Ethics Standards of Behavior
What is Ethics? Is ethics the same as morals? Moral rules differ b/w societies & over time Conflicts arise b/w moral rules, so how do we behave? Ethics is not equivalent with: feelings, religion, law, cultural norms 1 “Ethics is the voluntary good behavior that defines civilization… Ethics is about what the law leaves out” 2 1. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making 2. CUR Quart, p 105, 2002ht
Considering Ethical Issues Utilitarian: do the least harm Rights: protect & respect moral rights of those impacted Fairness/Justice: equals should be treated equally Common Good: welfare of all in community Virtue: such as honesty, tolerance, etc. “What kind of kind of person do I want to be? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Deontological ethics: right vs. wrong actions rather than evaluating consequences Consequentialism: right vs. wrong consequences, acts judged by consequences Virtue ethics: based on character and habits of person acting https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_deontology.html
Ethics in Science “The most important personal characteristic of a scientist is not intelligence. Neither is it creativity or determination. The most important characteristic of a scientist is integrity.” Lee, Coursebook p108
Scientific Commandments Be honest! Never manipulate data! Be precise! Be fair with regard to priority and ideas! Be without bias with regard to the data and ideas of your rival! Do not make compromises in trying to solve a problem! Hans Mohr, 1979, See Lee, Coursebook p108
Ethical Issues in Science Scientific Misconduct: appropriate use of scientific data Responsibilities to inform/learn about safety Intellectual honesty & ownership: rights and permissions Responsibility to subjects Data Sources Science, Technology & Society
To consider… Ethical Scenarios: see handout Plagiarism: samples Optional Articles (see website): Defending Against Plagiarism Mislabeled Microbes & Retractions Mea Culpa Retractions Office of Research Integrity & Case Summaries (see website)
Quiz on Searching Lit & Ethics Questions?