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How to Write an Ethics Paper: Guide & Ethical Essay Examples

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An ethics essay is a type of academic writing that explores ethical issues and dilemmas. Students should evaluates them in terms of moral principles and values. The purpose of an ethics essay is to examine the moral implications of a particular issue, and provide a reasoned argument in support of an ethical perspective.

Writing an essay about ethics is a tough task for most students. The process involves creating an outline to guide your arguments about a topic and planning your ideas to convince the reader of your feelings about a difficult issue. If you still need assistance putting together your thoughts in composing a good paper, you have come to the right place. We have provided a series of steps and tips to show how you can achieve success in writing. This guide will tell you how to write an ethics paper using ethical essay examples to understand every step it takes to be proficient. In case you don’t have time for writing, get in touch with our professional essay writers for hire . Our experts work hard to supply students with excellent essays.

What Is an Ethics Essay?

An ethics essay uses moral theories to build arguments on an issue. You describe a controversial problem and examine it to determine how it affects individuals or society. Ethics papers analyze arguments on both sides of a possible dilemma, focusing on right and wrong. The analysis gained can be used to solve real-life cases. Before embarking on writing an ethical essay, keep in mind that most individuals follow moral principles. From a social context perspective, these rules define how a human behaves or acts towards another. Therefore, your theme essay on ethics needs to demonstrate how a person feels about these moral principles. More specifically, your task is to show how significant that issue is and discuss if you value or discredit it.

Purpose of an Essay on Ethics

The primary purpose of an ethics essay is to initiate an argument on a moral issue using reasoning and critical evidence. Instead of providing general information about a problem, you present solid arguments about how you view the moral concern and how it affects you or society. When writing an ethical paper, you demonstrate philosophical competence, using appropriate moral perspectives and principles.

Things to Write an Essay About Ethics On

Before you start to write ethics essays, consider a topic you can easily address. In most cases, an ethical issues essay analyzes right and wrong. This includes discussing ethics and morals and how they contribute to the right behaviors. You can also talk about work ethic, code of conduct, and how employees promote or disregard the need for change. However, you can explore other areas by asking yourself what ethics mean to you. Think about how a recent game you watched with friends started a controversial argument. Or maybe a newspaper that highlighted a story you felt was misunderstood or blown out of proportion. This way, you can come up with an excellent topic that resonates with your personal ethics and beliefs.

Ethics Paper Outline

Sometimes, you will be asked to submit an outline before writing an ethics paper. Creating an outline for an ethics paper is an essential step in creating a good essay. You can use it to arrange your points and supporting evidence before writing. It also helps organize your thoughts, enabling you to fill any gaps in your ideas. The outline for an essay should contain short and numbered sentences to cover the format and outline. Each section is structured to enable you to plan your work and include all sources in writing an ethics paper. An ethics essay outline is as follows:

• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Restate thesis statement
• Summarize key points
• Final thoughts on the topic

Using this outline will improve clarity and focus throughout your writing process.

Ethical Essay Structure

Ethics essays are similar to other essays based on their format, outline, and structure. An ethical essay should have a well-defined introduction, body, and conclusion section as its structure. When planning your ideas, make sure that the introduction and conclusion are around 20 percent of the paper, leaving the rest to the body. We will take a detailed look at what each part entails and give examples that are going to help you understand them better.  Refer to our essay structure examples to find a fitting way of organizing your writing.

Ethics Paper Introduction

An ethics essay introduction gives a synopsis of your main argument. One step on how to write an introduction for an ethics paper is telling about the topic and describing its background information. This paragraph should be brief and straight to the point. It informs readers what your position is on that issue. Start with an essay hook to generate interest from your audience. It can be a question you will address or a misunderstanding that leads up to your main argument. You can also add more perspectives to be discussed; this will inform readers on what to expect in the paper.

Ethics Essay Introduction Example

You can find many ethics essay introduction examples on the internet. In this guide, we have written an excellent extract to demonstrate how it should be structured. As you read, examine how it begins with a hook and then provides background information on an issue. 

Imagine living in a world where people only lie, and honesty is becoming a scarce commodity. Indeed, modern society is facing this reality as truth and deception can no longer be separated. Technology has facilitated a quick transmission of voluminous information, whereas it's hard separating facts from opinions.

In this example, the first sentence of the introduction makes a claim or uses a question to hook the reader.

Ethics Essay Thesis Statement

An ethics paper must contain a thesis statement in the first paragraph. Learning how to write a thesis statement for an ethics paper is necessary as readers often look at it to gauge whether the essay is worth their time.

When you deviate away from the thesis, your whole paper loses meaning. In ethics essays, your thesis statement is a roadmap in writing, stressing your position on the problem and giving reasons for taking that stance. It should focus on a specific element of the issue being discussed. When writing a thesis statement, ensure that you can easily make arguments for or against its stance.

Ethical Paper Thesis Example

Look at this example of an ethics paper thesis statement and examine how well it has been written to state a position and provide reasons for doing so:

The moral implications of dishonesty are far-reaching as they undermine trust, integrity, and other foundations of society, damaging personal and professional relationships. 

The above thesis statement example is clear and concise, indicating that this paper will highlight the effects of dishonesty in society. Moreover, it focuses on aspects of personal and professional relationships.

Ethics Essay Body

The body section is the heart of an ethics paper as it presents the author's main points. In an ethical essay, each body paragraph has several elements that should explain your main idea. These include:

• A topic sentence that is precise and reiterates your stance on the issue.
• Evidence supporting it.
• Examples that illustrate your argument.
• A thorough analysis showing how the evidence and examples relate to that issue.
• A transition sentence that connects one paragraph to another with the help of essay transitions .

When you write an ethics essay, adding relevant examples strengthens your main point and makes it easy for others to understand and comprehend your argument. 

Body Paragraph for Ethics Paper Example

A good body paragraph must have a well-defined topic sentence that makes a claim and includes evidence and examples to support it. Look at part of an example of ethics essay body paragraph below and see how its idea has been developed:

Honesty is an essential component of professional integrity. In many fields, trust and credibility are crucial for professionals to build relationships and success. For example, a doctor who is dishonest about a potential side effect of a medication is not only acting unethically but also putting the health and well-being of their patients at risk. Similarly, a dishonest businessman could achieve short-term benefits but will lose their client’s trust.

Ethics Essay Conclusion

A concluding paragraph shares the summary and overview of the author's main arguments. Many students need clarification on what should be included in the essay conclusion and how best to get a reader's attention. When writing an ethics paper conclusion, consider the following:

• Restate the thesis statement to emphasize your position.
• Summarize its main points and evidence.
• Final thoughts on the issue and any other considerations.

You can also reflect on the topic or acknowledge any possible challenges or questions that have not been answered. A closing statement should present a call to action on the problem based on your position.

Sample Ethics Paper Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph restates the thesis statement and summarizes the arguments presented in that paper. The sample conclusion for an ethical essay example below demonstrates how you should write a concluding statement.  

In conclusion, the implications of dishonesty and the importance of honesty in our lives cannot be overstated. Honesty builds solid relationships, effective communication, and better decision-making. This essay has explored how dishonesty impacts people and that we should value honesty. We hope this essay will help readers assess their behavior and work towards being more honest in their lives.

In the above extract, the writer gives final thoughts on the topic, urging readers to adopt honest behavior.

How to Write an Ethics Paper?

As you learn how to write an ethics essay, it is not advised to immediately choose a topic and begin writing. When you follow this method, you will get stuck or fail to present concrete ideas. A good writer understands the importance of planning. As a fact, you should organize your work and ensure it captures key elements that shed more light on your arguments. Hence, following the essay structure and creating an outline to guide your writing process is the best approach. In the following segment, we have highlighted step-by-step techniques on how to write a good ethics paper.

1. Pick a Topic

Before writing ethical papers, brainstorm to find ideal topics that can be easily debated. For starters, make a list, then select a title that presents a moral issue that may be explained and addressed from opposing sides. Make sure you choose one that interests you. Here are a few ideas to help you search for topics:

• Review current trends affecting people.
• Think about your personal experiences.
• Study different moral theories and principles.
• Examine classical moral dilemmas.

Once you find a suitable topic and are ready, start to write your ethics essay, conduct preliminary research, and ascertain that there are enough sources to support it.

2. Conduct In-Depth Research

Once you choose a topic for your essay, the next step is gathering sufficient information about it. Conducting in-depth research entails looking through scholarly journals to find credible material. Ensure you note down all sources you found helpful to assist you on how to write your ethics paper. Use the following steps to help you conduct your research:

• Clearly state and define a problem you want to discuss.
• This will guide your research process.
• Develop keywords that match the topic.
• Begin searching from a wide perspective. This will allow you to collect more information, then narrow it down by using the identified words above.

3. Develop an Ethics Essay Outline

An outline will ease up your writing process when developing an ethic essay. As you develop a paper on ethics, jot down factual ideas that will build your paragraphs for each section. Include the following steps in your process:

• Review the topic and information gathered to write a thesis statement.
• Identify the main arguments you want to discuss and include their evidence.
• Group them into sections, each presenting a new idea that supports the thesis.
• Write an outline.
• Review and refine it.

Examples can also be included to support your main arguments. The structure should be sequential, coherent, and with a good flow from beginning to end. When you follow all steps, you can create an engaging and organized outline that will help you write a good essay.

4. Write an Ethics Essay

Once you have selected a topic, conducted research, and outlined your main points, you can begin writing an essay . Ensure you adhere to the ethics paper format you have chosen. Start an ethics paper with an overview of your topic to capture the readers' attention. Build upon your paper by avoiding ambiguous arguments and using the outline to help you write your essay on ethics. Finish the introduction paragraph with a thesis statement that explains your main position.  Expand on your thesis statement in all essay paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence and provide evidence plus an example to solidify your argument, strengthen the main point, and let readers see the reasoning behind your stance. Finally, conclude the essay by restating your thesis statement and summarizing all key ideas. Your conclusion should engage the reader, posing questions or urging them to reflect on the issue and how it will impact them.

5. Proofread Your Ethics Essay

Proofreading your essay is the last step as you countercheck any grammatical or structural errors in your essay. When writing your ethic paper, typical mistakes you could encounter include the following:

• Spelling errors: e.g., there, they’re, their.
• Homophone words: such as new vs. knew.
• Inconsistencies: like mixing British and American words, e.g., color vs. color.
• Formatting issues: e.g., double spacing, different font types.

While proofreading your ethical issue essay, read it aloud to detect lexical errors or ambiguous phrases that distort its meaning. Verify your information and ensure it is relevant and up-to-date. You can ask your fellow student to read the essay and give feedback on its structure and quality.

Ethics Essay Examples

Writing an essay is challenging without the right steps. There are so many ethics paper examples on the internet, however, we have provided a list of free ethics essay examples below that are well-structured and have a solid argument to help you write your paper. Click on them and see how each writing step has been integrated. Ethics essay example 1

Ethics essay example 2

Ethics essay example 3

Ethics essay example 4

College ethics essay example 5

Ethics Essay Writing Tips

When writing papers on ethics, here are several tips to help you complete an excellent essay:

• Choose a narrow topic and avoid broad subjects, as it is easy to cover the topic in detail.
• Ensure you have background information. A good understanding of a topic can make it easy to apply all necessary moral theories and principles in writing your paper.
• State your position clearly. It is important to be sure about your stance as it will allow you to draft your arguments accordingly.
• When writing ethics essays, be mindful of your audience. Provide arguments that they can understand.
• Integrate solid examples into your essay. Morality can be hard to understand; therefore, using them will help a reader grasp these concepts.

Bottom Line on Writing an Ethics Paper

Creating this essay is a common exercise in academics that allows students to build critical skills. When you begin writing, state your stance on an issue and provide arguments to support your position. This guide gives information on how to write an ethics essay as well as examples of ethics papers. Remember to follow these points in your writing:

• Create an outline highlighting your main points.
• Write an effective introduction and provide background information on an issue.
• Include a thesis statement.
• Develop concrete arguments and their counterarguments, and use examples.
• Sum up all your key points in your conclusion and restate your thesis statement.

