**01.
Definition and Scope of Ethics**
**Definition of Ethics**
The word **‘Ethics’** comes from the Greek word **‘Ethos’**, which means **character, habit, or custom**.
**Ethics** is a set of **moral principles** that govern **human behavior**.
� **Moral Principles**:
These are the rules and standards people follow to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, just
and unjust.
� **Control of Human Behavior**:
Ethics guides and regulates behavior in personal, social, and professional life and helps individuals make the
right decisions.
**Scope of Ethics**
**1. Personal Ethics** – Individual behavior and moral choices
� **Meaning**:
The principles that guide a person’s own behavior and moral decision-making.
� **What does it teach?**
It teaches how to differentiate between right and wrong and to behave honestly, justly, and responsibly in
personal life.
� **Examples**:
* Maintaining honesty
* Not telling lies
* Opposing injustice
**2. Professional Ethics** – Standards in workplaces (e.g., medical, legal, business ethics)
� **Meaning**:
The moral standards and codes of conduct that should be followed in professional settings.
� **What does it teach?**
Fulfilling professional responsibilities correctly, maintaining honesty, avoiding injustice and corruption.\
� **Examples**:
* **Medical Ethics**: Maintaining patient confidentiality, being service-oriented
* **Legal Ethics**: Presenting true information in court, ensuring justice
* **Business Ethics**: Not cheating customers, providing quality products
* **Teachers**: Attending classes on time, evaluating exams fairly
* **Employees**: Following office rules, avoiding bribes, not wasting time
* **Students**: Studying properly, attending classes regularly
**3. Social Ethics** – Responsibilities towards society
� **Meaning**:
The duties and moral behavior we owe to society.
� **What does it teach?**
To behave responsibly in maintaining peace, equality, and justice in society.
� **Examples**:
Helping the poor, protesting injustice and corruption, obeying laws, eradicating usury, bribery, and obscenity
from society.
**4. Environmental Ethics** – Duties to protect the environment
� **Meaning**:
Ethical responsibilities related to protecting the environment and using natural resources justly.
� **What does it teach?**
To fulfill our duties to preserve the natural environment and prevent pollution.
� **Examples**:
Planting trees, avoiding river and land pollution, reducing plastic use
**Ethics Covers the Following Areas**
**Right and Wrong Actions**
From an ethical perspective, human actions are judged as **right (good)** or **wrong (bad)**.
� **Right Actions**:
Actions that are just, truthful, beneficial, and bring peace to society.
Examples:
1. Speaking the truth
2. Helping others
3. Keeping promises
� **Wrong Actions**:
Actions that are unjust, false, harmful, and cause disorder in society.
Examples:
1. Telling lies
2. Illegally seizing others’ property
3. Harming others
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#### **Duty and Responsibility**
From an ethical viewpoint:
* **Duty** refers to actions that a person should perform.
* **Responsibility** refers to obligations that are mandatory to fulfill.
### **Virtues and Vices**
#### **Virtues (Good Qualities)**
� **Definition**:
Positive traits in humans that help in right behavior and living a just life.
� **Examples**:
* Honesty
* Patience
* Kindness
* Justice
* Humility
#### ✅ **Vices (Bad Qualities)**
� **Definition**:
Negative behaviors and traits that lead a person toward injustice and immorality.
� **Examples**:
* Lying
* Greed
* Pride
* Envy
* Anger
### **Justice and Rights**
#### **Justice**
� **Meaning**:
Treating people fairly with equality and impartiality, following proper rules.
� **Function**:
Ensuring people’s rights, protecting them from injustice, and maintaining social peace.
� **Examples**:
* Equal application of law
* Showing sympathy to the helpless
* Preventing injustice
#### **Rights**
� **Meaning**:
The entitlements or legal powers a person deserves for a fair life, either by birth or law.
� **Types**:
* **Natural Rights**: Right to life, liberty, and happiness
* **Legal Rights**: Right to vote, right to education, property rights, etc.
� **Examples**:
* Right to education
* Freedom of expression
* Right to live in a safe environment
### **Moral Values and Decision-Making**
#### **Moral Values**
� **Meaning**:
Ideals, beliefs, and qualities that guide people to be good, honest, and follow the right path.
� **Function**:
Moral values direct our thoughts and actions and help us distinguish between good and bad.
� **Examples**:
* Honesty
* Kindness
* Justice
* Tolerance
#### **Decision-Making**
� **Meaning**:
The process of choosing the right path from multiple options.
� **Function**:
To make correct and fair decisions in light of moral values.
� **Examples**:
* Deciding whether or not to help someone
* Choosing whether to speak out against injustice
* Acting ethically in professional lif.
10 Good Characters
English বাাংলা
Honesty সততা
Kindness দযাুতা
Patience ধৈযয
Responsibility দাযযত্বব াৈ
Respectfulness সম্মান প্রদলযন
Humility য নয
Forgiveness ক্ষমালীতা
Generosity উদারতা
Justice নযাযয চার
Loyalty য শ্বস্ততা
❌ 10 Bad Characters (খারাপ চররত্র)
English বাাংলা
Dishonesty অসততা
Cruelty যনষ্ঠুরতা
Impatience অধৈযযতা
Irresponsibility দাযযত্বহীনতা
Disrespectfulness অসম্মান প্রদলযন
Arrogance অহংকার
Revengefulness প্রযতযহংসাপরাযণতা
Greed লাভ
Injustice অনযায
Betrayal য শ্বাসঘাতকতা