What Is Ethics? Ethics is the branch of philosophy that focuses on moral principles and codes of conduct (Wood, 2010, p.27). Ethics is the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person (Tubbs & Moss, 2005, p.226). Ethics is the study of those values that relate to our moral conduct, including questions of good and evil, right and wrong, and moral responsibility (Fail, 2008).

The Connection Between Ethics, Morals, and Individual Responsibility Morals can be defined as the values of a given society; what individuals deem to be right or wrong (Tubbs & Moss, 2005, p.226). When examining and becoming more aware of our own values, we become more responsible for the consequences of our actions (Tubbs & Moss, 2005, p.226). Because interpersonal communication is irreversible and affects others, it always has ethical implications (Wood, 2010,p.27)

What Ethics IS What you believe/why you believe it/how you act out those beliefs Personal and public display of personal attitudes and beliefs Changing through different situations An aid to decision making According to Aristotle A standard of behavior An area of study exploring the nature of morality

What Ethics Is NOT Religion Political stance Fad Laws Absolutes Something that can only be understood by extremely educated people

Importance of Ethics As a student: Related to critical thinking Academic honesty Engage in life-long learning to improve professional competence and practice As a professional: Professional values Treatment of customers/ coworkers Business integrity

The Critical Thinking Process Following are the basic steps to the critical thinking process: 1. Discover a problem/situation/challenge that needs a solution. This can be anything from developing a presentation, choosing a political candidate, job hunting, arguing a position, or fixing a washing machine. 2. Research the problem/situation/challenge to the best of your ability, considering the availability of information and time constraints, to reach a better understanding. 3. Compile viable alternatives based on your research. 4. Debate the viability of each alternative. 5. Choose the best alternative based on all information. 6. Implement the alternative. 7. Evaluate the solution for effectiveness. Evaluation should be an ongoing activity, as what is effective today may not be tomorrow or next year.

Recognizing Critical Thinking Critical thinking is a productive and positive activity: Critical thinkers are actively engaged with life. They see themselves as creating and re-creating aspects of their personal, workplace, and political lives. They appreciate creativity, they are innovators, and they exude a sense that life is full of possibilities. Critical thinking is a process, not an outcome: Being critical thinkers entails a continual questioning of assumptions.

Recognizing Critical Thinking Critical thinking is emotive as well as rational: As we try to think critically and help others to do so, we cannot help but become aware of the importance of emotions to this activity. Asking critical questions about our previously accepted values, ideals, and behaviors is anxiety producing. As we abandon assumptions that had been inhibiting our development, we experience a sense of Critical thinking is triggered by positive as well as negative events: A theme common to many discussions of critical thinking is that this activity usually results from people having experienced traumas or tragedies in their lives. It is also true, however, that critical thinking is triggered by a joyful, pleasing, or fulfilling event - a "peak" experience such as falling in love, or being unexpectedly successful in some new workplace role.