Contact our academic writing platform and have your challenge solved. Here, you can order essays and papers on any topic and enjoy top quality. 

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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Essay on Ethics for Students and Children

500+ words essay on ethics.

Essay on Ethics – Ethics refers to the concepts of right and wrong conduct. Furthermore, ethics is basically a branch of philosophy dealing with the issue of morality. Moreover, ethics consist of the rules of behavior. It certainly defines how a person should behave in specific situations. The origin of ethics is old and it started from the Stone Age . Most noteworthy, over the centuries many religions and philosophers have made contributions to ethics.

Branches of Ethics

First of all, comes the descriptive branch of ethics. Descriptive ethics involve what people actually believe to be right or wrong. On the basis of this, the law decides whether certain human actions are acceptable or not. Most noteworthy, the moral principles of society keep changing from time to time. Therefore, descriptive ethics are also known as comparative ethics. This is because; it compares the ethics of past and present as well as ethics of one society and another.

Normative ethics is another important branch of ethics. Moreover, Normative ethics deals with certain norms or set of considerations. Furthermore, these norms or set of considerations dictate how one should act. Therefore, normative ethics sets out the rightness or wrongness of actions or behaviours. Another name for normative ethics is prescriptive ethics. This is because; it has principles which determine whether an action is right or wrong.

Meta-ethics consists of the origin of the ethical concepts themselves. Meta-ethics is not concerned whether an action is good or evil. Rather, meta-ethics questions what morality itself is. Therefore, meta-ethics questions the very essence of goodness or rightness. Most noteworthy, it is a highly abstract way of analyzing ethics.

Applied ethics involves philosophical examination or certain private and public life issues. Furthermore, this examination of issues takes place from a moral standpoint. Moreover, this branch of ethics is very essential for professionals. Also, these professionals belong to different walks of life and include doctors , teachers , administrators, rulers.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Applications of Ethics

Bioethicists deal with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, and philosophy. Furthermore, Bioethics refers to the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine .

Ethics also have a significant application in business. Moreover, business ethics examines ethical principles in relation to a business environment.

Military ethics involve the questions regarding the application of ethos of the soldier. Furthermore, military ethics involves the laws of war. Moreover, it also includes the question of justification of initiating military force.

Public sector ethics deals with a set of principles that guide public officials in their service. Furthermore, the public sector involves the morality of decision making. Most noteworthy, it consists of the question of what best serves the public’s interests.

In conclusion, ethics is certainly one of the most important requirements of humanity. Furthermore, without ethics, the world would have been an evil and chaotic place. Also, the advancement of humanity is not possible without ethics. There must be widespread awareness of ethics among the youth of society.

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1: Introduction to Contemporary Ethics - Technology, Affirmative Action, and Immigration

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• Page ID 30122

• Golden West College via NGE Far Press

As you enter this textbook, I would like you to remember two of the greatest quotes from arguably the greatest Philosopher, Socrates: “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing” and “the unexamined life is not worth living.” They are both from Plato’s Apology that describes the trial of Socrates in Athens for, most importantly, “corrupting the youth of Athens.” Despite the English connotations of the title, Socrates does not “apologize” for anything nor is he sorry – the Greek word apologia (the origin of the title) means “formal defense.” These quotes come up in the context of his illustrating how much more intelligent he is than his accusers (not the best idea when his life is on the line, but Socrates was true to himself) and defending his practice of encouraging the people of Athens, especially its youth, to think critically and rationally for themselves. Combine these two quotes, however, and we are left a bit of a conundrum: we must examine life for it to have value, but we are unlikely to come to know anything from this examination. Still, Socrates would argue, the pursuit of knowledge is important and fruitful. Examining life, ideas, knowledge, experience, and anything and everything we can think of, in a pursuit of truth and knowledge, is of the utmost importance. Yet, we must also recognize the limits of our abilities and approach all endeavors with a healthy dose of humility and openness. But if we are to examine life, where would this pursuit take us?

His two successors, Plato and Aristotle, had a goal in mind: we do Philosophy to arrive at an understanding of the ideal society. What’s the point of living if we aren’t achieving a life of, as Aristotle puts it, excellence ( arête in Greek) and flourishing ( eudaimonia )? Their philosophical examinations culminated in proposing an ideal state, and examining such a society falls under the umbrella of Political Philosophy. An integral part of a flourishing society includes setting up a system wherein everyone can attain happiness and live the good life. But why should we care about happiness? Or even other people? Why not just care about our own pleasures? An important part of their analyses is doing Ethics: studying right, wrong, good, and bad. How do we value happiness? Why do we value it? Do we value other things? Other people? What makes someone good? And so on. Thus, the final aim of Plato and Aristotle, and the purpose of Philosophy, was to do Ethics. I might be biased, however, since this is an Ethics textbook and I am primarily an Ethicist by training. Of course, anyone could argue that their field of Philosophy is more important to living a good life, like Metaphysics (the study of the nature of reality), Epistemology (the study of knowledge), Logic (the study of reason), and any other field. And they’d be right: you can’t do ethics without doing all of these things (and I’d argue you can’t do those without doing ethics). You have to be clear on the ideas you’re using and how they relate to get anywhere in any branch of philosophy. Most people don’t necessarily concern themselves with abstract concepts of knowledge on a daily basis, but we have to interact with people daily and are thus confronted with making moral decisions many times every day. We have to do things for ourselves and others, so how do we know what’s right to do? That is, of course, assuming we want to be good people. But what does good even mean?

This textbook will cover these topics, and many more, in detail. To frame these questions and analysis, we will focus primarily on contemporary moral issues, from those in medical ethics (euthanasia, abortion, etc.) to how we should treat non-human things (like the environment and animals) and issues that affect society as a whole, like technology and immigration, which is where we’ll begin. There will also be readings (mostly classic selections from extremely influential philosophers that you might have actually heard of, like Aristotle, John Stuart Mill, and Immanuel Kant) that cover the theories behind the moral principles we will be applying. It is actually much easier to understand these theories after examining how we normally apply them in our daily lives, so these chapters with “classic” readings will come in the later half of this work. It might seem backward, as it would seem more natural to learn the theories and then apply them, but it’s really not. You already know how to do ethics and you do moral analyses on a daily basis, and once you examine how we all regularly do morality, you are better positioned to appreciate the concepts that drive our moral habits.

There are two terms that will be used interchangeably in this work: ethics and morality. They are clearly separate words and you would assume (and many people do) that they would thus mean different things. But, for the branch of philosophy that is called both “Ethics” and “Morality”, they mean the exact same thing. Many people will take issue with this and want to say I’m wrong (which is a moral or ethical claim). But I get to play the expert card right now: in Philosophy, I have yet to meet someone that is an expert in the field of Ethics (or Morality) and believes the two mean something significantly different. Oftentimes non-philosophers will want to correct me and say that “Ethics is the theory; Morality is how we apply it” (or is it the other way around?), and I will admit that in some fields that might be how they use the terms. There is a branch of philosophy that deals with the theory of morality, however, and that is called Meta-Ethics (from the Greek for “about ethics”), so we do have a word for that. The application of moral theories to actions is sometimes called Applied or Normative Ethics, so there is also a term for that. But morality and ethics mean the same thing here, so why do we have two words that mean the same thing? It’s simple: ethics (as a word) comes from Greek and morality (as a word) comes from Latin. English uses words from many languages, and we tend to keep them all, even when they mean the same thing. I’ve probably written more than I need to already, but all I want to make clear is that you, the reader, should understand that ethics and morality mean the same things in this work. You will come to learn that getting very clear on the terms we use is vital to doing a proper moral analysis, so it is important to always pay close attention to language and clarify terms whenever it seems necessary. You don’t want to be misunderstood and you don’t want to misunderstand others. The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once believed that all philosophical problems are just linguistic problems. He changed his mind about this later on in his life, but he had a point: a lot of problems we have with each other are often not due to genuine disagreements (where we will be unable to find some common ground) but are rather misunderstandings due to language.

This first unit is meant to give you a taste of ethics and how it is applied. Chapter 1, The “Trolley Problem” and Self-Driving Cars: Your Car’s Moral Settings , is a fictional short story about potential moral settings for self-driving cars in the near future. Chapter 2, What is Ethics and What Makes Something a Problem for Morality? by David Svolba, explains the basic aspects of doing ethics and how it uniquely deals with problems. Chapter 3, Letter from the Birmingham City Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr, is a powerful letter written to his fellow clergymen while he was imprisoned for leading civil disobedience movements (in this case, the Alabama bus boycotts) in an attempt to end segregation in the United States. Chapter 4, A Defense of Affirmative Action , explores the reasons on all sides of policies that are aimed at helping minorities obtain positions in a system that unfairly overlooks them. Chapter 5, The Moral Issues of Immigration by B.M. Wooldridge, discusses the various angles of immigration and its problems and benefits. Chapter 6, The Ethics of our Digital Selves , analyzes the role that emerging technologies have on conceptions of our personal identities and how this has ethical implications.

Writing Ethical Papers: Top Tips to Ace Your Assignment

17 August, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Kate Smith

Writing a complex essay paper can be a tough task for any student, especially for those who do not have their skills developed well or do not have enough time for lengthy assignments. At the same time, the majority of college students need to keep their grades high to maintain their right to receive merit-based scholarships and continue their studies the next year. To help you with your ethical papers writing, we created this guide. Below, you will find out what an ethical paper is, how to structure it and write it efficiently. 

What is an Ethical Paper?

An ethics paper is a type of an argumentative assignment that deals with a certain ethical problem that a student has to describe and solve. Also, it can be an essay where a certain controversial event or concept is elaborated through an ethical lens (e.g. moral rules and principles), or a certain ethical dilemma is explained. Since ethics is connected to moral concepts and choices, a student needs to have a fair knowledge of philosophy and get ready to answer questions related to relationships, justice, professional and social duties, the origin of good and evil, etc., to write a quality paper. Also, writing an ethics paper implies that a student should process a great amount of information regarding their topic and analyze it according to paper terms.

General Aspects of Writing an Ethics Paper

Understanding the ethical papers’ features.

Every essay has differences and features that make it unique. Writing ethical papers implies that a student will use their knowledge of morality and philosophy to resolve a certain ethical dilemma or solve a situation. It can also be a paper in which a student needs to provide their reasoning on ethical or legal circumstances that follow a social issue. Finally, it can be an assignment in which an ethical concept and its application are described. On the contrary, a history essay deals with events that took place somewhen earlier, while a narrative essay is a paper where students demonstrate their storytelling skills, etc.

Defining What Type of Essay Should Be Written

Most of the time, ethical paper topics imply that a student will write an argumentative essay; however, ethics essays can also be descriptive and expository. Each of these essay types has different guidelines for writing, so be sure you know them before you start writing your papers on ethics. In case you missed this step in your ethical paper preparation stage, you would end up writing a paper that misses many important points.

Studying the Ethical Paper Guidelines

Once you get your ethical paper assignment, look through the guidelines that your instructor provided to you. If you receive them during the class, don’t hesitate to pose any questions immediately to remove any misunderstanding before writing an ethics paper outline, or ask for references that you need to use. When you are about to write your first draft, don’t rush: read the paper instructions once again to make sure you understand what is needed from you.

Paying Attention to the Paper Topic

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the ethical paper topic: once you are given one, make sure it falls into the scope of your educational course. After that, consider what additional knowledge may be needed to elaborate on your topic and think about what courses of your program could be helpful for it. Once you are done, read through your topic again to recheck whether you understand your assignment right.

Understanding the Notions of Ethical Arguments, Ethical and Legal Implications, and Ethical Dilemma

Last but not least, another important factor is that a student has to understand the basic terms of the assignment to write a high-quality paper. Ethical arguments are a set of moral rules that are used to defend your position on an ethical issue stated in your essay topic. We refer to ethical versus legal implications when we think about the compensation for certain ethical dilemma outcomes and whether it should be a moral punishment or legal judgment. An ethical dilemma itself refers to a problem or situation which makes an individual doubt what position to take: e.g, abortion, bribery, corruption, etc.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Ethics Paper

Every essay has a structure that makes it a solid piece of writing with straight reasoning and argumentation, and an ethics paper is not an exclusion. This paper has an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Below, we will describe how each part of ethical papers should be organized and what information they should contain.

