person is one who has developed many virtues, which help them act according to their moral principles. According to

Utilitarian Ethics- is a concept of consequentialist ethics. Utilitarian ethics is based on the idea that the moral worth of an action is solely determined by the contribution to overall happiness or pleasures for society as a whole. One has the option to either asses the consequences of each act or asses the consequences that will persist as long as they produce the greatest net good for all.

10. Virtue Ethics- acts on the characteristics that make one as a person of character and integrity rather than on formal rules or the consequences of actions. The nature of virtue ethical decision making is intuitive. According to Aristotle, virtue ethics addresses the purpose of human life, or the meaning of a good active life. Aristotle argues that with excellence and virtue one can achieve great success. Virtues are within us, but their utilization is not automatic.

12. State Ethics Laws- Seek to promote ethics of government officials by passing ethics laws. Provisions may differ from state to state, but apply to elected officials, administrative staff, and in some states lobbyists. Ethics laws provide protection for the public by addressing the behavior of public officials and attempt to restrict