Since a society differs from another society, norms of one society may also differ from another society. However, there are certain universal norms about values which are found in every society like honesty, integrity, truthfulness, justice etc. these are known as universal values. Besides these universal values, each society may have its own values like comfortable life, exciting life, happiness, pleasure, etc. these are known as local values. However, universal values guide local values. For example, value of having comfortable life means having such a kind of life by observing universal values like honesty, integrity, etc. and not by flouting these. Ethical dilemma:
Sometimes, people have to face an ethical dilemma which is situation in which a behavior may be ethical from one point of view and unethical from another point of view.
Consider the following example:
Exorbitant prices of Penicillin.
During the early years of penicillin (considered to be a life-saving drug) introduction, companies manufacturing penicillin used to charge exorbitant prices because of its short supply in comparison to its demand. Perturbed by this phenomenon, a prominent scientist of immunology stole the formula of insulin from one company and supplied t free of cost to another pharmaceutical company not manufacturing penicillin with an advice how the formula can be adopted. This company used the formula and started manufacturing of penicillin in large quantity. With the result, prices of penicillin dropped down considerably and community benefited. The question is: was the behavior of the scientist ethical or unethical. The answer is: his behavior was unethical as he stole the formula (stealing is unethical universally) but ethical as he did for the benefit of the community and not just to serve his own interest.
In Indian epics, we may come across the numerous such examples:
1. Rama killed Bali when the latter was fighting a duo battle with his younger brother Sugreeva and that too by hiding Rama himself behind a tree. Apparently, it appears to be unethical as Rama was not a party to the battle and he killed Bali by hiding himself. But it is ethical as Bali himself had practiced unethical behavior.
2. In the great battle of Mahabharata, two prominent warriors of Kaurava army, Devbrat (popularly known as Bhishma) and Acharya Dron were removed from the battle field, the former by paralyzing and the latter by killing, by practicing not the rules set before the start of the battle but by adopting their own rules. Removing of these both warriors in such a way appeared to be unethical but was ethical simply because both of them were in the side unethical person and both of them were aware of this fact.
The above examples suggest that in order to negate the effect of unethical behavior of a person or a group of persons even through unethical behavior does not constitute unethical behavior. Such a behavior is called as apad dharma (emergent action). However, there must be some specific guidelines about such a behavior otherwise if those who believe in ethical behavior and are put in such a situation, they will experience lot of anxiety about what to do or what not to do.
Ethics, the science of morality, suggests the following actions:
Use end-based thinking, that is, do whatever precedes the greatest good for the greatest number.
Used rule-based thinking, that is, follow rules if any.
Used care based thinking, that is, do to others what you would like them to do to you.
If you look to the above three actions, you will notice that none of these has put emphasis on serving self-interest. Any unethical behavior to serve self-interest is unethical, and there is n doubt about this. Be sure.
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