First comes the introduction. It is the opening part of your paper which helps a reader to get familiar with your topic and understand what your paper will be about. Therefore, it should contain some information on your ethics paper topics and a thesis statement, which is a central statement of your paper.

The essay body is the most substantive part of your essay where all the reasoning and arguments should be presented. Each paragraph should contain an argument that supports or contradicts your thesis statement and pieces of evidence to support your position. Pick at least three arguments to make your position clear in your essay, and then your paper will be considered well-structured.

The third part of an ethics paper outline is a conclusion, which is a finishing essay part. Its goal is to wrap up the whole essay and make the author’s position clear for the last time. The thoughtful formulation in this essay part should be especially clear and concise to demonstrate the writer’s ability to make conclusions and persuade readers.

Also, don’t forget to include the works cited page after your writing. It should mention all the reference materials that you used in your paper in the order of appearance or in the alphabetical one. This page should be formatted according to the assigned formatting style. Most often, the most frequently used format for ethical papers is APA.

20 Examples of Ethical Paper Topics

• Are there any issues in the 21st century that we can consider immoral and why?
• What is corporate ethics?
• Why is being selfish no longer an issue in 2023?
• Euthanasia: pros and cons
• Marijuana legalization: should it be allowed all over the world?
• Is abortion an ethical issue nowadays?
• Can we invent a universal religion appropriate for all?
• Is the church necessary to pray to God?
• Can we forgive infidelity and should we do it?
• How to react if you are witnessing high school bullying?
• What are the ways to respond to a family abusing individual?
• How to demand your privacy protection in a digital world?
• The history of the American ethical thought
• Can war be ethical and what should the conflicting sides do to make it possible?
• Ethical issues of keeping a zoo in 2023
• Who is in charge of controlling the world’s population?
• How to achieve equality in the world’s rich and poor gap?
• Is science ethical?
• How ethical is genetic engineering?
• Why many countries refuse to go back to carrying out the death penalty?

Ethical Papers Examples

If you still have no idea about how to write an ethics paper, looking through other students’ successful examples is always a good idea. Below, you can find a relevant ethics paper example that you can skim through and see how to build your reasoning and argumentation in your own paper.

https://www.currentschoolnews.com/education-news/ethics-essay-examples/

https://sites.psu.edu/academy/2014/11/18/essay-2-personal-ethics-and-decision-making/

Ethical Papers Writing Tips

Choose a topic that falls into the ethics course program.

In case you were not given the ethics paper topic, consider choosing it yourself. To do that, brainstorm the ethical issues that fascinate you enough to do research. List all these issues on a paper sheet and then cross out those that are too broad or require expertise that you don’t have. The next step you need to take is to choose three or four ethical topics for papers from the list and try to do a quick search online to find out whether these topics are elaborated enough to find sources and reference materials on them. Last, choose one topic that you like the most and find the most relevant one in terms of available data for reference.

Do your research

Once the topic is chosen and organized, dive deeper into it to find the most credible, reliable, and trusted service. Use your university library, online scientific journals, documentaries, and other sources to get the information from. Remember to take notes while working with every new piece of reference material to not forget the ideas that you will base your argumentation on.

Follow the guidelines for a paper outline

During the preparation for your ethical paper and the process of writing it, remember to follow your professor’s instructions (e.g. font, size, spacing, citation style, etc.). If you neglect them, your grade for the paper will decrease significantly.

Write the essay body first

Do not rush to start writing your ethics papers from the very beginning; to write a good essay, you need to have your outline and thesis statement first. Then, go to writing body paragraphs to demonstrate your expertise on the issue you are writing about. Remember that one supporting idea should be covered in one paragraph and should be followed by the piece of evidence that confirms it.

Make sure your introduction and conclusion translate the same message

After your essay body is done, write a conclusion and an introduction for your paper. The main tip regarding these ethics paper parts is that you should make them interrelated: your conclusion has to restate your introduction but not repeat it. Also, a conclusion should wrap up your writing and make it credible for the audience.

Add citations

Every top-quality paper has the works cited page and citations to demonstrate that the research on the topic has been carried out. Therefore, do not omit this point when formatting your paper: add all the sources to the works cited page and pay attention to citing throughout the text. The latter should be done according to the formatting style indicated in your instructions.

Edit your paper

Last but not least is the editing and proofreading stage that you need to carry out before you submit your paper to your instructor. Consider keeping your first draft away from sight for a day or two to have a rest, and then go back to check it for errors and redundant phrases. Don’t rush to change anything immediately after finishing your writing since you are already tired and less focused, so some mistakes may be missed.

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How to Write an Ethics Paper

Last Updated: May 16, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 252,034 times.

Writing an ethics paper can present some unique challenges. For the most part, the paper will be written like any other essay or research paper, but there are some key differences. An ethics paper will generally require you to argue for a specific position rather than simply present an overview of an issue. Arguing this position will also involve presenting counterarguments and then refuting them. Finally, ensuring that your reasoning is valid and sound and citing the appropriate sources will allow you to write an ethics paper that will satisfy any critic.

Getting Started

• What is the main objective of the assignment?
• What specific things do you need to do in order to get a good grade?
• How much time will you need to complete the assignment?

• For example, you might begin with a topic of "ethical problems of euthanasia." This is very broad, and so forms a good starting point.

• Remember, you may refine your topic even further after you have begun writing your paper. This is perfectly acceptable, and is part of the advantage of writing a paper in multiple drafts.

• For example, you might include issues such as: "describing specifically what is meant by 'extreme, constant pain.' "Other issues might include, "the rights and responsibilities of physicians regarding euthanasia," and "voluntary versus involuntary euthanasia."
• After making this list, group or order them in some way. For example, you might imagine yourself taking the position that euthanasia is acceptable in this circumstance, and you could order the issues based on how you would draw supporting evidence and build your claim.

Developing Your Thesis Statement

• In your thesis, you should take a specific stand on the ethical issue. For example, you might write your thesis as follows: "Euthanasia is an immoral option even when patients are in constant, extreme pain."

• For example, this thesis statement is ambiguous: "Patients should not undergo euthanasia even when suffering constant, extreme pain." With how it's worded, it's unclear whether you mean that euthanasia should be outlawed or that it is morally wrong.
• Clarify your position to create a strong thesis: "Euthanasia is an immoral option even when patients are in constant, extreme pain."

• For example, in the thesis, "It is immoral for patients to choose euthanasia even when suffering constant, extreme pain," the moral burden is on the patient's actions. The author of this thesis would need to make sure to focus on the patient in the essay and not to focus on the moral implications of the doctor's actions.
• If the thesis you have written does not reflect what you want to argue in your paper, start over and draft a new thesis statement.

Conducting Research

• Ask a librarian for help finding sources if you are not sure how to access your library’s databases.
• A simple way to strengthen your argument through citations is by incorporating some relevant statistics. Simple statistics can have a major impact if presented after you've made a bold assertion. For instance, you may claim that the patient's family members would be unduly traumatized if the patient chose euthanasia, and then cite a university study that catalogued a majority of families reporting trauma or stress in this situation.
• Another helpful citation is one in which the broad issue itself is discussed. For instance, you might cite a prominent ethicist's position on your issue to strengthen your position.

• The author and his or her credentials. Does the source provide the author’s first and last name and credentials (M.D., Ph.D, etc.)? Steer clear of sources without an author attached to them or that lack credentials when credentials seem crucial, such as in an article about a medical subject. [3] X Research source
• Type of publication. Is the publication a book, journal, magazine, or website? Is the publisher an academic or educational institution? Does the publisher have a motive other than education? Who is the intended audience? Ask yourself these questions to determine if this source is reliable. For example, a university or government website might be reliable, but a site that sells items may be biased toward what they're selling.
• Citations. How well has the author researched his or her topic? Check the author’s bibliography or works cited page. If the author has not provided any sources, then you may want to look for a different source. [4] X Research source
• Bias. Has the author presented an objective, well-reasoned account of the topic? If the sources seems skewed towards one side of the argument, then it may not be a good choice. [5] X Research source
• Publication date. Does this source present the most up to date information on the subject? If the sources is outdated, then try to find something more recent. [6] X Research source

• To check for comprehension after reading a source, try to summarize the source in your own words and generate a response to the author’s main argument. If you cannot do one or both of these things, then you may need to read the source again.
• Creating notecards for your sources may also help you to organize your ideas. Write the citation for the source on the top of the notecard, then write a brief summary and response to the article in the lined area of the notecard. [7] X Research source

• Remember to indicate when you have quoted a source in your notes by putting it into quotation marks and including information about the source such as the author’s name, article or book title, and page number. [8] X Research source

Writing and Revising Your Ethics Paper

• To expand on your outline, write a couple of sentences describing and/or explaining each of the items in your outline. Include a relevant source for each item as well.

• Check your outline to see if you have covered each of these items in this order. If not, you will need to add a section and use your sources to help inform that section.

• In your first draft, focus on the quality of the argument, rather than the quality of the prose. If the argument is structured well and each conclusion is supported by your reasoning and by cited evidence, you will be able to focus on the writing itself on the second draft.
• Unless major revisions are needed to your argument (for example, if you have decided to change your thesis statement), use the second draft to strengthen your writing. Focus on sentence lengths and structures, vocabulary, and other aspects of the prose itself.

• Try to allow yourself a few days or even a week to revise your paper before it is due. If you do not allow yourself enough time to revise, then you will be more prone to making simple mistakes and your grade may suffer as a result. [10] X Research source

• Does my paper fulfill the requirements of the assignment? How might it score according to the rubric provided by my instructor?
• What is your main point? How might you clarify your main point?
• Who is your audience? Have you considered their needs and expectations?
• What is your purpose? Have you accomplished your purpose with this paper?
• How effective is your evidence? How might your strengthen your evidence?
• Does every part of your paper relate back to your thesis? How might you improve these connections?
• Is anything confusing about your language or organization? How might your clarify your language or organization?
• Have you made any errors with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? How can you correct these errors?
• What might someone who disagrees with you say about your paper? How can you address these opposing arguments in your paper? [11] X Research source

• As you read your paper out loud, highlight or circle any errors and revise as necessary before printing your final copy.

Community Q&A

• If at all possible, have someone else read through your paper before submitting it. They can provide valuable feedback on style as well as catching grammatical errors. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

Things You'll Need

• Word-processing software
• Access to your library’s databases
• Pencil and highlighter

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/688/1/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/03/
• ↑ http://guides.jwcc.edu/content.php?pid=65900&sid=538553
• ↑ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/notes-from-research
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/05/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/05/

About This Article

To write an ethics paper, start by researching the issue you want to write about and evaluating your sources for potential bias and trustworthiness. Next, develop a thesis statement that takes a specific stand on the issue and create an outline that includes the key arguments. As you write, avoid using words like “could” or “might,” which will seem ambiguous to the reader. Once you’ve finished your paper, take a break for a few days so your mind is clear, then go back and revise what you wrote, focusing on the quality of your argument. For tips from our Education reviewer on how to annotate source material as you research, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics

(4 reviews)

George Matthews

Christina Hendricks

Copyright Year: 2019

ISBN 13: 9781989014080

Publisher: Rebus Community

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Kevin DeCoux, Philosophy, Minnesota West Community & Technical College on 4/4/23

Most of the ethical theories that you would want for an intro to ethical theory course are here. Relativism and subjectivism, divine command theory and natural law theory, virtue ethics, social contract theory and egoism, utilitarianism, Kant,... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Most of the ethical theories that you would want for an intro to ethical theory course are here. Relativism and subjectivism, divine command theory and natural law theory, virtue ethics, social contract theory and egoism, utilitarianism, Kant, feminist ethics, and evolutionary ethics. It would be nice to have a few newer options, but these are generally the theories discussed. This book doesn't go very deep, but it is appropriate for a beginning ethics course.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the chapters and examples to be accurate and work with the theories.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

A great part of books of this type (open textbooks) and this project in general is that it can be changed. Most of the text won't be outdated as it has early philosophers to a bit more contemporary.

