Code of ethics
Ethical codes refer to any rules of acceptable standards in any setting. Any profession has its own ethical codes that dictate its functioning in its day to day activities. Ethical codes serve as a foundation for the development of rules of conduct that govern a profession as they act as guidance to any person associated with whichever profession .
In the judicial system worldwide, each person is entitled to equal and fair justice. The judges as professionals must ensure justice is equally given to both parties. Such an ethical code is wise though it has its own limitations in its aim of giving equal justice to all. In the application of social science, such a code would be beneficial as it would act as a yardstick in measuring the performance of any ethical code that claims to be applied fairly. Certain limitations of this ethical code require adjustments to uphold it claim in the providing fair treatment to all. If this code would entirely be fixed on giving equal treatment other than what people deserve it would not satisfy its cause.
The ethical principle of justice which refers to giving each side its due relates to more on entitlement and distribution of justice to the parties involved. For examples, should the poor be entitled to the same medical care as the rich or should a smoker have an equal insurance fee with a nonsmoker or passive smoker? The ethical code of equal treatment in its application should analyze a situation critically treating people with similar characteristic equal and those with different characteristics unequally. This would therefore take into consideration people’s level of education, social status, income, age and other variables. Determining which characteristic is relevant than the other would be tricky and who would make such a decision. If a decision is made, it must try to favour the majority and the ones in need most even if it boils down to rubbing shoulders with the wrong bodies or persons in society.
Physicians are another body of professionals that follow the ethical code of do no harm’ to their patients. It is incumbent for all physicians to provide proper medical treatment to their patients and advise them accordingly. It would be unethical for a qualified physician to carry out a surgery knowing extremely well the patient does not require one. This would be to satisfy his/her own selfish interest of getting money. Any provision of unnecessary drugs or overdose prescriptions would also violate this ethical code as it would harm the patients or kill them. A physician should also ensure that any equipment used is properly sterilized and in proper condition to avoid contamination to the patients. A physician should also not yield to the demands of the patient, but instead the patient should follow the physician’s instructions. Incorporation of such an ethical code would be relevant as any social thinker should develop codes that uphold the safety of people and other things follow .
Psychiatrists should also not take advantage of their patients sexually as they would violate ethical codes that govern their profession. They should help their patients to recover from different mental illnesses or difficulties they undergo without having any hidden agendas. A psychiatrist is charged with the responsibility of taking care of the patient. If patients are abused sexually this would doom their recovery process or making it impossible to take place. In developing ethical codes, it would be wrong if any code would have any intention of harm the well-being of any person.
In conducting and applying social science people should be free to decide what action they would take having their own reasons in doing so. This dictates the principle of autonomy. With autonomy comes liberty and self-governance as people become their own person. With free thinking in place, change comes about which can be radical. Lack of autonomy results in inadequate understanding of a subject. Before someone decides on a course of action to take or agreeing to do something, it is noteworthy that they are availed with all the required and adequate information to facilitate their understanding coming to a decision. With rational thinking brings about the issue of morality in that, some decisions a person makes in some cases are immoral and immoral. For example, is the subject of abortion moral or immoral? The principle of autonomy in this case would guide and help us to apply the principles to judge the situation. If so, each woman has the right to do whatever she desires with her body making abortion moral.
The principle of beneficence is also crucial in the application of social science. Beneficence has two components, providing benefits and balancing benefits and its harms. For one to benefit risk which may involve countless experimental procedures should never be out of the question. Each benefit comes with its own potential risks. A doctor usually takes risks when he/she carries out a delicate operation knowing extremely well at the end of the exercise the patient will fully recover. On the other hand, lays a potential risk of death or worsening of the patient’s condition. A social thinker should realize that not doing any harm or taking a risk is not smart enough at all. If the doctor does not do anything it would be like watching the patient die in agonizing pain.
In conclusion, ethical codes are like policies that should be carefully thought out as each rule stated by the codes has consequences that can be immediately felt or take time to be realized. Some decisions that follow some code of ethics may not be clear-cut but they try to resolve an issue at hand.
References
Ford, G. G. (2006.). Ethical reasoning for mental health professionals. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishers.
Israel, M., & Hay, I. (2006). Research ethics for social scientists : between ethical conduct and regulatory compliance. London: Sage Publishers.
