Ethics And Academic Integrity Lessons 1 To 4 [619767]

ETHICS AND ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY
MON(IC)A MITARCĂ
MA PROGRAMME
DIMITRIE CANTEMIR CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

FIRST PART
LESSONS 1, 2, 3, 4
ETHICS, DEONTOLOGY
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
ETHICAL CODES
APPLIED ETHICS

FIRST THING FIRST, WHAT ETHICS IS?
•ETYMOLOGY:  ἮΘΟΣ ĒTHOS, HABIT. Ethics (from Gr. ἦθος ēthos = habit) is one of the main
branches of philosophy, studying moral problems and dilemmas and trying to deliver an answer
to questions such as, What is good/What is wrong? How should we act? What is it we should do?
•The English word "ethics" is derived from the ancient Greek word ēthikós (ἠθικός), meaning
"relating to one's character", which itself comes from the root word êthos (ἦθος) meaning
"character, moral nature„.

KANT – CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVES
•As he was the father of the mores metaphysics, Immanuel Kant claims that ethics is founded around the answer to
the question "was soll ich tun?" (= What is it I should do?). He postulates the basis of a true, universally accepted
ethics. Another way of asking yourself that would be "was kann ich wissen über das was ich tun soll?" (= What is it I
know about what I should do?).
•Most quoted: ”TWO THINGS FILL THE MIND WITH EVER NEW AND INCREASING ADMIRATION AND AWE, THE
MORE OFTEN AND STEADILY WE REFLECT UPON THEM: THE STARRY HEAVENS ABOVE ME AND THE MORAL
LAW WITHIN ME.”
•Categorical imperatives – I. Kant came up with a classification of imperatives (things a person should do) and these
are: categorical (CI) and relative. CI: an objective, rationally necessary and unconditional principle that we must
always follow despite any natural desires or inclinations we may have to the contrary. All specific moral
requirements, according to Kant, are justified by this principle, which means that all immoral actions are irrational
because they violate the CI (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://plato.Stanford.Edu/entries/kant-moral/).
The relative imperatives are contextual, what can or should we do in particular situations.

CATEGORICAL VERSUS HYPOTHETICAL IMPERATIVES
•HYPOTHETICAL IMPERATIVES IDENTIFY ACTIONS WE OUGHT TO TAKE, BUT ONLY IF WE HAVE
SOME PARTICULAR GOAL. THEY ARE NOT THE RESULT OF MORAL DILEMMAS, THEY DO NOT
IMPLY MORAL AND ETHICS.
•ETHICISTS BELIEVE THAT MORAL RULES ARE CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVES: THEY EXPRESS WHAT
WE OUGHT TO DO, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER DOING IT WOULD SATISFY OUR DESIRES OR
PROMOTE OUR HAPPINESS. (KERSTEIN, SAMUEL J, 2013, IMPERATIVES, CATEGORICAL AND
HYPOTHETICAL).

PEOPLE AROUND US: PURPOSE VS. MEANS
•The most important categorical imperative is:
•'Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any
other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.”
•Treat people as purposes in themselves, not as means to satisfying your own purposes.

SO… WHAT IS ETHICS?
•Ethics (moral philosophy) is a branch of philosophy – AXIOLOGY, helping us systematize/classify the categories of right and
wrong and, subsequently, describe and prescribe concepts of right and/or wrong conduct.
•Axiology also comprises aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch of philosophy called axiology.
•Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and
vice, justice and crime. Moral philosophy is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory.
•Three major areas of study within ethics:
•Meta-ethics, concerning the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values (if any) can
be determined
•Normative ethics, concerning the practical means of determining a moral course of action.
•Applied ethics, concerning what a person is obligated (or permitted) to do in a specific situation or a particular domain of
action.

BRANCHES OF PHYLOSOPHY
•Ontology (theory of existence): the study of the being, human being, of the existence in general in existentialism.
•Gnoseology (theory of knowledge): the study of the fundamentals of knowledge.
•Logics: studies rationing, regardless the matter onto which it is applied and the psychological processes involved.
•Axiology (general theory of value: studies the essence of values, the genesis of values and the relationship
between all values.
•Epistemology: studies the nature and the conditions of human knowledge, of rationing and intelect.
•Ethics: studies the fundamentals of moral and the moral principles.
•Esthetics: studies the principles of what beauty/beautiful is and its expressions.
•Philosophy of science
•Philosophy of culture
•Social philosophy
•Philosophic anthropology

WIKI (IS THERE AN ETHICAL PROBLEM HERE IN
QUOTING WIKI – AT LEAST FROM ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY’S PART?)
•In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology (from greek δέον, deon, "obligation, duty") is the
normative ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is
right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action. It is sometimes
described as duty-, obligation- or rule-based ethics. Deontological ethics is commonly contrasted to
consequentialism, virtue ethics, and pragmatic ethics. In this terminology, action is more important than the
consequences.
•The term "deontological" was first used to describe the current, specialised definition by c. D. Broad in his
1930 book, five types of ethical theory. Older usage of the term goes back to Jeremy Bentham, who
coined it before 1816 as a synonym of dicastic or censorial ethics (ethics based on judgement). The more
general sense of the word is retained in French, especially in the term "code de déontologie" (ethical
code), in the context of professional ethics.