Clarity rating: 5

I find the book to be clearly written and accessible. The organization lends to the clarity. Also, this book is pretty straightforward in the way ideas are presented, which also helps.

Consistency rating: 4

There are many different authors here, but they are pretty consistent in the way they present ideas and use terms.

Modularity rating: 4

Some of the theories could have been organized differently for better modularity. For example, consequentialist theories together and deontological theories together.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

As stated above, I would have organized these chapters differently, but they built off each other well and the organization works.

Interface rating: 5

The is easy to navigate. There could be more images.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Not many grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Not a lot of diversity in the voices. As I mentioned before, there could be more contemporary ideas in ethics, but these are generally the ones covered in an intro.

Some primary texts might be nice. Students can read about the theories in the ethicists own words. I'm looking for an intro to ethics books for the first half of my ethics courses. I will likely use some of these chapters to introduce the ideas.

Reviewed by Erin Anchustegui, Assistant Professor, College of Western Idaho on 5/4/22

This book contains the key topics in the appropriate depth suitable for a lower-level introduction to ethics course. The coverage of subjectivism, relativism, and divine command theory provide the necessary early discussions which lay the... read more

This book contains the key topics in the appropriate depth suitable for a lower-level introduction to ethics course. The coverage of subjectivism, relativism, and divine command theory provide the necessary early discussions which lay the foundation for later discussions. The explanations of concepts are very clear without becoming overly technical and long. The section on virtue ethics appropriately included eastern theories and Thomas Aquinas’ and Aristotle’s views.

The lack of applied ethics discussions on abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and so forth was a slight disappointment. For this reason, I had to add another book to my course. Moreover, some chapters would have benefitted from including popular counterexamples to the theories. Students enjoy these, and they help to clarify how the theory works.

The content and accuracy of the discussions rank high. The examples lend themselves to a clear understanding. I have used this book for over two semesters, and I find that students understand the views well.

The relevance of topics is enduring and important, with ancient philosophy to modern views being included. However, it would be good for this book to include various discussions which refocus traditional topics from a contemporary perspective.

I chose this book for my courses because of the clarity of writing and organization of concepts. This is one of the strengths of the book.

Consistency rating: 5

Consistency along the parameters of concepts discussed, language, organization, tone, and depth of discussion is very good.

Modularity rating: 5

The various sections and sub-discussions are appropriate, and I did not find any issues. I reorganize the discussions in my course, so this did not hinder my use of the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Beginning with metaethics is excellent and I was glad to see the more modern approaches such as feminist and evolutionary ethics at the end. Again, the classical views are important, and the discussions build on each other.

I found no issues with the interface.

Very few grammatical errors were found in the text. The text overall is well-edited for organization and grammar.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The greatest weakness of the book has to do with its lack of diverse voices. More discussions from philosophers of color, issues of environmental ethics, and social justice would have strengthened this book's offerings.

Review questions at the end of each article would have made this a better book.

Reviewed by Roann Barris, Professor, art history and ethics, Radford University on 1/13/20

it covers the major theories of ethical reasoning but does not discuss some variants of the major theories and relies on definitions and examples which are often either chosen for their simplicity, ordinariness or laughable quality -- I found it... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

it covers the major theories of ethical reasoning but does not discuss some variants of the major theories and relies on definitions and examples which are often either chosen for their simplicity, ordinariness or laughable quality -- I found it hard to take them seriously and to imagine that I would use them as discussion points. I also found that there was a tendency to emphasize religious interpretations at the cost of some general accuracy and explanation of the theories

Content Accuracy rating: 3

The introduction to the book is not written in a compelling manner and is often confusing – I am not a philosopher bu I am familiar with ethical theories but the short overviews of each chapter made the theories sound unfamiliar to me; Chapter 1 is a confusing yet simplistic version of ethical relativism and metaethics which I did not know were the same thing (generally they are not treated that way) although this chapter makes them equivalent; I am not familiar with DCT but she tends to explain it in terms of other theories that haven’t been introduced yet in the book and since I am reading a pdf version I can't use links although I don't recall that this chapter had any; ; it is fortunate that I would be able to skip this chapter if I used the book; Virtue ethics chapter is interesting with its examples of how virtue ethics differs from one religion to another; yet it doesn’t include the definition I am most familiar with and tend to use in my classes; Many of the examples are clearly made up and in some cases hard to take seriously; The chapter on deontology said nothing about deontology; Kant is important but deontology is not the theory that was described

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

I think the pronouns need to be updated and the examples need to be more relevant to the current world

Clarity rating: 4

the language is generally clear (with the exception of the overall introduction and some of the chapters) but the avoidance of terminology should not mean the avoidance of intelligent dialogue and meaningful examples

most of the writers use the same simplified (or simplistic, as I imagine my students would say) language and rely on made up scenarios

it could be divided by chapters but some of the authors refer to later chapters in the book without explaining those concepts, and that would work against modularity

I can't think of alternative ways to organize this type of text although perhaps a conclusion which actually included application examples might be valuable

Interface rating: 4

can't evaluate completely since the links in the text did not work for my download; however, I can comment on the illustrations of the people associated with the theories -- why??? a picture of a philosopher doesn't really explain the theory; I like illustrations but they were unnecessary here; in contrast, charts and tables and bulleted summaries might have been helpful; there is no index

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

there were a few in the introduction; perhaps they were style things rather than grammar but I stopped a few times to ask myself what he was trying to say

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

reasonable except for pronouns and perhaps gender relevance

I am especially looking for an ethics book that has contemporary examples related to the world of art and the art market; not found here; I will continue to use the ethics text that I have been using already as I like the writing style and the accompanying power points from that better than this book; free is good b but doesn't compensate for a text that overall is flat and mediocre

Reviewed by Matthew Goldstein, Instructor (tenured), Peralta Community College District on 12/27/19

The textbook offers an effective survey of meta-ethical theory, and it presents remarkably clear summaries of the major ideas of many of the thinkers whose work has contributed to the development of moral philosophy. While each chapter includes... read more

The textbook offers an effective survey of meta-ethical theory, and it presents remarkably clear summaries of the major ideas of many of the thinkers whose work has contributed to the development of moral philosophy. While each chapter includes helpful definitions of key terms, a discrete index and glossary would be a helpful addition.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content is delivered in a cool, scholarly manner, and the text is generally readable and neatly proofread. The biases, such as they are, are mostly acknowledged, although more direct engagement with non-Western critics of the philosophical tradition would add credibility and interest to the wide-ranging discussions.

The historical scope of the project--ranging from Plato down to a variety of 21st-century philosophers--increases the likelihood that the book will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. Moreover, the useful foundation in meta-ethical theory that the textbook provides ensures that, even as the field changes and new views reshape our understanding of previous positions, IP: E could be refreshed and expanded easily.

Given its necessarily technical nature, IP: E is laudably readable and light on potentially off-putting jargon. Major ideas are presented in straightforward, accessible language that nevertheless gives the student the technical vocabulary required to understand and conduct arguments in a specialized branch of philosophy.

The tone, language, and overall presentation are generally consistent and inviting to the serious reader.

Chapters complement each other and each is divided ("chunked") into sections a prof might easily give as standalone reading assignments. Whether it might be presented in a variety of different orders--"reorganized and realigned with various subunits," etc.--would seem to depend on the cleverness of the teacher tasked with presenting the material

The progression from relativism and religion to feminism and evolution works well, and there's a largely implicit suggestion that the latter two approaches serve as correctives to or complications of the thought that comes before. This seems like a reasonable--and possibly inevitable--approach to a broad historical as well as theoretical survey.

The book is easy to navigate, the images load quickly and display clearly, and even the clickable footnotes work well. More images would be welcome throughout.

The text is clean and readable, free of distracting typos and grammatical problems.

An additional chapter that sets out some of the more recent critiques of traditional European moral philosophy would be useful. In particular, developments in postcolonial and queer theory would be worth including, not least because they call attention to shortcomings in the universalist assumptions that often underwrite much of academic philosophy, however brilliantly and persuasively articulated.

Perhaps it would be for another book altogether--maybe a companion reader--but a compilation of primary sources referenced in the textbook would be quite valuable. That is, brief excerpts from, e.g, Plato, Kant, Mill, etc., that set out, in the thinkers' original words, the big ideas described in these pages would make a very handy resource.

Table of Contents

• 1. Aren’t Right and Wrong Just Matters of Opinion? On Moral Relativism and Subjectivism
• 2. Can We Have Ethics without Religion? On Divine Command Theory and Natural Law Theory
• 3. How Can I Be a Better Person? On Virtue Ethics
• 4. What’s in it for Me? On Egoism and Social Contract Theory
• 5. Utilitarianism
• 6. Kantian Deontology
• 7. Feminism and Feminist Ethics
• 8. Evolutionary Ethics

Ancillary Material

About the book.

We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others’ behavior and choices.

This text examines some of the main threads of discussion on these topics that have developed over the last couple of millenia, mostly within the Western cultural tradition. It considers basic questions about moral and ethical judgment: Is there such a thing as something that is really right or really wrong independent of time, place and perspective? What is the relationship between religion and ethics? How can we reconcile self-interest and ethics? Is it ever acceptable to harm one person in order to help others? What do recent discussions in evolutionary biology or have to say about human moral systems? What is the relation between gender and ethics? The authors invite you to participate in their exploration of these and many other questions in philosophical ethics.

About the Contributors

George Matthews (book editor) studied philosophy at Pratt Institute, where he also earned a BFA in Sculpture, at Hunter College, Loyola University of Chicago, and The Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his Doctorate in Philosophy for work on German Idealism. He currently teaches philosophy in person at Plymouth State University and online at Pennsylvania College of Technology. His research and teaching interests are in ethics, social and political philosophy, environmental philosophy, philosophy of mind and the philosophical and psychological study of rationality and irrationality. He remains a life-long student, having recently become a formal student in the Mountains and Rivers Order in the Soto lineage of Zen Buddhism. His extra-philosophical pursuits also include gardening, cooking, and wandering and climbing in the mountains.

Christina Hendricks (series editor) is a Professor of Teaching in Philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she often teaches Introduction to Philosophy courses. She is also the and also the Academic Director of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (2018-2023). Christina has been an open education researcher and advocate for a number of years, having been a BCcampus Open Textbook Fellow, an OER Research Fellow with the Open Education Group, the Creative Commons Canada representative to the CC Global Network, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Legal Information Institute.

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Ethics: A Very Short Introduction (1st edn)

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Our self-image as moral, well-behaved creatures is dogged by scepticism, relativism, hypocrisy, and nihilism, by the fear that in a Godless world science has unmasked us as creatures fated by our genes to be selfish and tribalistic, or competitive and aggressive. Ethics: A Very Short Introduction tackles the major moral questions surrounding birth, death, happiness, desire, and freedom, showing us how we should think about the meaning of life, and how we should mistrust the soundbite-sized absolutes that often dominate moral debates.

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Introduction to Ethics

Ethics (or moral philosophy) is crucially important because it is devoted to answering questions like these:

“What is best?” “What is the good life?” “How should I live?” “How should I behave towards other people?” “What is the purpose of life?”

These are questions about what makes things valuable; they were the questions which drew me to philosophy in the first place. As you can probably see from this list, the subject holds plenty of interest even for people with no marked tendency to behave well!

Meta-Ethics and Practical Ethics

Like so many subjects (maths, physics, waterskiing), moral philosophy can be divided into a theoretical side (‘meta-ethics’) and a practical side. The back-room boys and girls of moral philosophy examine the ultimate reasons for doing things, search for fundamental values, and try to understand the language and the logic of moral claims. Practical ethics (or applied ethics, as it is also called), looks at what we should do when confronted by specific moral problems. Its practitioners are the glory merchants who get invited onto government commissions to examine the rights and wrongs of things like euthanasia, public conduct and experimentation on human embryos. Applied ethics also covers questions of war, justice, human rights and animal rights. It is perhaps the area of philosophy with most to say about real life.

