THE 10 MOST RELEVANT EXAMPLES OF ETHICAL PROBLEMS - PHILOSOPHY - 2024

The examples of ethical problems arise from a fact or event in which a situation arises that may be possible both in a real and hypothetical way, and is morally conflictive.

Ethics is responsible for studying human behavior in the face of right and wrong in a community. It also covers morality, duty, the common good and the legal sphere.

Therefore, an ethical problem is anything that is not right, correct, or complies with the rules, and that directly impacts society and individuals. These problems can affect the dignity and the common good of individuals.

They are linked to ethical dilemmas, which arise due to the different interpretation that the facts may have.

Top 10 examples of ethical issues

1- Abuse of power

It is a social practice where behavior is based on maintaining relationships of power, inequality and completely hierarchical.

That is, the individual who has more authority over other individuals, whether in social or political terms, uses that position to exercise power only for their benefit.

On the other hand, abuse of power is present when an individual with a higher social and economic position uses this benefit to exercise unjustified authority over another considered inferior, causing moral damage in the subjects who receive the abuse.

2- Discrimination

Discrimination is one of the most notable ethical problems today. These problems have become the most influential on societies.

A relevant example is seen in people with disabilities. These are subjected to rejection by society for having different abilities.

The rights of these people, such as having a decent job or relating to the environment, are violated by desensitized individuals who consider them inferior and even abnormal

3- Business bribery

It occurs when, for example, a very well-positioned entrepreneur secretly pays an inspector so that he does not reveal the negative results found in his company.

4- Sports bribery

It is evidenced when in a match, or sporting event, the referee imposes warnings on one team to benefit the other, showing favoritism due to payments received.

5- Political corruption

This ethical problem is seen by the rulers and politicians. The benefits of the State will be illegally taken by them, directly affecting the common good of the citizens.

Political corruption is reflected when, for example, the governor of a city steals the money that had been granted for the repair of streets and avenues.

6- Excessive loyalty

Excessive loyalty occurs when an individual is capable of lying to cover some inappropriate behavior of another subject who has a higher position, without caring about their own moral and social principles.

7- Lack of confidentiality

This is a major ethical problem in workers who practice professions through which they handle confidential information.

An example of this is when a psychologist makes public the problems reported by a patient in a consultation.

8- Lack of commitment

Lack of commitment can occur when the worker decides not to fulfill his duties and does not contribute the maximum of his effort to improve labor production.

9- Social control

It occurs through the favoring or imposition of strategies and political regimes that limit the social development of humanity. These impositions are generated for purely political and economic purposes.

10- Conflict of interest

The conflict of interest is a situation in which the individual issues rules or performs acts in which only their own interest and benefit are involved.

A clear example of this is the choice of family or friends at the time of a selection of personnel in a certain company or in State institutions; even if they are not qualified for the position, the individual in question prefers to hire them.

References

1. Cohen, M. (2005). 101 ethical dilemmas. Editorial Alliance.
2. Ethics, E. d. (1983). Ethics. Madrid: Meeting.
3. Fernández, A. (1988). Introduction to ethics: ethical problems of our time. Dossat.
4. Hartmann, N. (2011). Ethics. Meeting.
5. Platts, M. (1997). Ethical dilemmas. Mexico, DF: National Autonomous University of Mexico, Institute of Philosophical Research.