OTHER PHILOSOPHERS, OTHER PHILOSOPHIES
•Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill – the greater good for the greater number of people.
•Judeo-Christian ethics:
•The term “Judeo-Christian” refers to something that has its source in the common foundations of
Judaism and Christianity. The bible includes the Jewish scriptures of the old testament, so the
moral foundations laid down in Judaism are upheld in Christianity. The first use of the term
“Judeo-Christian ethic" was apparently by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his
1888 book The Antichrist: Curse on Christianity. The early uses of the term “Judeo-Christian ethic"
referred to the Jewish roots and identity of the early Christian church, but it wasn't used to speak
of a common set of morals until much later. Values: sanctity of human life, personal responsibility,
a high regard for marriage, and compassion for others.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
•Why good and bad?
•Where does change come from?
•What are our values now and how did they change in time?
•What are our society’s values now – and how did they change?
•Is it a change for the better or for the worse?
•How can we curb the change for the worse?
•Who decides what is right and what is wrong?

DEONTOLOGY
Deontological ethics – the ethical position that judges the morality of an action based on the
action's adherence to a rule or rules. It is sometimes described as "duty" or "obligation" or "rule"
based ethics, because rules bind you to your duty. Deontological ethics is commonly contrasted with
consequentialist ethical theories, according to which the rightness of an action is determined by its
consequences. Deontological ethics is also contrasted from pragmatic ethics.
CURRENT USES OF THE WORD DEONTOLOGY

ETOLOGY
•ANIMAL BEHAVIOR, STEMMING FROM THE SAME GREEK WORD.
•IT’S CONCERNED WITH THE WAY ANIMALS BEHAVE, LINKING HUMAN AND ANIMAL WORD.
•ALTHOUGH THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO HUMANIZE ANIMALS, NOR TO JUSTIFY HUMAN
BEHAVIORS AS STEMMING FROM ANIMALS’, SOME ETHICAL QUESTIONS ARISE.
•ANIMAL STUDIES ARE CURRENTLY UNDER A SCRUTINY IN THE SAME WAY AS BLACK STUDIES
FROM ERSTWHILE GET TO BE REGARDED AS CLASSIST OR RACIST.

COMMON SENSE, MORAL, ETHICS, LAW
•What is the commonsensical judgment? What is it based (up)on?
•Mores vs. Moral(s)
•Who enforces the code of ethics?
•Who enforces the law?
•Can I be punished / and by whom if i don’t observe the code of ethics?

MORAL/ETHICAL DILEMMAS
•SITUATIONS WHERE THERE ARE MANY CHOICES – CATERING FOR VARIOUS INTERESTS AND
PRINCIPLES.
•PRINCIPLES VS. VALUES VS. INTERESTS
•WHAT DO I NEED TO DO VERSUS WHAT DO I WANT TO DO.
•DISCUSSION ON TOPICAL SITUATIONS.

MORAL/ETHICAL DILEMMAS
•PRECONDITIONS OF A MORAL DILEMMA
•    THREE SIMULTANEOUS CONDITIONS FOR A SITUATION TO BE CONSIDERED AN ETHICAL DILEMMA:
•1. THE INDIVIDUAL, CALLED THE “AGENT,” MUST MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHICH COURSE OF
ACTION IS BEST. SITUATIONS THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLE BUT THAT DON’T REQUIRE A CHOICE, ARE
NOT ETHICAL DILEMMAS.
•2. THERE MUST BE DIFFERENT COURSES OF ACTION TO CHOOSE FROM.
•3. THIRD, IN AN ETHICAL DILEMMA, NO MATTER WHAT COURSE OF ACTION IS TAKEN, SOME ETHICAL
PRINCIPLE IS COMPROMISED. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS NO PERFECT SOLUTION.

TWO TYPES OF ETHICAL DILEMMAS  
1.AN “ABSOLUTE” OR “PURE” ETHICAL DILEMMA ONLY OCCURS WHEN TWO (OR MORE)
ETHICAL STANDARDS APPLY TO A SITUATION BUT ARE IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. 
2.“APPROXIMATE” DILEMMAS, COMPLEX SITUATIONS WHEN A DECISION IS NEEDED, BUT THE
CONFLICT IS MORE BETWEEN VALUES, LAWS, AND POLICIES. WHEN A PROFESSIONAL IS
LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO MAKE A REPORT ON A SENSITIVE SITUATION OF A BENEFICIARY
AND FEARS THERE WILL BE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ON THESE UPON RELEASING OF
INFORMATION. THE PROFESSIONAL MAY EXPERIENCE SOME SORT OF TENSION BETWEEN
THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO REPORT AND THE DESIRE TO RESPECT CONFIDENTIALITY.