Goals and Duties

There are numerous theories of ethics. One basic distinction is between teleological (goalbased) and deontological (duty-based) systems of ethics. The word teleological comes from the telos , a marker post that ancient Greek charioteers used to gallop towards in their races. A teleological system of ethics specifies a certain goal which is seen as a Good Thing (such as increasing the amount of happiness in the world, or achieving the workers’ revolution, or whatever). It then defines good actions as ones which bring the achievement of that goal closer, while bad actions are the opposite. A teleologist is the sort of person most likely to say that “the end justifies the means.” Deontological systems of ethics are quite different. There, the idea is that there are simply certain things you have a moral duty to do (telling the truth, for instance) and other things which you should not do, regardless of the long-term consequences.

The difference between the two positions is shown by this often-used and all-too-realistic example. You drive into a small South American village, where you discover that the local army chief and his men have lined up ten of the inhabitants in the main square. Greeting you, the gallant soldier explains that some of the peasants may possibly have been supporting terrorists and that he is about to have them all shot just in case. However, he says with an evil grin, in honour of your visit he is prepared to give you the privilege of personally shooting one of the ten, selected at random. If you do, he will let the others go. If you don’t, you can leave in peace but all the peasants will die. Many teleological theories would require you to go ahead and shoot one of the peasants – you will save nine lives and the overall outcome is therefore much better than if you just walk away. Most deontologists, however, would say that you should refuse to co-operate, as you have an absolute duty not to kill innocent people, whatever the circumstances.

Some Popular Ethical Theories

Consequentialism : The general term for any teleological system of ethics. By far the best-known example is Utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism : “Act so as to create the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people.” There are numerous variations on this simple theme. Utilitarianism has been influential for over two hundred years. Big names include Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill

Kantian ethics Immanuel Kant was the inventor of the famous Categorical Imperative: “Act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will to become a universal law.” He also said that you should treat other people as ends in themselves, and not merely as tools for you to use to achieve your own goals. As it is based on concepts of duty, Kantian ethics is a prime example of a deontologial theory.

Intuitionism : Intuitionists say that we are born with a natural sense of what is right and wrong. All that moral philosophers need to do is to make our moral intuitions explicit and sort out the problems of what to do when different intuitions urge us to conflicting courses of action. One of the leading Intuitionists this century was GE Moore.

Emotivism : this is the view that moral judgements express our approval or disapproval of something, rather than saying anything about the moral properties of that object. So if I say “Drunkenness is a sin!”, all I am doing is expressing the emotion of being repelled by drunken behaviour. Some emotivists say this is just as it should be, and that the only sensible ethical systems are firmly based on an examination of what people really want – on the satisfaction of their emotional preferences. The best known emotivist was AJ (Freddy) Ayer.

Libertarianism : Do whatever you like as long as you don’t hurt anyone else in the process. A leading exponent of this view is the American philosopher Robert Nozick.

Christian ethics “Love the Lord your God and love your neighbour as yourself”. Nietzsche argued that most people (even most atheists) base their behaviour on Judaeo-Christian ethics. The influence of Christianity has been so great for so long that its moral precepts are part of the air we breath.

Relativism : The view that all ethical systems are somehow equally valid, so that a person’s actions can only be judged relative to their particular culture or ethical system.

The Golden Rule Do as you would be done by. This rule underlies the moral systems of nearly all the main religions, as well as Kantian ethics.

Objective versus subjective ethics

Do moral rules or moral values exist separately from human beings? Are they somehow built into the structure of the universe? If so, they are said to be ‘objective’, and morality is something we can discover, just as we can discover the laws of physics. However, if moral values only exist in our heads, we say that they are ‘subjective’. This would help explain why values vary from society to society. But, the objectivist would reply, some moral values are so widely shared as to be almost universal.

Some Controversies in Ethics

(a) The Is-Ought problem (see box about Hume’s Law on page 22). (b) The Problem of the Amoralist . The amoralist is someone who recognises the validity of moral judgements on an intellectual level, but who is utterly unmoved by them emotionally. This poses a bit of a problem for emotivists, who say that moral judgements are inseparable from emotional attitudes. However, they usually retort, “Find us a real live amoralist and then we’ll worry about it”. (c) Moral Luck . Suppose you fire a gun at a crowd. If the bullet kills someone, then you are responsible, and are guilty of manslaughter at the very least. If by some lucky freak of fate the bullet goes right through the crowd without hitting anyone, then all you are guilty of is criminal negligence. But your actions and intentions were exactly the same in both cases – surely you must be as guilty in the second case as in the first? If you aren’t, that must be down to ‘moral luck’. Different theories of ethics place different relative importance on intentions and outcomes .

Continental versus Anglo-Saxon moral philosophy in the 20th Century

See the articles by Peter Lloyd and Innes Crellin starting on the next page!

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How to Write an Ethics Paper or Essay With Tips and Examples

22 December 2023

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An ethics essay is one type of essays that students write to present their ideas about what is good or bad, right or wrong, white or black, and approved or prohibited in terms of various theories, approaches, techniques, practices, actions, behaviors, responsibilities, morals, results, obligations, virtues, and others, developing essential writing skills. When writing an ethics paper, students should understand that such an essay differs from other assignments in that it focuses on elaborating on issues with ethical or moral implications in philosophy. Basically, this elaboration entails writers arguing for a stand on an ethical or moral issue. Moreover, when writing an ethics essay, students should follow a basic essay structure: introduction-body-conclusion. In each of these sections, learners should capture critical elements, such as a thesis statement in the introduction part, topic sentences in body paragraphs, and a thesis restatement in the conclusion part. Hence, students need to learn how to write a good ethics paper or essay to demonstrate their knowledge of philosophy by using ethical and moral sides of an issue.

General Aspects of Writing an Ethics Paper or Essay

Academic writing is a broad discipline that exposes students to critical skills, including interpretation, explanation, reflection, and analysis of many essay topics . Basically, essay writing is one of the academic exercises that enable students to build these skills. In particular, one of the essay types that students write is a research paper on ethics. When writing ethics essays in philosophy, students address issues related to morality, such as aspects of right and wrong or good and bad. Then, such concepts of ethics and morals underlie the importance of the right behaviors. In various settings, such as workplaces, humans establish codes of ethics and conduct to guide behavior. Therefore, when writing an ethics paper, a student’s focus is on how humans embrace or disregard good morals in society.

1. Defining Features or Characteristics of an Ethics Paper or Essay

Like all other types of essays , an ethics paper has features that define it as an academic text. To some extent, these features influence an essay structure of a paper. For example, the first feature is proof of the importance of a topic. In this case, students show this importance by constructing essay topics as challenging issues facing society, hence talking about it. Then, the second characteristic is a thesis statement that learners in philosophy formulate to shed light on a topic. Further on, the third feature is arguments that support a thesis, and the fourth characteristic is possible counterarguments. Moreover, the fifth feature is a rebuttal, where writers insist on the strengths of their arguments while acknowledging the counterarguments. In turn, the sixth characteristic is a sum-up of an ethics paper. Here, authors emphasize a thesis statement by justifying the arguments in its favor that they provide in a written document.

2. How Does an Ethics Paper Differ From Other Essays

There are many types of essays that students write under a discipline of philosophy. Basically, each essay type has unique characteristics that distinguish it from other papers. For an ethics essay, these characteristics include addressing an ethical issue, using an ethical lens to make arguments regarding a controversial matter, or explaining an ethical dilemma. Ideally, this type of paper focuses on elaborating on ethics and morality. In contrast, a narrative essay focuses on telling the writer’s story, while an informative essay focuses on educating the audience concerning a topic. Moreover, while some papers, like narrative or college application essays, utilize the first-person language, an ethics essay takes a formal approach to a third-person language.

3. How to Know if Students Need to Write an Ethics Paper or Essay

Generally, before students write some types of papers , they first consider the department or tutor’s requirements. Basically, these requirements can provide direct instructions, including a research topic, an essay outline , or a grading rubric. In this case, the latter helps students to understand the basic expectations of educational departments or tutors. Therefore, when students do not get direct instructions about their ethics topics, they can always know what type of essay they need to write by reading grading essay rubric requirements. For ethics papers, such prompts require students to take a stand on an issue of profound ethical or moral implications, such as fraud. In turn, key elements that tell students that they need to write an ethics paper or essay include providing an ethical argument, elaborating on an ethical dilemma, or expounding on ethical and legal implications.

4. How Do Students Know if They Need to Write an Ethics Paper by Looking at an Essay Topic

Students consider the instructions given by departments or tutors when writing essays. Basically, these instructions provide directions on essay topics that students should address when writing their papers. When writing an ethics paper, students can know that they need to write this type of essay by looking at the department or tutor’s topic. Moreover, this ethics topic may require learners to provide ethical arguments concerning a matter, elaborate on an ethical dilemma, or state whether an issue is ethical or legal. Hence, a central message of a topic should require students to address an issue via an ethical or moral lens.

5. The Meaning of an Ethical Argument, Ethical Dilemma, and Ethical v. Legal Implications

Key elements that define an ethics paper include ethical arguments, ethical dilemmas, and ethical and legal implications. For example, the term “ethical arguments” refers to a concept of taking a stand on an issue with ethical and moral implications and defending it. In this case, writers make ethical arguments to support their perspectives on an issue raising ethical or moral questions, such as fraud. Then, the term “ethical dilemma” refers to a situation that individuals find themselves whenever they face an issue raising ethical or moral questions, such as bribery. Also, authors are torn between two options, with one option having severe ethical or moral implications. In turn, the term “ethical versus legal implications” refers to a situation where a writer has to decide whether an issue, such as bribery, needs ethical or legal redress.

20 Examples of Ethics Topics for Writing Essays and Research Papers

• Soaps and Deodorants as Potential Causes of Breast Cancer.
• The Ethics and Legality of Child Adoption.
• The Pros and Cons of Taking Vitamin Supplements.
• Plastic Surgery and the Pursuit of Beauty.
• Human Cloning: Is it Ethical?
• Death Penalty: Key Pros and Cons.
• Abortion as an Intervention Against Teen Pregnancy.
• Is Voting a Moral or Legal Duty.
• Does Driving an Electric Car Indicate Responsible Citizenship?
• Social Media Use and Privacy.
• Should Schools Enact Anti-Bullying Policies?
• Does Social Media Use Enhance or Undermine Socialization?
• Combating Music Piracy: Should Governments Get Involved?
• Organic Foods versus Processed Foods: Which is Healthier?
• Global Warming and the Extinction of Animal and Plant Species
• Should Politics and Church Separate?
• Is It Justified to Bribe to Avoid a Legal Penalty?
• Should Nurses Be Allowed to Assist Terminally Ill Patients to End Their Lives?
• Corporate Fraud: Who Should Take Responsibility?
• Is Corporate Social Responsibility a Humanitarian or Commercial Concept?

Writing Outline and Structure of an Ethics Paper or Essay

Like any other essay, an ethics paper follows a structure that underscores its outline. Basically, this structure comprises three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. When writing these sections, students must ensure they address all the essential defining features stated previously in their ethics essays or papers. When doing so, writers should confirm that the introduction and conclusion sections take 10 percent of the total word count of an ethics paper or essay, while the body, which is the main text, should be 80 percent. Hence, an essay outline of an ethics paper should look as below:

I. Introduction

A. Hook sentence. B. Background information on an ethical dilemma. C. Writer’s claim – a thesis statement.

II. Body Paragraphs

A. Argument

• state a position of an argument;
• support this position with evidence;
• explain how this evidence is right toward this argument and evidence;
• conclude why this argument is valid.

B. Counterargument

• provide a counterargument to a position in the first body paragraph;
• include evidence that supports this counterargument, being opposite to an argument in the previous section;
• explain how this counterargument and evidence in this paragraph are correct by using an opposite perspective;
• finish why this counterargument is valid for this case.

C. Rebuttal

• define the weaknesses of a counterargument;
• cover credible evidence that supports such weaknesses;
• write how these weaknesses make a counterargument irrelevant;
• end with a statement that explains why a counterargument is not valid compared to an argument.

