Importance of Applied Ethics

The importance and significance of applied ethics has increased in recent years across many academic disciplines. This is due to the fact that the ethical practices which are commonplace in society have evolved and become much more complex than they were in the past. As a result, not only does applied ethics cover a wide area but its implications for each of these specific fields are both far-reaching and multifaceted.

What are Ethics?

Ethics is a multi-faceted and complex subject that has been studied by many philosophers, but can be boiled down to the interaction of three categories:

a) Normative ethics – figuring out what is right or wrong in general

b) Applied ethics – thinking about how particular ethical rules apply to specific situations

c) Meta-ethics – pondering the nature of moral reasoning itself (like whether it can be used to resolve moral dilemmas and help us reach our goals)

With so much going on in terms of what ‘is right’, it might seem like applied ethics lacks overarching focus. But the best minds in discipline have concluded that ethics is not only important but necessary for society.

Definition of Applied Ethics:

Applied ethics can be defined as the branch of ethics that considers how to choose among options in particular circumstances.

Having a firm grasp on ethical theories and principles is one thing, but applying those ideas in the real world is a whole different matter. It makes sense that you would need specialized knowledge to navigate life’s sticky and sometimes dangerous situations.

For example, without solid information on applied ethics, you might struggle to make good decisions in the following scenarios:

– To give or not to give blood? – This is a question that many people have considered at some point, including whether it’s morally acceptable to donate your own blood for use by other people. In the face of disaster, it’s also a question that many people have to answer. It seems likely that many lives would be saved if there were more voluntary donors. However, it can be argued that you’re stealing from people who might need blood in the future if they suffer some kind of injury or illness. There also seems to be a potential risk of transmitting viruses through blood transfusions. Nevertheless, most major religions support voluntary donation, so you may find yourself feeling obligated to donate blood for someone in need.

Need for Applied Ethics:

Applied Ethics is needed to give us clear rational answers to specific questions that are faced in real life. If you’re ever been in a situation where the answer to a question doesn’t seem clear, then that’s the time when you need applied ethics. The moral answers to some of these kinds of questions may be difficult or even impossible to arrive at without some kind of specialized knowledge.

How are Applied Ethics different from Normative Ethics?

The most obvious difference between normative and applied ethics is that applied ethics is more specific in terms of focusing on a particular situation. But another difference is that normative ethics (which applies ethical theories across many different situations) often gives us the answers we need to moral questions that apply to all situations. For example, many philosophers believe that utilitarianism – which holds the belief that ‘the greatest good for the greatest number of people’ is objectively right – answers the question of whether it’s morally acceptable to sacrifice a few people in order to save an entire group.

Theories of Applied Ethics:

There are three basic approaches that have been widely used in applied ethics:

– Utilitarianism – This approach uses an analysis of the consequences (cost vs benefit and/or happiness vs unhappiness) as the basis for judging right or wrong.

– Deontological ethics – This approach focuses on the rights of the individual by saying that one should always do what is morally right instead of focusing on consequences.

– Virtue ethics – This approach looks at moral character rather than actions, and focuses on good intention rather than practical results.

The above theories are just a few of the many approaches to morality that have been used by philosophers to arrive at applied ethical principles. The main objective in using any ethical theory is to come up with an answer (or set of answers) for every ethical dilemma regardless of the situation it occurs in or the people involved in it.

Significance of Applied Ethics:

The significance of applied ethics can be seen in the idea that policies and laws should be based on a set of ethical standards instead of neutral principles. How can we expect to make any progress in society if we don’t even know what morality is? Applied ethics also helps us reach rational conclusions that are relevant to living our lives. If applied ethics didn’t exist, it would be hard to know what’s right or wrong when you don’t have an established set of moral values or principles. Furthermore, applied ethics allows us to address specific moral issues that affect real people in real situations. It helps us identify a greater number of variables and arrive at more accurate conclusions about how to act in a given scenario.

Conclusion:

The purpose of morality is to promote the use of reason and justice in solving real life problems. We should be able to agree on what’s right and wrong in any given situation. (In fact, this is sometimes a difficult task.) So, it’s important that everyone has a clear idea of what ethical theories we’re applying every day; otherwise, our society will fall apart. Applied ethics can help improve the moral character of individuals and help build a society that’s based on the values of mutual respect, equality and fairness for all people.