Ethics is not the opposite of corruption, that's just a side issue. Ethics is the opposite of values. If one puts their personal values above public ethics, the result may be corruption, but more often it has an even more important effect - it replaces public interest with self-serving interests. This is an important reason to look at whether politicians are upholding ethics - fair play and principle - all the time, not just when corruption is the result.
posted by Paul Noeldner @ 10:15 PM
2 Comments:
Ethics
1. (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
3. moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.
4. (usually used with a singular verb) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics
Values
1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2. monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.
3. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.
4. equivalent worth or return in money, material, services, etc.: to give value for value received.
5. estimated or assigned worth; valuation: a painting with a current value of $500,000.
6. denomination, as of a monetary issue or a postage stamp.
7. Mathematics. a. magnitude; quantity; number represented by a figure, symbol, or the like: the value of an angle; the value of x; the value of a sum.
b. a point in the range of a function; a point in the range corresponding to a given point in the domain of a function: The value of x 2 at 2 is 4.
8. import or meaning; force; significance: the value of a word.
9. liking or affection; favorable regard.
10. values, Sociology. the ideals, customs, institutions, etc., of a society toward which the people of the group have an affective regard. These values may be positive, as cleanliness, freedom, or education, or negative, as cruelty, crime, or blasphemy.
11. Ethics. any object or quality desirable as a means or as an end in itself.
12. Fine Arts. a. degree of lightness or darkness in a color.
b. the relation of light and shade in a painting, drawing, or the like.
13. Music. the relative length or duration of a tone signified by a note.
14. values, Mining. the marketable portions of an orebody.
15. Phonetics. a. quality.
b. the phonetic equivalent of a letter, as the sound of a in hat, sang, etc.
–verb (used with object) 16. to calculate or reckon the monetary value of; give a specified material or financial value to; assess; appraise: to value their assets.
17. to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance.
18. to regard or esteem highly: He values her friendship.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/values
So, if ethics are the opposite of values, am I unethical if I value family, friends, freedom? If ethics are not derived from values where do they come from? Your idea of ethics sound dangerously like groupthink. I suggest you chose another word for your propaganda, it is not ethics.
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