III. Conclusion

A. Restate a thesis. B. Sum up on the argument, counterargument, and rebuttal. C. State a final claim.

Explaining Each Section for Writing an Ethics Paper or Essay

When writing the introduction section, authors of an ethics paper should be brief and concise. Here, students should inform the audience about the purpose of writing by accurately expounding on an ethical issue that they intend to address. In essence, this aspect means highlighting their stand concerning an issue. Moreover, formulating a thesis statement helps to accomplish this goal. In this case, writers frame their minds and structure their ethics papers via the use of arguments that defend their stand on an issue of profound ethical or moral implications. Notably, when writing the introduction part, which signals the start of an ethical paper or essay, learners should begin with a hook to grab the readers’ attention. In turn, this sentence can be a popular misconception or a question that writers intend to answer when writing an ethics paper or essay.

II. Body Section

When writing the body of an ethics paper or essay, students should use a thesis statement as a reference point. In other words, they should use a thesis statement to come up with several ideas or arguments in defense of their stand on the ethical or moral issue identified in the introduction part. Basically, rules of academic writing dictate that students should begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence, whose purpose is to introduce a claim or idea that they intend to elaborate on in the section. Then, it is advisable that, when writing the body section, learners should use different paragraphs to separate arguments logically. Also, students should follow a sandwich rule when writing every body paragraph of an ethics paper or essay. In turn, such a paragraph structure means providing a claim, supporting it with evidence, explaining its relevance to the paper’s thesis, and ending with a transition sentence to be connected with the next paragraph logically.

The conclusion part is the last section of an ethics paper. In particular, an ethics essay should capture several themes in this section. Firstly, writers should restate a thesis statement. Secondly, they should summarize the main points made in body paragraphs. Also, this aspect means summarizing the writer’s arguments for their stands towards an issue with ethical or moral implications. In turn, authors should reiterate the paper’s topic and state why it was essential to address an ethical or moral issue. Besides, students need to avoid providing new information in this section.

Example of an Ethics Paper

Topic – Euthanasia: Is It Ethical?

I. Introduction Sample of an Ethics Paper

Terminal illness is a condition of profound pain and suffering for those affected, including the patients and their families. Today, some scientists support euthanasia, the aspect of assisting terminally ill patients in ending their lives. While health professionals should do everything to help their patients to avoid suffering, assisting them in ending their lives is unethical and immoral.

II. Examples of Body Paragraphs in an Ethics Paper

Life is a sacred thing, and no human being has any justification for ending it, regardless of whose it is. For example, the premise of a debate about euthanasia, which refers to assisted suicide, is the prevalence of terminal illnesses that subject individuals to a life of pain, suffering, and dependence. Without any hope of recovery, some individuals have opted to end their lives with the help of their loved ones or health professionals. While there is every reason to empathize with these individuals’ fate, there is no basis for supporting their desire to end their lives. In turn, the sanctity of life does not allow human beings to end life, no matter the circumstances.

If there seems to be no hope of recovery, ending life is counterproductive in an age of significant scientific and technological advancements. Basically, scientists are working round the clock to find cures for incurable diseases that have proven to be a threat to humanity. For example, today, smallpox is no longer a threat because a cure is found (Persson, 2010). Therefore, the fact that there may be no cure for a disease today does not mean that there will not be a cure tomorrow. Naturally, human beings rely on hope to overcome moments of darkness, such as a terminal illness diagnosis. Nonetheless, it is the effort of the scientific community that has always brought hope to humanity. In this light, there is no ethical or moral justification for euthanasia.

Euthanasia is not only a solution to terminal illness but also a sign of hopelessness and despair. When patients take the root of assisted suicide, it means that they give up on looking for alternatives in dealing with a problem. In this case, the fact that a terminal illness does not have a cure does not imply that it cannot be managed. Moreover, individuals who love a terminally ill person, such as family members and friends, hope to spend more time with them before an inevitable time happens. As such, terminally ill patients should use their families and health professionals to live longer. In essence, this aspect reflects true humanity – standing firm and determining amid of insurmountable odds. On that truth alone, euthanasia is an idea that deserves no thought or attention.

III. Conclusion Sample of an Ethics Paper

There is nothing more devastating than a terminal illness diagnosis. Basically, such news punctures the hope of many individuals, families, and communities. Nonetheless, patients should not lose hope and despair to the point of wanting to end their lives because of being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Because life is sacred and there is always a higher probability of medical breakthroughs in an age of scientific and technological advancement, euthanasia is an unethical and immoral solution to a terminal illness.

Persson, S. (2010). Smallpox, syphilis, and salvation: Medical breakthroughs that changed the world . East Gosford, New South Wales: Exisle Publishing.

Summing Up How to Write a Good Ethics Paper or Essay

Essay writing is an essential academic exercise that enables students to develop writing skills. When writing an ethics paper or essay, students focus on taking a stand on an issue with ethical or moral implications. In this case, writers create a thesis statement that expresses their perspective on a moral issue, which can be an ethical dilemma. In the main text, authors provide arguments that defend their thesis statements. Hence, when writing an ethics paper or essay, students should master the following tips:

• develop the introduction-body-conclusion outline;
• introduce a topic briefly and concisely in the introduction section;
• develop a thesis statement;
• Use separate body paragraphs to introduce and defend arguments;
• Ensure to provide a counterargument and a rebuttal;
• Restate a thesis statement in the conclusion section, including a summary of the main points (arguments that defend the paper’s thesis).

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1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology

Philosophy, One Thousand Words at a Time

Business Ethics

Author: Thomas Metcalf Category: Ethics Word count: 996

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Everyone does business, of some kind or another, on a near-daily basis. We buy food and shelter and pay for many other wants and needs. And most people sell their labor by working for an employer, or for themselves.

When all goes well, people enjoy rewarding jobs and paychecks, and lots of valuable goods and services. But when things go badly, people can lose their jobs, lose their money, ruin their reputations, and even end up in prison, in poverty, or dead. [1]

What happens in the course of business is therefore of great ethical significance: people can be harmed and benefited in many ways; people can be treated, and treat others, in respectful and uplifting ways, as well as disrespectful and degrading ones; and businesses can promote fairness and justice, as well as enable unfairness and injustice, in many ways.

Stakeholders are anyone who can be affected by a business. But not all stakeholders are individuals. Others include communities, countries, and even the natural world, including animals. [2] The scope of business ethics is thus very wide indeed.

Business ethics , therefore, is one of the most important areas of applied or practical ethics. Here we’ll review some of the ethical obligations that business owners, employees, and customers have to each other and to the rest of the world.

1. Obligations to Employees and Customers

Maybe most people don’t expect to ever own their own businesses. But they’ll still be employers from time to time. Suppose you hire someone to fix your roof. Do you need to ensure that your yard is free of unexpected dangers? Suppose your roofer quotes you an estimate and you agree to it, and then the roofer forgets their quote and asks you to repeat it. Do you have an obligation to tell the truth?

One main area of business ethics concerns an employer’s obligations to employees. Thus, business ethicists study the moral duties employers have to ensure safe working conditions and decent pay. While the law often requires such treatment, business ethics isn’t simply about following the law itself. [3]

Some argue that these moral duties arise from truly respecting your employees. [4] Fairness or justice might require that salaries or wages be relatively equal. [5] And employers have an obligation to ensure that women and people from other oppressed groups are treated fairly, which might extend to giving some preference to hiring women or people of color. [6] Beyond this, businesses might have obligations of loyalty or reciprocity not to replace striking workers, and not to offshore jobs. [7]

Employees also have obligations to treat their fellow employees fairly: help ensure a safe workplace and communicate honestly with the other employees. You might also have an obligation of fairness to not work during a strike.

As a customer, you have an obligation to treat employees with kindness: while they are means to the end of acquiring some product, they also deserve respect. [8] This respect might also include not buying from a business when its workers are on strike.

Agents of businesses should not deceive their customers, and perhaps should not sell defective or dangerous products to their customers, at least without warning. [9] There might be important moral obligations concerning advertising as well, such as not to advertise to children or other vulnerable groups. [10] And businesses might have obligations about protecting customers’ (and employees’) privacy. [11] We likely also have the obligation not to steal intellectual property. [12]

This is just a start; there are many other obligations. [13]

2. Obligations to Owners, Society, and the Environment

If you work for a retailer, do you have an obligation not to steal clothes from that retailer? What if your employer is a huge corporation and probably won’t miss the items? Is it okay to slack off when no one’s watching? Suppose your boss wants to pay you under the table: is it wrong to accept a tax-free wage? And if your boss orders you to dump a bunch of trash in a neighboring park, what should you do?

Most ethicists believe that businesses have some obligations to the business’s owners. Agents of a corporation have a fiduciary duty to the corporation’s owners. If I trust you with something as important as my investment money, then by accepting that trust, you take on substantial moral responsibility. [14]

One might also argue that businesses have obligations to the owners to not waste money by paying employees too much. [15] Similarly, even setting aside the law, there might be a moral obligation of fairness not to allow insider trading. [16]

Most business-ethics courses focus primarily on moral obligations of businesses to stakeholders and vice-versa. However, businesses have enormous political and societal influence, so business-ethics topics are inextricably linked to broader topics in economics, sociology, politics, and justice: [17] e.g., businesses commonly lobby Congress to pass special, rent-seeking laws that don’t benefit society nor the nation’s economy overall. [18]

Ethicists believe that businesses have many obligations to the broader society, such as to obey minimum-wage and intellectual-property laws, [19] to minimize pollution, and not support corruption. [20] And they might have obligations not to run sweatshops. [21]

As a customer, you might have an obligation of respect or beneficence to buy only from morally responsible businesses. [22] And as a potential employee, you might have an obligation not to work for an apparently immoral industry. [23]

3. Conclusion

As we can see, business ethicists deal with a wide variety of ethical questions. To answer them, we use the methods and resources of philosophical ethics, such as appealing to normative-ethical theories and arguments from analogy. [24]

Of course, some say that the only obligation in business is to make money. [25] But that’s implausible: there is a difference between what’s beneficial and what’s morally right, and it is selfish to always prioritize the former. [26] Ethicists therefore advocate for corporate responsibility : to take seriously the set of obligations a business has to the broader society and environment. [27]

Beyond this, fortunately, when a business is ethically responsible, that can also help it be profitable. [28] Sometimes, morality and self-interest converge.

The Office Ethics Dance .

[1] See e.g. Bryce 2002 for a prominent example of a disaster that can occur when businesses act insufficiently ethical; Rosenfield 2010 also provides a helpful account, and see also Brown and Dugan 2002. See also von Drehle 2006 for another famous example of failures of business ethics and the corresponding harms.

[2] The project of prioritizing all the people who can be affected by a firm is the project of adopting a stakeholder orientation. “Stakeholders” are anyone who can affect or be affected by the business, and the business attempts to satisfy its moral obligations to all these stakeholders. See e.g. Freeman (2010 [1984]) for one of the first entries in the advocacy for the stakeholder approach. See also Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 3.1).

[3] See Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 4.1, and especially ch. 4 itself) for more about corporations and the law.

[4] See also Werhane (1985, p. 132); Arnold (2003) and (2010); Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 6.1)  on working conditions and Wertheimer (1996, p. 230) on wages.

[5] Boatright 2010; Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 6.2).

[6] Himma (2001); Boxill (2010); Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 8.1).

[7] See e.g. Gould (2010, p. 309), Biondi (2010), and Byers and Stanberry (2018, §§ 6.3).

[8] See also Deontology: Kantian Ethics by Andrew Chapman.

[9] See e.g. Carson (2010, p. 343).

[10] Carson (2010, p. 351).

[11] See e.g. Byers and Stanberry (2018, §§ 6.4 and 11.1).

[12] Himma (2008); DeGeorge (2010); Byers and Stanberry (2018, §§ 7.1).

[13] For a recent, comprehensive survey, see Byers and Stanberry (2018).

