What do you think can be done to promote ethical behavior?

Question

This article has a few suggestions, not sure if they'll work or not. It's titled "Holier Than Thou? Employees Who Believe They Are 'Ethical' Or 'Moral' Might Not Be:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030120552.htm

Answer 1

Promoting by example is certainly one course that is highly recommended. However, we also face an intellectual climate that filters down to popular culture and undermines clarity of moral thought, positively promoting moral idiocy. Some examples of the fallacious reasoning that often goes unquestioned:

1. Fundamentalist Christians and anti-moralistic atheists perpetuate the idea that, if there is no God, everything is permitted. The Christians say this because they believe we need God. The anti-moralists say this because they believe that by rejecting religion, they can reject ethics. both are wrong. The Platonic dialoge Euthyphro explains why.

2. Reductionistic explanations of the form, "Ethical judgments are really nothing more than...", which purport to "explain away" ethics by means of bogus explanations. (Even if the explanations weren't bogus, that wouldn't invalidate ethics.) Various forms of "explanation" include adaptations/corruptions of Freud, Marx, Darwin, et al.

3. Political ideologies promoting suspicion as the default attitude toward everything traditional (not that traditions shouldn't be questioned when there are good reasons to do so). Everything traditional is viewed as the product of "them" (the Capitalists, the Patriarchy, or whatever) and serves only "their" purposes (maintaining power over those who are oppressed), so ethical judgments are all suspect. Of course, an exception is made for whatever traditional values happen to support saying that certain groups ARE oppressed, but typically this is simply taken for granted rather than acknowledged as a positive part of tradition.

4. The Scientistic assumption that assumes that whatever cannot be proven scientifically cannot be proven at all and isn't even worth discussing. naturally, that means ethics (and aesthetics) get tossed out the window. Or they're allowed in only when they are given "scientific" explanations as in 2. and 3.

5. The knee jerk condemnation of being "judgmental", without bothering to consider which judgments are valid and which ones aren't (after all, that would be "judgmental" too)

6. The knee jerk condemnation of "double standards", but without being willing to say WHICH of the two standards ought to be upheld consistently. (THAT would be "judgmental"!)

7. The knee-jerk condemnation of "hypocrisy", while suggesting that this invalidates the standard the hypocrite violated. Since we all have moral flaws and all fail to live up to our own standards (at least if we have standards), the easiest course - when the only thing condemned is "hypocrisy" - is to be silent about ethics altogether. And if we stay silent about particular ethical standards, but uphold only the idea that hypocrisy is wrong, we effectively render moot the very standard the hypocrite is guilty of violating: what he did wasn't wrong, but that he had the bad taste to say it was wrong while being guilty of it himself was unacceptable!

8. The slippery slide from liberty to libertinism: humane people agree that certain private matters should be no one else's business - or certainly not the government. But then, having to keep it private is seen as oppressive and promoting hypocrisy, so it should be public and not condemned. Then anyone who criticizes it is "intolerant", anyone who disapproves has "hang ups". Soon, the behavior becomes an "entitlement", and eventually it becomes almost an OBLIGATION - if you're NOT doing it, you're "repressed" and need to be "liberated". Recent cultural history shows this pattern with many behaviors.

I could go on...

Answer 2

I like the answers like "Teach according to the Bible."

Yes, teach people to persecute people that don't have the same beliefs, tell them if they don't agree, they will go to hell, and if that doesn't work, then eventually kill them for it. LOL

Ethical behaviour isn't used more because of the two greatest evils in the world, money and religion.

If you could eliminate both of those, you will have people beginning to treat people ethically.
As long as there is something in it for them by screwing someone else over, a great # of people would do it.

The other, more realistic option, which would take huge governmental support is pre-teen surgery that will stop people from having children until they are 1) old enough, 2) mature enough and 3) can support them (passing a test or two wouldn't be bad either)

Then, reverse the surgery and voila, the older people are (and hopefully more mature) when they have children, the more likely they will be to raise their children well and instill ethical values in them.

A 14 year old mother can't possibly teach her children things that she hasn't even learned herself.

Religion is probably the anti-answer to this though.
Religion supports the notion that no matter how bad a person is, as long as they share your religion, they are far better than a good person that doesn't.

Answer 3

In a cheat or suffer society (like ours has become) you cheat or suffer to the level you can comfortably tolerate in your own conscience.
The driving forces behind unethical choices are greed, power and ignorance.
I'm tempted to believe that much of the psychological research into moral choices is sheer claptrap.

Answer 4

Ethics are taught from a young age. It is the parents responsibility to teach their children how to be a good person and have good ethics. Unfortunately there are so many people who do not have good ethics and therefore cannot lead by example

Answer 5

"Evil wins when good men stand by and do nothing". We often see evil winning in the world and for the most part it is because ethical people will not stand in solidarity to hold those committing evil acts accountable for their deeds. Personal example and active engagement in ethical issues is the road to promoting ethical behaviour in society.

Answer 6

I think the best thing is to find a defintion that all people seem to have in common with and just start from there.

Answer 7

You asked me, so my definitive answer is to read and meditate on the Holy Bible. The more the knowledge is applied in ones life the better the effect upon one and all who are envolved with him. We cannot change the wicked system of which we are afflicted. Only God's kingdom under Christ will do this. But we can have a positive impact upon everyone around us and those whom we contact-even only briefly.

Answer 8

well ethical behavior is a moral code, how we make descions, stand up to them, etc............we cannot take on the world but we can make a list of what we decide is right and stick to it

Answer 9

I am not certain that it can be promoted by the general public. I think it is something that has to be instilled in someone from an early age-through parenting. Good Parenting.

Answer 10

lead by example and don't condone unethical behavior by inaction