Ethics is an area of knowledge that involves the development, systematization and recommendation of concepts that distinguish between right and wrong conduct.
Experts within this field study the behavior of people especially in terms of moral principles.
Sample knowledge questions within this area of knowledge have shown that ethics helps knowers to be aware of the situations they are in. This explains why different sections of society have strived to understand ethical theories in order to acquire ways of approaching situations such as conflicts.
With ethical knowledge, one is able to distinguish between what is considered moral or immoral.
One of the key knowledge questions that is often raised during ethical discussions is whether knowers within this area of knowledge can truly determine whether something is moral. This is mainly because the moral values that act as guidelines in society often embody obligations for actions. This ideally means that different situations can call for different responses.
A good example of a critical area of discussion within this area of knowledge is the issue of moral rules. In the recent past, there has been disagreement over whether morality should be about following rules.
Experts in this field have continuously argued that moral rules do not exist at all and as individuals we need to rely on ways of knowing such as sense perception to determine such factors.
Based on this fact, it is evident that the nature of ethical thought has been altered over the past few centuries with emphasis being more on rights than virtues.
Examples and Explanations
Example #1
American philosopher Charles S. Peirce acknowledged the significance of inquiry during of process of resolving disputes of opinion or disagreements. He argued that if an individual could inquire long enough, they could come across different perspectives that test the validity of their assertion.
In ethics, this aspect has proven to be beneficial as experts use processes such as analogical reasoning to debate the validity of conflicting claims presented in a disagreement.
Rather than focusing on the coherence of the ethical rules, individuals often argue through hypothetical situations which help them to probe the validity of specific arguments. Various theory of knowledge essay examples have been used to show the implications of ethical rules and how the individuals are affected by a particular interaction.
The analysis of both sides of a disagreement in ethics promotes sensitivity to the variation of actual human interaction and behavior. An aspect that has been highlighted in multiple theory of knowledge outlines is the distinction present between different perspectives.
In this case, the evaluation of both sides determines whether an act results in a good or bad consequence.
For instance, the mixing of lead into the paint was a normal procedure used to improve its consistency. However, it was discovered that it could lead to the poisoning of toddlers.
On the other hand, it was argued that adults were more exposed to this paint and therefore needed larger doses to be affected.
The evaluation of these two ethical perspectives resulted in the prohibition of its use in the paint which shows how resolutions can be derived from ethical disagreements.
However, on the other hand, it can be claimed that ethical disagreements are often infused with different types of biases and therefore generating resolution can be challenging.
In order to settle a specific dispute on distinct knowledge claims, experts within this area of knowledge often rely on ethical reasoning.
Despite the acceptance of a common phrase when it comes to the production of a desirable outcome, ethical theorists often perceive different perspectives differently.
Ultimately, the disagreement becomes harder to resolve. An example of such a situation is the principle of ‘right to life’ and how it applies to the practice of abortion.
In the recent past, there has been a continuous dispute on this issue especially when it comes to the definition of when human life begins. This convergence of ethical rules has prevented the resolution of this dispute despite the parties involved giving attention to the claims presented.
Example #2
“Reliable knowledge can lack certainty.” Explore this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
The discipline of practical ethics is essential in providing decisions makes embedded in the real world with advice. In order to ensure that this advice is practical, experts within this disciple take account of aspects such as empirical uncertainty.
This is mainly because experts often do not know every aspect of the ethical facts about a specific situation and therefore any knowledge they provide cannot be guaranteed to possess complete certainty.
For instance, these experts do not know how to weigh the interests of the current generations against those of future generations.
Based on this fact, reliable information in this area of knowledge can lack certainty. An example that highlights this aspect is the ethics of climate change.
Due to the expected temperature rise that is being predicted in the future, any ethical advice offered on how to act should consider the value of future generations. This is due to the moral uncertainty presented by our current actions.
Alternatively, in order to structure a tok essay properly, it is important to examine the counterclaim of this assertion. When experts in this area of knowledge are making decisions that can have consequences or outcomes that we cannot predict, it is essential to ensure that any uncertainty present is addressed.
This handling of uncertainties will ultimately have significant ethical dimensions when it comes to the determination of reliable knowledge.
One strategy that has been used to ensure that the resultant knowledge possesses complete certainty is acquiring knowledge on the issue.
For instance, it is evident that car accidents that cause deadly or severe injuries are brought about by the lack of adherence to safety measures.
Therefore, in order to guarantee the certainty of this ethical dimension, the mandatory use and installation of safety belts should be recommended.