[14] Goodpaster (2010, p. 131); Byers and Stanberry (2018, §§ 4.1). See also Marcoux (2003). More generally, in business ethics, we encounter principal-agent problems: cases where one person (the principal) hires someone else to do some work, and the principal wants to ensure that the agent gives the principal’s interests some priority. If I hire you to mow my lawn, you have a strong interest in making me believe that you did a good job, and I have a strong interest that you actually do a good job. Those aren’t the same thing. Jensen and Meckling (1976). One potential solution is to pay the employee a lot, but there might also be an obligation to the owner of the business not to waste money by paying the employee too much (Bebchuk and Fried 2004; Boatright 2010; Byers and Stanberry 2018, § 6.2).

[15] This can be especially important when a new CEO might be friends with people on the Board of Directors, who might prioritize their friendship over saving shareholders’ money. See e.g. Bebchuk and Fried (2004); Boatright (2010); Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 6.2).

[16] Engelen and Van Liederkerke (2007); Strudler (2010); Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 7.4).

[17] Thus, a comprehensive study of business ethics includes social-and-political philosophy, philosophy of law, and potentially also political economy and macroeconomics. See e.g. Heath (2014) for such an approach. Similarly, some ethicists have argued that firms can be like small governments, issuing orders to their employees (Anderson 2017). Economists have studied how the standard structure of the firm might mirror other structures in society in morally important ways (Coase 1937; see also Gaus 2010, p. 90).

[18] See Munger (2006) for a discussion of rent-seeking and some examples.

[19] De George (2010, p. 421).

[20] Sagoff (2004); Newton (2005); Newton (2010); Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 4.2). On corruption, see Rose-Ackerman (1999); Velasquez (2010); and Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 7.4).

[21] See n. 5.

[22] Arnold (2003); Arnold (2010); Powell and Zwolinski (2012); Newton (2010, p. 668); Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 8.5); cf. Huemer (2019) on the meat industry.

[23] See e.g. Williams (1973, 97 ff.).

[24] See e.g. Consequentialism and Utilitarianism by Shane Gronholz and Deontology: Kantian Ethics by Andrew Chapman.

[25] Some people think that businesses should not be too concerned with their moral obligations to anyone other than the businesses’ owners. For example, the economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006) famously argued that the only obligation a business has is to do what the business’s owners (typically, shareholders) want it to do. Usually, that means maximizing profits. See Friedman (1970). But business ethicists generally believe that firms have some moral obligations beyond simply increasing profits.

[26] See also Ethical Egoism by Nathan Nobis.

[27] We’ll assume that business owners actually do have moral obligations beyond simply obeying the wishes of the owners.

On corporate responsibility, see Farmer and Hogue (1973) and Den Uyl (1984). See also Goodpaster (2010) and Byers and Stanberry (2018, § 3.4). This is sometimes also called “corporate social responsibility,” but the broader term (without “social”) implies that firms might have obligations that aren’t to society or aren’t to members of society. Such obligations might include environmental protection for its own sake.

We should also assume that even in a capitalistic system, businesses can behave better or worse from the perspective of morality. We make this assumption because someone might argue that no business can be morally good in a capitalistic system, or at least, that no privately-owned business can be good. Indeed, some have argued that there can be no morally permissible consumption in a capitalist system (Tang 2021). For more, see my Arguments for Capitalism and Socialism and Defining Capitalism and Socialism . See also Gaus (2010).

[28] See e.g. Rosalsky 2019 and Morrison 2021 for useful discussions.

Anderson, E. (2017). Private Government . Princeton University Press.

Arnold, D. G. (2003). “Philosophical Foundations: Moral Reasoning, Human Rights, and Global Labor Practices.” In L. P. Hartman, D. G. Arnold, and R. Wokutch (eds.), Rising Above Sweatshops (pp. 77–100). Praeger.

Arnold, D. G. (2010). “Working Conditions: Safety and Sweatshops.” In G. G. Brenkert and T. L. Beauchamp (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics (pp. 628–656). Oxford University Press.

Bebchuk, L. and Fried, J. (2004). Pay Without Performance . Harvard University Press.

Biondi, Paolo. (2010). “The Ethics of Using Replacement Workers. Sudbury.com (3 March 2010).

Boatright, J. R. (2010). “Executive Compensation: Unjust or Just Right?” In G. G. Brenkert and T. L. Beauchamp (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics (pp. 161–201). Oxford University Press.

Boxill, B. (2010). “Discrimination, Affirmative Action, and Diversity in Business.” In G. G. Brenkert and T. L. Beauchamp (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics (pp. 535–562). Oxford University Press.

Brown, K. and Dugan, I. J. (2002). “Arthur Andersen’s Fall From Grace Is a Sad Tale of Greed and Miscues.” The Wall Street Journal (7 June 2002).

Bryce, R. (2002). Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron . PublicAffairs.

Byars, S. M. and Stanberry, K. (2018). Business Ethics . OpenStax.

Carson, T. L. (2010) “Deception and Information Disclosure in Business and Professional Ethics.” In G. G. Brenkert and T. L. Beauchamp (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics (pp. 335–365). Oxford University Press.

Coase, R. (1937). “The Nature of the Firm.” Economica, 4 (16): 386–405.

De George, R. T. (2010). “Intellectual Property Rights.” In G. G. Brenkert and T. L. Beauchamp (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics (pp. 408–440). Oxford University Press.

Den Uyl, D. J. (1984). The New Crusaders: The Corporate Social Responsibility Debate . Routledge.

Engelen, P. and Van Liederkerke, L. (2007). “The Ethics of Insider Trading Revisited.” Journal of Business Ethics, 74 : 497–507.

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Huemer, M. (2019). Dialogues on Ethical Vegetarianism . Routledge.

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Related Essays

Applied Ethics by Chelsea Haramia

Arguments for Capitalism and Socialism by Thomas Metcalf

Defining Capitalism and Socialism by Thomas Metcalf

Consequentialism and Utilitarianism by Shane Gronholz

Deontology: Kantian Ethics by Andrew Chapman

Distributive Justice by Dick Timmer and Tim Meijers

Ethical Egoism by Nathan Nobis

Karl Marx’s Conception of Alienation by Dan Lowe

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About the Author

Tom Metcalf is an associate professor at Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. He received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He specializes in ethics, metaethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of religion. Tom has two cats whose names are Hesperus and Phosphorus. http://shc.academia.edu/ThomasMetcalf

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Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics Essay

The role of ethics in the workplace, the interplay of personal values and ethical standards, the interplay of professional responsibilities and ethical standards, a model for ethical decision-making, practical implications of ethical decisions, conflicts of values/ethical dilemmas, description of concrete experience.

I have worked for AT&T for about 20 years now and during my first 9 years I held the non-management positions including Account Representative, and PAF Associate. I must admit that implementing the ethical programs in the organization was not an easy task and it is a delicate matter of discussion as it involved both matters of personal ethical conduct and that of others who interact with me.

When I was a junior worker, I did not face many changes requiring me to exercise decisions making skills concerning ethical issues but since I joined the management team 11 years ago, I have faced several challenges and dilemma that required cautious and informed ethical reasoning in order to make decisions.

Besides, since the workplaces has been a very dynamic place especially with increasing diversity and issues of equity, there have been development of new policies and practices that have increased the importance of ethical responsibility.

In order to be able to competently perform and part of the management team I decided to take a course in ethical leadership to help me to learn more about ethical issues and their impact at workplaces. This will improve my performance of being vigilant, open communication and offering expert support for ethical programs.

Tracing back to my early days on the job, I can tell that, there has been great transformation at AT&T in terms of ethical responsibility. Ethics have become very important at this workplace as they have been shaping the organization culture of this company.

An employee in the management team, I have often used out company ethical standard to decide on what to do and what practices to allow. This has built a good reputation for the entire management team.

Previously, some unscrupulous acts were condoned and such personalities caused a great deal of trouble into the company operations including the process of hiring. Since, the organization has had a culture of proactive model of addressing problems; I sought to ensure that the vice of unethical acts does not permeate through the whole company to cause negative effects like poor client service, unethical accounting issues or inadequate quality.

As such I studied ethical leadership in order to understand the ethical theories bearing in mind that unethical conduct can affect even managers like me.

Generalization/Principles/Theories

There is increased awareness of human rights in the AT&T workplace and people are expected to adhere to the code of conduct in their normal daily tasks, however, this is not always the case. There are several factors that I have observed to complicate the matter.

One might say that the company is experiencing ethical crisis but, there are a much more individual problems yet to be addressed. Faced with an ethical dilemma, a person can deduce what is the correct thing to do by intuitive common sense but still take another course of action.

This is what I refer to as lack of moral courage which is basically the unwillingness to do the correct thing yet the consequences may be too much to bear. This is because the damage caused by ethical violations is more that monetary value and may include diminution of company reputation.

I have come to learn that the major challenge to ethical responsibility entailed the personal ability to reason or make decision whenever I am faced with an ethical dilemma.

This would determine whether or not I can make the decisions regarding ethical issues, therefore to ensure that I am responsible, ethical leadership course was the right thing for me since decision making is a learned skill that I need and must have to deal with ethical issues.

Testing and Application

I have come to appreciate that ethics at workplace play a crucial role just as the spinal cord is to the body. Even AT&T has now decided to consider it as a management discipline especially that every company is required to bear its social responsibility.

In over the 11 years that I have been in the management team, I have witnessed great awareness in the company concerning ethical conduct and this has raised the expectations the employees to act according to the dictates of the company’s ethics code and programs.

As part of the management team members I have realized that my role in this is to support the ethical conduct of the workers and the organization. This therefore entails two major responsibilities. The first is to lead the employees by example and promoting ethical values that the company will be proud of.

Second, as part of the management, I have to be the enforcer of the ethical standards and a whistle-blower in the event that unethical behavior is observed. Essentially, allowing it to take place or turning a blind eye to such actions would greatly demean the principles that the company was founded.

With my experience at AT&T as the Access Network Engineer, I learnt that the relationship between the company’s ethical standards and the personal values was a question of morality where behavior is guided by certain standards and expectations. With the workplaces being a source of livelihood for so many and also helps to satisfy the feeling of self actualization, personal character is very important. Workplaces offer a reason and a way of behavior and standard of life and therefore this virtue sustains morality and has to be adhered to even at workplace.

I appreciate that though the organization throughout the management team sets the standards to be followed by the rest of the organization, the choice to follow these ethics is entirely a person choice. A person cannot be compelled to make an otherwise choice but this can only be expected and explained. Facing disciplinary measures works to reduce the choice of unethical character.

In essence, I welcome the fact that my workplaces is composed of a cluster of individuals and therefore a collection of various personalities with a range of attitudes and characters which in most cases can dilute the set standard ethics.

The course of action that a person takes to violate or obey the ethical standards differs depending on personality and such decisions have accountability and responsibility. This responsibility is individual and each person assumes the responsibility of breaching the organizational expectation. I support the fact that the company’s rules require that employees take individual responsibilities for their action instead of collective accountability.

I have realized with my experience at AT&T that the personal values of every employee played a great role in the determination of the workplace ethics. Simple virtues like loyalty, honesty and accountability n help to shape the workplace environment.

These characteristics help to build the business’s literacy hence helping in the addressing of the real problems in more efficient ways. Even though every individual’s personal ethics may be very different from each other, all these personal value matter when making the companies ethical standards. Because of these differences, each employee has to be included in one ethical program with one goal.

The determination of right and wrong or good and bad are issues that my thought alone cannot decide but the power of perception of the company’s employee. All these perceptions are based on evolution which is in turn rooted in ethical theories. I believe that ethics standards should be followed despite the reason behind is because ethics constitute moral accountabilities.

From experience, I realized that ethics entail the ability to make rational and morally correct choices where I am able to feel good about myself and the benefits that come from it. These choices have to be the right choices.

Basically, the right choice which constitute a bigger part of the organizational ethics are derived from the basic golden rules like do not steal, do not bear false witness or the major one that says that you to other what you would expect them to do to you. I know that people always struggle to keep these rules as ethics is considered as the part that is related to private life. However, sometimes there is a problem of being required to do what is good for the business stakeholders at the expense of personal values.

