Making Ethical Decisions

Ethics is not limited to the acts of a single person. Some ethical questions will require reflection on our basic values. Ethics is the difficult practical task of applying norms and standards to ever new and changing circumstances.

Ethical questions arise most typically in cases where there is a question about what should be done in various types of situations. Is it ethical for journalists to reveal their sources to the courts, despite their promises of confidentiality? Is it ethical of journalists to invade the privacy of politicians to investigate allegations of unethical conduct?

Ethics is sometimes a flexible set of rules. It is said that rules are rules — an action is either right or wrong. Ethical thinking requires the guidance of rules. Rules are applied to situations according to the circumstances. Therefore, ethics is the dynamic, evolving activity of applying, balancing, and modifying principles in light of new facts, new technology, new social attitudes and changing economic and political conditions.

Key Terms Review

Participate in the activity below to test your knowledge of the key terms for this module.

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