ETHICS AND VALUES MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE

Outline
1. Introduction
2. Meaning of Values
3. Meaning of Ethics
4. Difference between Ethics and Values
5. Four Fundamental Ethical Principles
6. Key Ethical Concepts
7. Significance of Ethics and Values
8. Conclusion
1. Introduction:
Human beings are social beings, with many needs.
These needs to be regulated and controlled.
Ethics and values are the foundation of a civilised society, leading to its betterment.
Ethics and values play very important role in the development of a society.
Every society has its own ethics to its members.
Every society differs in its Ethics, but there are some common ethics applicable to all
the societies.
2. Meaning of Values
Value can be defined as a bridge by which an individual makes a decision regarding
good and bad, right or wrong, and most important or less important.
They are the basic beliefs that an individual thinks to be true. Every individual has a
set of values through which he looks at all things and also at the world.
3. Meaning of Ethics
Ethics is guideline or rules that are set for a society or an organisation rather than for
an individual.
Ethics can be defined as a set of rules formulated by a country or a company or some
institutions.
4. Difference between Ethics and Values
Values are personal while ethics are social.
 Values are personal choice of an individual to his/her betterment but ethics are
socially imposed behaviour for a societys betterment.
Values differ from individual to individual whereas ethics are common for everyone.
Values are for the development of individual but ethics are for the development of
society.
Indian ethics are in Indian constitution and every ethics is attached with sanction, i.e.,
reward and punishment.
5. Four Fundamental Ethical Principles
The Principle of Respect for Autonomy: Respecting the autonomy of other person,
i.e. respecting the decision made by other people concerning their own lives. It gives
us a negative duty not to interfere with the decisions of competent adults, and a
positive duty to empower others for whom we are responsible.
The Principle of Beneficence: Taking positive steps and preventing harm to others.
We have an obligation to bring about good in all our actions.
The Principle of Non-maleficence: First, do no harm. But where harm cannot be
avoided, we are obligated to minimise the harm we do. It is wrong to waste resources
that could be used for good
The Principle of Justice: In public life, we have an obligation to treat all people
equally, fairly, and impartially. Impose no unfair burden. We are obligated to work
for the benefit of those who are unfairly treated.
6. Key Ethical concepts
Integrity: Integrity is quality of being honest and morally upright.
Work Ethics: Work ethics are those which are laid down by an organisation to bring
uniformity in the behaviour of its workers, managers and all other employees.
Service: Service is the work involving the use of the head, the heart and the hand, for
the welfare of others, irrespective of their status, caste or creed.
Civic Virtue: This is a social value. Human being is a social animal, he lives in a
society and he must confirm to natural law as well as rules laid down by the society.
Respect for Others: Treating all human beings as same irrespective of economic,
political and social position.
Peaceful Living: Desire to live and letting other also to live in peace.
 Caring: Human psychology is such that everyone wants attention and recognition.
This value helps to create the attitude of mother and not find fault with others and
develop a feeling of caring.
Sharing: Sharing is the ability to give others a portion of something what we possess.
Honesty: Honesty is being truthful to oneself. Honesty is the best policy Benjamin
Franklin.
Courage: The ability to do something that frightens.
Valuing Time: Respecting ones own time and that of others.
Cooperation: The value of togetherness is reflected in cooperation.
Commitment: A quality of being dedicated to a cause.
Self-Confidence: Its a feeling of trust in ones own abilities, qualities and judgement.
Character: The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
Spirituality: Spirituality is the realisation and understanding of who you are.
7. Significance of Ethics and Values
7.1 Significance of Ethics
Gaining Knowledge: Ethical norms help in gaining knowledge, analysing the truth, and
avoiding any chances of errors while examining any given circumstance or situation.
Enhances Cooperation: Working in any organization or workplace demands great deal
of cooperation and coordination amongst people at different levels and different fields.
Assists in Dealings: The right sense of thinking can help us deal with people on a daily
basis in the right and positive manner. The absence of the right approach and wrong
sense can only induce negative feelings, thereby affecting our communication with
people as well.
Builds Public Support: By following proper ethical norms, they ensure building
positive and strong public support.
Promotes Moral & Social Values: Ethics are considered to be of utmost importance
simply because they assist in promoting other significant moral and social values like
social responsibility, human rights, animal welfare, compliance with the law, and health
and safety.
 7.2 Significance of Values

Values are necessary for satisfying your own needs. Everyone has needs that range
from preventing hunger to personal development. Fortunately, everyone has a variety of
ways that those needs can be satisfied. Our values help guide us to satisfy those needs.
Eg, your personal values may guide you to believe that you can find food by stealing. As
a result, you steal or cheat to obtain money to buy food. Instead, you might believe that
stealing is wrong, and that food should be bought from money you earn.
Values help you establish what is important in your life. Without understanding what
your values are, you will have a difficult time understanding what is important to you.
You may often overlook aspects that are really important to you because you are unaware
of these values. Understanding that you value creativity and passion, may help you
realize you would be happier doing a job that allowed you to be innovative and nourished
your passion.
Understanding your values prevents you from justifications that lead to
unhappiness. Almost all of us have had the experience where we did something against
our values. The action felt wrong, maybe resulted in you feeling a bit guilty, and was
clearly against your personal value system. For instance, maybe you cheated on an exam
thinking that its okay because you studied really hard and its a tough subject for you. Or
perhaps you inaccurately represented yourself during an interview because you are
desperate for a position.
Values help shape your behavior. Almost all of the actions we take are controlled to
some degree by our values. Whenever we do something that goes against our values,
most of us tend to feel uncomfortable or guilty.
Values help guide us, even when rules are absent. I must clarify at this point that
values are not rules that we live our lives by. Placing a rule on yourself that you cannot
drink soda more than once a month is not a value. That is a rule that is guided by your
values. You value being healthy and you create rules for yourself that are consistent with
those values.
 8. Conclusion: Inculcation of these values makes an individual humane and be
successful in the career as well as in life. Ethics and Values
Make them understand right or wrong, Good and evil, Obligations & rights,
Justice and Social & Political deals.
To recognize and resolve moral dilemma and
To achieve moral autonomy.

References:
Jayshree suresh, and Ragavan, B.S., Human values and professional ethics, S.Chand
Publications.
Website:
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com
www.joyfulmeaning.com