ETHICAL CODES
•PROFESSIONS REQUIRING CODES OF ETHICS: THOSE WHERE THERE IS A PRIVILEGED RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE CATERER OF SERVICES AND THE RECEIVER/CLIENT.
•MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
•LAWYERS
•PRIESTS/PASTORS
•EDUCATORS
•JOURNALISTS, COMMUNICATORS
•OTHERS

EXAMPLES OF ETHICAL CODES
•HIPPOCRATIC OATH
•THE BAR OATH (LAWYERS)
•CLERGY – THE SECRECY OF CONFESSION
•JOURNALISTS AND COMMUNICATORS’ CODES OF ETHICS (SEE SPJ, AAA CODES OF ETHICS)
•ALL OF THEM, PROFESSIONS WHERE THERE IS A PRIVILEGED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
PROFESSIONAL AND THE CLIENT, WHERE THERE IS A POWER RELATIONSHIP AND WHERE THE
LIFE, LIBERTY AND HEALTH OF THE CLIENT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE PROFESSIONAL.

•WHY AREN’T THERE ANY CODES OF
ETHICS FOR EDUCATION WORKERS?
(DISCUSSION)

APPLIED ETHICS: CONCEPTS
•AUTONOMY
•BENEFICENCE
•BENEVOLENCE
•HARM
•HONESTY
•PATERNALISM
•JUSTICE
•LAWFULNESS

RIGHTS IN APPLIED ETHICS
•PROPERTY RIGHTS
•MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS
•HUMAN RIGHTS
•GROUP RIGHTS
•BODILY RIGHTS

APPLIED ETHICS:
COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
•SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS CODE OF ETHICS TO BE DISCUSSED
•ASPECTS:
-DISCUSSION ON PUBLIC INTEREST
-ALLEGIANCE TO AUDIENCE AND THEIR INFORMATION RIGHTS
-RELATIONSHIP WITH SOURCES
-AUTONOMY: PERSONAL SAFETY, FINANCIAL SECURITY, BELIEFS

APPLIED ETHICS:
WORK ETHICS, CORPORATE ETHICS
•INSTANCES WHERE WE USE THE PHRASE, WORK ETHICS – COMING MOSTLY FROM THE
CORPORATE LINGO.
•WHAT DO WE MEAN BY WORK ETHICS?
•WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONS WHERE THE WORK ETHICS IS DISGUISING OWNERS OF
CAPITAL’S INTERESTS, INSTEAD OF AUDIENCE’S/CUSTOMERS’/CLIENTS’ INTERESTS?

APPLIED ETHICS: TECHNOLOGY ETHICS
•HOW WILL NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS CHANGE OUR WAYS
AND OUR LIVES?
•IS A WORLD DOMINATED BY ROBOTICS A PLACE FOR HUMANS?
•WILL THE SPREAD OF ROBOTS REQUIRE A MINIMUM INCOME GUARANTEED BY THE STATE?
•HOW WILL NEW GADGETS CHANGE HUMAN RELATIONS? WHAT ABOUT COURTSHIP AND
HUMAN RELATIONS?

APPLIED ETHICS: BIOTECHNOLOGIES
•HOW MUCH COULD SCIENCE GO INTO HUMAN HEALTH?
•WHAT ARE THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF GENOMICS, BIOTECHNOLOGIES,
NANOTECHNOLOGIES?
•HOW WOULD REPRODUCTION CHANGE? IS IT ETHICAL TO APPLY CONCEPTS SUCH AS
HUMAN RIGHT TO A DIGNIFIED DEATH IN HEALTHCARE?
•HOW ETHICAL IS EUTHANASIA FOR DOCTORS?
•WHAT ABOUT CLONING?

APPLIED ETHICS: COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
•FAKE NEWS
•DEEPFAKES
•COMMUNICATION BOTS, VPA
•COOKIES AND DATIFICATION
•ALGORITHMS
•HOW WOULD ALL THESE FIT INTO OUR HUMAN-FIRST MINDFRAME?

SEMINAR WORK
•1. DISCUSSING VARIOUS BRANCHES OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY
•2. DISCUSSING CONCEPTS OF ETHICS, MORAL DUTY, MORAL DILEMMA
•3. DISCUSSING KANT’S CATEGORICAL AND HYPOTHETICAL IMPERATIVES, DISCUSSING MORAL
DILEMMAS.
•4. READING AND DISCUSSING VARIOUS ETHICAL CODES – DOCTORS’, PRIESTS’, LAWYERS’.
DISCUSSING MORAL DILEMMAS OF SCIENCE.

SOURCES FOR FURTHER ONLINE STUDY
•HTTPS://PHILPAPERS.ORG/BROWSE/APPLIED-ETHICS, DICTIONARY-TYPE OF ENTRIES ARE
EXPLAINED, LEADING TO AN OVERVIEW OF ETHICAL ISSUES.
•HTTPS://WWW.IEP.UTM.EDU/ETHICS/, FOR CONCEPTS SUCH AS NORMATIVE ETHICS, VIRTUE
THEORIES, DUTY THEORIES AND CONSEQUENTIALIST THEORIES, THAT REPRESENT FURTHER
DISCUSSIONS OF ETHICS.