Ethics and Law
Many people have argued that ethics can not be taught. Some believe that human
values and a person's conduct being based on right and wrong is simply a characteristic
that is unique to each person seperately. I believe that ethics can be taught. I believe this
by considering the premise that values can be observed, practiced, and changed.
"'The word ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, meaning character or custom,'
writes philosophy professor Robert C. Solomon. Today we use the word ethos to refer to
the distinguishing disposition, character, or attitude of a specific people, culture, or group.
According to Solomon, the etymology of ethics suggests its basic concerns: (1) individual
character, including what it means to be "a good person," and (2) the social rules that
govern and limit our conduct, especially the ultimate rules concerning right and wrong,
which we call morality."(Ch.1 Pg.4)
The individual character is formed and developed at a very young age. Children
become aware of the importance and the consequences of their actions by observing their
environment. They can be told by people in authority what is wrong and right and what their
actions signify. ei. When a child hits another child and injurs him/her, it can convey an
assessment that the child who did the hitting is better than the other child, is mean, or
dislikes the other child to the point of physically affecting the well-being of the other child.
Since children form their character, morals, and values based on what they learn at a
...