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Ethical AnalysisWhat are ethics? Ethics is two things. First, ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics, for example, refers to those standards that impose the reasonable obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fraud. Ethical standards also include those that enjoin virtues of honesty, compassion, and loyalty. And, ethical standards include standards relating to rights, such as the right to life, the right to freedom from injury, and the right to privacy. Such standards are adequate standards of ethics because they are supported by consistent and well-founded reasons. Secondly, ethics refers to the study and development of one's ethical standards. As mentioned above, feelings, laws, and social norms can deviate from what is ethical. So it is necessary to constantly examine one's standards to ensure that they are reasonable and well-founded. Ethics also means, then, the continuous effort of studying our own moral beliefs and our moral conduct, and striving to ensure that we, and the institutions we help to shape, live up to standards that are reasonable and solidly-based. Main Types of Ethics and Questions to Guide your AnalysisUtilitarian or Consequentialists In the end, does the action or advancement produce the most good and least harm for all who are affected?Based on the action or technological advancement, what good and what harm will or may result?How will the success of technological advancement be measured in order to determine its worth? Happiness? Financial Impact?While the potential harm from this action or advancement may affect only a few people, is the harm so great it would outweigh the good this action might bring to many others?RightsDoes the action or advancement best respect the rights of all who have a stake?Does this action or advancement respect the dignity of others??If this action is taken or this advancement made, are some individuals simply being treated as a means to an end? In other words, are some people being used? What for? Why? Does the action or advancement hurt or help others in securing a minimum level of well-being?JusticeDoes this action or advancement lead to treating treat people equally or proportionally? Does it give each person affected his or her due?Might I have some prejudice or interest that might favor one person (or group of people) over another?Are all individuals being treated the same way??Common GoodDoes the action or advancement best serve the community as a whole, not just some members? Will this option be equally to everyone’s advantage?Does this action or advancement contribute to the conditions of social life that give everyone an opportunity to thrive?How will the action or advancement affect the resources everyone must share, such as the environment?VirtueDoes the action or advancement lead a person to act as the person he/she wants to be?What character traits are exhibited if this action is taken? Honesty? Deceit? Compassion or selfishness? Prudence or irresponsibility?What habits of character are being developed if this action is taken? What would a respectable say about this choice/action? ................
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