Phl 323 - Personal Ethics Development

Personal Ethics Development

University of Phoenix

Business Systems

PHL/323

January 10, 2011

Mary Carter

Personal ethics is a" branch of philosophy that deals with morality. Ethics is the distinguishing difference between good and evil in the world, between right and wrong human actions, and between virtuous and non-virtuous characteristics of people" (Cultural Dictionary 2010, p3). Studies show that no two people share or have the same philosophy concerning personal ethical values. One's personal and moral values, is instilled from birth. We as human beings are gradually groomed and coached by the influences of society, family, friends, coworkers, religious beliefs, and even strangers; however, it does begin at home. Each individual is different. Some may succumb to the temptation of bypassing their conscience and ethical barriers easier than others. For example, I think almost anyone, if put in the ideal position to get rich quick would be highly tempted, even for a split second to reconsider their ethical position. It is our choices that precede the strengths of our motives that decide whether or not the individual continues to entertain the idea of getting rich quick.

(Michael Winston, 2010). "The word "responsibility" is often prefaced with the word "take," that tells us that responsibility is something we accept. Like honor, it is a burden we take on as a gift to ourselves. Those most likely to take responsibility tend to be honest, reliable, and worthy of our trust. We all recognize the benefits of presence of responsibility to our friends and loved ones, our family, our work, and in our lives. If we have a conscience, if we practice honesty with ourselves, we know when we are not living up to our responsibilities. The burdens of responsibility are always made easier with the help of honesty and courage."

My understanding of the ethical system comes from my years of military service. The service taught me integrity, honesty, courage and self-respect; the same principles that I continue to practice in my personal and professional lives to this current day. These same principles are what I practice daily and hope to pass on to my children and my grandchildren one day.

Remember, one's moral action is based on duty-driven ethical principles. These include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship (Josephson Institute, 2009). From my point of view, these are some of the key terms to underlying ethical principles, which a person uses to make decisions daily. The "Golden Rule" clearly states "do unto others as you would have done unto you" (Osheroff 2009, p4). I think the "Golden Rule" is a thing of the past. Many people today do not live their life by the "Golden Rule," these days it is an "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth." Personally I believe individuals should always conduct themselves in the same manner in which they wanted to be treated in return. However, I also believe we become products of the environment in which we live in, and today the existence of numerous freedom rights advocates continue to set the stage for increased challenges of certain ethical principles.

According to Trevino and Nelson (2007) ethics principles are clearly defined as the norms and standards to conduct governing an individual or group. In the workplace, it should be the code of conduct that every employee and senior staff respectfully follows for the benefit of the organization. In today's workplace corporate ethic is like a ship in