I believe that personal ethics have a lot to do with personal leadership values. And as important as the ethical standards are, I need to understand as much about ethical leadership as I can so as to align personal values and the ethical standards. This can make it easy for the rest of the employees to adhere to the standards.

I have always supported the promotion of individuals based on their capability of contributing to the company goals to that in can perform above and beyond the expectations.

This is because certain individual have a greater sense of personal values and my perception has been that through their performance, the individuals demonstrate ability to be effective in the next level; the management. Nonetheless, the transformation of the idea of doing the job oneself into leading a team to do the work requires personal expertise in workplace ethics.

As a manager, it is very important that one adhered to the ethical standards and the professional responsibilities that come with holding a particular position or attain certain level of expertise. This will prevent an individual from not promising or implying agreement to certain practices that are contrary to the professional ethics or the ethical expectations of the organization.

I appreciate that the code of professional conduct is very essential for any profession as it guide the employees in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. This therefore brings about the idea of accountability and responsibility for the expert employees.

In any profession, it’s the responsibilities of the professional to maintain ethical standards which are normally in line with the ethical standards. Since when I was a junior employee, I observed that the professionals in management positions developed maintained and supported very high standards of professional competence that was expected to be followed by the rest.

I realized the major goal was to protect the public from any substandard services or products that did not meet the international best standards. From that, I accepted that as one of the managers, I will be responsible and accountable for the professional actions that failed to meet the least ethical standards.

With professional qualifications comes a greater responsibility of what happens at work. As such I am able to accept my limitation in profession qualification by limiting my practice to areas where I am competent enough as per my education, training, confidence of supervisor and professional requirements. I understand that professional ethics require that the responsibilities be carried out based on established scientific or professional skills and knowledge of that particular job.

Professional ethics also require that I should maintain recent competency my area of expertise by continued professional development and consultation as well as other means of conforming to the current professional standard. This concerns, lead me into studying ethical leadership to be updated on the current ethical environment.

Professional responsibilities are integrated in the ethics standards so that they have the same goals. This is because in order to execute professional responsibilities, the professional have to use professionally accepted process and that the job being carried out should be acceptable by the normal societal moral standards

Professional code is almost in every profession to guide professional workers how they conduct their responsibilities on daily basis. I have over the past 11 years given it a critical though as to why there is need to have the code when all the professionals receives the same kind of training for the profession.

I came to understand that, practicing any particular profession was not that easy. Basically, no profession usually wants to begin being unethical purposively but rather it is an issue of juggling some options at once and in an attempt to honestly trying to meet some of the job obligation, one can sincerely fail to know the best way forward.

I can now confirm that one of the major challenges that professional face is the impasse of conflicting loyalties. Professional code offers the systematic model of dealing with such conflicts that a person may face when acting in a professional capacity since he/she still wears other hats.

The professional responsibility is designed on the precepts of the instinctive concept of moral wrong and right conduct which is the basis of the ethical standards but in works beyond that. Professional are expected to offer services beyond the normal routine tasks and demonstrate greater ethical values based on their training and requirement if their disciplines.

Professional responsibility is the expectations of the profession workers are indicated by shared values where the prescription of the right course of action is based. As a result, the codes share similar principles with the moral theory meaning that professional code symbolizes good moral precepts with internal constancy. Basically, what is right for me can be right for any other person all the time or most of the times.

Professional code and moral standards all seek to answer the question ‘how am I expected to behave?’, but ethical standards leaves room for expectations while professional standards have a guide of what has to be done. Basically, in an attempt to clarify what constitutes right and wrong in ht professional practice, codes of conduct are in most cases a combination of the Utilitarian and the Deontological theories of ethical behavior.

I practically support the use of professional responsibility that is in line with ethical standards because they combine deontology by prescribing what to do like the principles to follow. At the same time, the code has utilitarian impression by suggesting that everyone stand to benefit when we all observed the same moral standards.

During my first days in the management team after I had been promoted to the management position, I faced some situations that require my sound judgment and rational decision making skills.

Being in a position to correctly determine the next course of action was a great challenge for me especially on issues that seemed to have some dilemma. In order to be able to face my challenges, I did not want to entirely on others people’s opinions and advice so I took the ethical leadership course.

In this course, I have come to understand the standard guide for ethical decision making. The guide offered me a structure of rational decision making in an internationally accepted fashion. The process of decision making entails seven steps.

There are basically five moral principles that are considered to be the keystone of the ethical standards and decision making. The guidelines do not often address all the circumstances that I was forced to tackle. However, I found out that constant review of the ethical principles which basically form the basis of the professional code assists in clarification of the matters that touch on particular situations.

These five principles include beneficence, justice, fidelity, nonmaleficence and autonomy and they are utter certainties in and of themselves. Exploration of any ethical dilemma with consideration of these principles allows better comprehension of the conflicting issues. When assessing an ethical dilemma, as a person in the management position and required to make a decision, I mostly explored the situation and related it on the above concepts.

Sometimes, this alone enabled me to clarify the matters enough that resolving the dilemma was easy and therefore faster decision making. However, some cases have always been very intricate hence requiring strict work through of the seven steps of ethical decision process and assessment of the possible moral conflicts.

With regard to the ethical issues, there is a stepwise model that has been devised to guide practitioners in solving ethical dilemmas. The model draws ideas from a number of writers hence creating a practical, stepwise approach for decision making. For me, using a sequential process to reach decision made it easy to collect facts and reason on a structured concept hence allowing me to reach informed and rational decision. The steps include;

• Problem identification
• Supplication of the relevant code of ethics to the matter or situation
• Determination of the type and nature of the problem
• Generating a number of possible courses of action as alternatives
• Weighing the alternatives and choosing one course of action
• Evaluating the chosen course of action for feasibility
• Implementing the selected course of action in the organization

Progressive thinking has demonstrated that there is never one solution to complex ethical dilemmas therefore different professional can utilize different means of reaching a decision. However, the use of this model assured me that I was going to give a professional explanation for my decisions.

According to the type of activities and decisions that I undertook at the job, I discovered that ethical behavior at times was arbitrary. I could be behaving ethically responsible when I upheld personal and professional honesty coupled with the best interests of the company customers at heart, without malice or mischievous personal gains.

All these compounded by the fact that I could offer justification of my actions as being the best judgment of what ought to have been done as required by my professional expertise and position at AT&T.

One crucial question that has lingered my mind is that why shouldn’t I just follow my conscience, act good and do a good job without making ethic a big deal. I have learnt that leading an ethical life while in business in a very tough job and at times it gets very complex.

There are a number of companies that have failed to hope for the best and focused on the maximization of profits. I agree that only a well-argued and all-inclusive set of ethical code or values that are designed to address a number of emerging ethical dilemmas, meticulously monitored by management can help to steer clear of a threatening disaster.

Currently, the ethical dilemmas are not about basic moral issues like stealing or lying to the boss, but a matter of moral standards based on personal values and the elemental ground rules of how people should behave at workplace. Each decision comes with a consequence which is either a reward or punishment depending of the underlying principles governing the profession.

There have been some moments when I have had to determine the correct ethical thing to do depending on the circumstance at hand. It is pertinent to take the ethical guidelines seriously, because, these current guidelines could develop into laws in future.

Ethics course has been very beneficial in helping me to fins my way through some ethical dilemmas where there is no clear legal explanation. There has never been a very opportune moment to emphasize law in business like in today’s society.

In the past, some companies have used unethical dealings to make profits for their companies and have faced the law because of their fraudulent activities. Despite the perception that ethics at AT&T is hortatory instead of mandatory, contravening ethical standards is a serious offense that can attract even life imprisonment depending on the magnitude.

To enhance ethical decisions, there is the legal sanction or consequences and voluntary compliance option. Failing making ethical decisions that infringe the required standards attract punishment from tougher laws and other negative consequences that can affect business like defaming its reputation. However, compliance can draw benefits like government support, good reputation and image.

To some extent, I can define the driving force for the continued adherence to the ethical standards in workplaces has been the fear of the law. Basically is one acts in breach of the law, he or she can end up in jail.

Ethical decisions implication especially adherence or compliance is a show of respect, integrity and accountability on the part of an individual and the organization at large. However, I view contravention of ethics as irresponsible behavior full of malice, greed and guile.

However, it’s totally difficult to keep the vice out of an organization because these habits are usually suppressed but surfaces when there is an opportunity to be exploited. There many intrinsic benefits that are linked to ethics. When a company implements rational ethical decisions, then it will benefit by building good behavior among workers, creating a positive image, strengthening and reinforcing its teamwork, developing credible work guideline and promoting diversity awareness and appreciation.

I believe the best way of attracting the best talent and experienced workers is to have a clear assertion of the moral and professional standards we follow and the role that these standards play when it comes to making decisions.

I think we should have a clearly stated moral concept detailing good and bad or wrong and right and how they interact with certain ethical contexts especially responsibilities and obligation. It should highlight how one is expected to behave when faced with ethical dilemma.

To that end, I am certain that it will be meaningful to draft ethical guidelines or a statement for AT&T probably with the updated mission statement to explain the basis on which the company operates. I am also convinced that it would be beneficial to ensure that all workers understand the type consequences one might face or enjoy following a particular decision on professional ethics.

In many organizations despite how hard the managers try to handle them, ethical issues always seem to crop up. Sometimes it may seem that the managers have solved problem when it oftentimes reappears. I think that an ethical dilemma is always experienced when a person is faced with a situation that presents two possible right options but require different reaction.

These clashes can be simple and straightforward or sometimes they can be very complicated requiring the intervention of professional ethics regulatory bodies. In the cases where the views of an individual and the standard ethics conflict, it is usually the inability of pursuing one of the option which seem to be good.

The critical aspects of ethical dilemma include being in a position to perform only one action and not both even when one is able to perform each of them. The person charged with responsibility of making the decisions is condemned to ethical failure on one of the options despite the course of action taken. Basically its failure when we are unable to do something that we have the ability to do and ought to have done it. Nonetheless, there are cases when one ethical option overrides the other.

I believe that conflict of values in the organization cannot be waved away like they are nonexistence, ethical leadership, therefore entails learning to restructure the problems as dilemmas. As an ethical leader, I will be required to pursue acquisition if virtue and not only the character.

The organization expects that I will be in a position to have an abiding interest to forged common goal and a set of values among competing factions without making them subservient. Because a number of alternative present ethical dilemmas and conflict of values despite the course of action a leader may chose, I envisage that there will be remorse, shame and regret among employees.

These strong emotions definitely figure outstandingly in an ethical dilemma and this is so because the leaders responsible for making decision must forfeit one value over the other. These negative feeling are usually associated with a person doing something wrong and she/he should bear responsibility and it’s this type of feeling that cause mixed perception of right and wrong.

Based from the negative feeling that some people may show when they resent the decision made about conflicting values I believe that ethical dilemma is harmful to the organization.

It is possible for a leader to wonder whether there is a problem when it is in fact very obvious to outsiders. When there is harm, it calls for accountability and in most cases it’s the leaders who are held responsible for any damage caused.

Human beings can cause serious emotional expression but they are not based on the degree of ethical responsibility. Nonetheless, the emotional response causes the leaders to be more cautious and sensitive when making decisions that seem to be at a stalemate.

Looking at conflict of values and ethical dilemmas as a standoff can allow the managers to build organization that is string and founded on shared values and good personal relations. Instead of being demoralized there can be a compromise.

I have seen ethical dilemmas emerge from the personal values that conflict directly with the set standards of the organization. Organizations are able to manage their ethical environment by hiring workers who posses values that match their own.

Some companies even try to measure the values of workers during the recruitment process as such try to select employees who fit in the ethical program of the organization. Poor matching can be costly to the organization as it can directly lead to crises like low job satisfaction, job turn over and poor performance.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 29). Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics. https://ivypanda.com/essays/introduction-to-applied-professional-ethics/

"Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics." IvyPanda , 29 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/introduction-to-applied-professional-ethics/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics'. 29 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics." December 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/introduction-to-applied-professional-ethics/.

1. IvyPanda . "Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics." December 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/introduction-to-applied-professional-ethics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Introduction to Applied Professional Ethics." December 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/introduction-to-applied-professional-ethics/.

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