The Theory of Knowledge

1416 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: ethics in pursuit of knowledge

Producing knowledge has always been a fundamental aspect of human nature. As curious individuals, we strive to discover new facts, create new inventions, and define new ideas. This fascination with exploration is what propels us forward as a society; however, the methods we utilize to achieve these goals can be debated as ethically correct or not. As each individual has his or her own perceptions of what can be considered ethically correct, ethical judgements often vary, limiting the abilities of ethical judgements to limit the production of knowledge.
Before I examine the methods of production and their limitations through ethical judgements, I must first define several words and phrases as they will be used in my analysis. An ethical judgment is a judgment based on an individual or society’s perception of right or wrong, as well as commonly accepted values and behaviors. Two ethical models that I will utilize are the utilitarian and the rights. The utilitarian model emphasizes the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The rights model protects individual rights to freedom of speech, religion, etc. (Velasquez). Other phrases I defined are as follows--limit, method, and production of knowledge. A limit is a restriction on how far an individual can go to produce knowledge. Methods are established procedures for accomplishing or approaching a goal. Production of knowledge differs slightly between arts and natural sciences; in the arts, production of knowledge is the process of bringing common awareness to previously unknown facts, opinions, or beliefs. In contrast, production of knowledge in the natural sciences is the process of discovering and sharing previously unknown theories or innovations.
In the arts, ethical jud...

... middle of paper ...

...ll ethical judgements work. Consequently, while ethical judgements in limiting methods are efficient on a small scale, such as a family or an organization, on a large scale, it is difficult for individuals to agree on a single way to judge a method on its ethics.

Works Cited

1. Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. "Of Cures and Creatures Great and Small." Santa Clara University. N.p., 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
2. "National Institutes of Health's Guidelines." National Institutes of Health, 2000. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
3. Teicher, Jordan G. "Stunning Portraits of Crying Children That Brought the Photographer Hate Mail." Slate. The Slate Group, 04 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
4. Velasquez, Manuel, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S. J., and Michael J. Meyer. "Thinking Ethically: A Framework for Moral Decision Making." Santa Clara University. N.p., 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Criminal Justice Case Study

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ethics is “a branch of philosophy concerned with the study of questions of right and wrong and how we ought to live” (Banks, 2013). Also it involves making moral judgments about what is right and or wrong, good or bad. In the process of everyday life, moral rules are desirable, not because they express absolute truth, but because they are generally reliable guides for normal circumstances. Ethics or moral conduct, are of major importance in the criminal justice field today. If the police force condoned unethical behavior, there would be very little, if any, justice being served. A system of rules and principles helps to guide in making difficult decisions when moral issues arise. Ethics has been shown to be a central component in decisions involving ethical dilemmas. It is “concerned with standards of conduct and with “how I ought to act”, and standards of conduct may vary among different societies” (Banks, 2013). An ethical dilemma arises only when a decision must be made that involves a conflict at the personal, interpersonal, institutional, or societal level or raises issues of moral character. Richard Hare argues that we initially use an intuitive level of moral thinking when we consider ethical dilemma. There are “six steps in analyzing an ethical dilemma and they would be as follow” (NASW, 2014):

    Read More

  • Ethical Questions with The Curve Movie

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    The. Vaughn, Lewis. A. Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues, 3rd Edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013.

    Read More

  • Contraversy of Wal-Mart as An Ethical Company

    1835 Words  | 4 Pages

    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. &

    Read More

  • Four Ethical Profiles Of An Ethics Awareness Inventory

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our ethics and values are shaped from events and decisions dating back as far as we can remember, and in some cases even further back to times we cannot remember. Our heritage and cultural backgrounds can also play a large part in how our ethics are formed. As a society each individual fits into one of the four ethical profiles, and in many cases more than one of the profiles, what can make an individual extraordinary is the ability to learn from others that don’t share their own ethical beliefs and benefit from that shared knowledge to make themselves a better all-around individual. As the saying goes, no one is perfect, but the pursuit of perfection can be quite an experience for those that accept that challenge. Moral and ethical dilemmas will continue to arise in our lives from this moment until the moment we depart this plane of existence, it is what we do with those moments that set us apart from

    Read More

  • Ethical Judgements Essay

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ethical judgements limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and the natural sciences. Discuss.

    Read More

  • Ethics in the Arts and Natural Sciences

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Nursing: Gender And Gender Stereotypes In Nursing

    2386 Words  | 5 Pages

    Research is viewed as a scientific human endeavour that is organised according to a range of protocols, methods, guidelines and legislation (Gerrish & Lacey, 2010). Research ethics is that domain of enquiry that identifies ethical challenges with a view to developing guidelines that safeguard against any harm and protects the rights of human subjects in research (Rogers, 2008).

    Read More

  • Kant’s View on Abortion Explained by Categorical Imperative

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    Barry, Vincent, Olen, Jeffrey, & Van Camp, Julie C. Applying Ethics: A Text with Readings, Tenth Edition. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011.

    Read More

  • I am the Messenger by Zusak

    1869 Words  | 4 Pages

    Morales-Sánchez, Rafael, and Carmen Cabello-Medina. "The Role Of Four Universal Moral Competencies In Ethical Decision-Making." Journal Of Business Ethics 116.4 (2013): 717-734. Business Source Complete. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Critical Thinking and Ethical Decision Making on Social Work

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    A framework for ethical decision making was developed and is utilized to provide a guide for ease of use. This Ethical Framework is a product of dialogue and debate of Manuel Velasquez, ...

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemma Assignment

    2679 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this assignment we will be identifying an ethical dilemma an individual has experienced. We will begin with a short introduction of what an ethical dilemma is, moving on to providing brief details of the dilemma an individual has experienced. We will then go on to selecting one ethical theory, to show how it can help an individual understand and deal with the situation when placed within, followed by a conclusion.

    Read More

  • The Justified True Belief Theory Of Knowledge

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Justified True Belief (JTB) theory of knowledge, often attributed to Plato , is a fairly straightforward theory of knowledge. It states that something must be true if person S believes proposition P, proposition P is true, and S is justified in believing in believing that P is true . While many consider the JTB theory to be vital to the understanding of knowledge, some, such as American Philosopher Edmund Gettier, believe that it is flawed. I tend to agree with Gettier and others who object to the JTB theory as an adequate theory of knowledge, as the JTB theory allows for a type of implied confirmation bias that can lead people to be justified in believing they know something even though it isn’t true.

    Read More

  • The Production of Knowledge in both the Arts and the Natural Sciences

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    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 when discovering new knowledge. Reason and emotion are important ways of knowing that help guide knowers in making certain moral decisions.

    Read More

  • Ethical Judgments Limit the Pursuit of Knowledge

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    A person making an ethical judgment uses reason to decide what is the best alternative to resolve one problem or to determine that one alternative is morally right and another alternative morally wrong. In short, ethical judgment is a process of considering several alternatives and choosing the most ethical one. In the natural sciences there are always ethical norms that limit how knowledge can be produced. In the natural sciences, experimentation is an important method of producing knowledge but ethical judgments can limit the use of this method.

    Read More

  • Privacy on the Internet

    2274 Words  | 5 Pages

    4. Unknown. Ethics. Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. 29th March 2004. http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu/NQuinn/COEN288/EngrHandbook_Ethics.pdf

    Read More

More about The Theory of Knowledge

Open Document