Human Values & Ethics

MODULE 5 : IMPLICATIONS  OF THE HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING IN PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

 

• Natural Acceptance of Human Values in the Light of Understanding Harmony and Co-Existence at All Levels of Existence.
• Realizing the Definitiveness  of the Ethical Human Conduct in the Light of Understanding of Harmony and Sah-Astitva or Co-Existence.
• Ensuring Competence in Professional Ethics.
• Emergence of Ethical Competence from a Vision of Humanistic Education, Humanistic Constitution and Humanistic Universal Order.
• Issues of Professional Ethics  in the Current Scenario: Contradictions and Dilemmas.
• Strategies for Transition from The Present State.

 

Meaning, Characteristics and  Elements of Professional Ethics

Professional ethics concerns the moral issues that arise because of the specialist knowledge that professionals attain and the way this knowledge should be used when providing a service to the public.

 

Every profession has its own unique body of organized knowledge because of which professionals acquire a kind of authority over those who seek their professional services.

 

A profession is a calling in which the special knowledge and skills are used on a distinctly intellectual plane in the service of mankind.

 

The concept of professional ethics is partly comprised of what a professional should or should not do in the work place.

 

In a profession, to acquire knowledge and expertise is to acquire power, and no one should be allowed to wield such power without learning to use it ethically, and in a manner that is socially responsible.

 

The sense of public service embedded in the professional ethos places a leadership role on professionals.

 

Ethical Human Conduct Characterized by Values, Policy and Character

 

The ethical human conduct is characterized by  (a) Mulya or Values, (b) Niti or Policy, and (c) Charitra or Character'

Mulya or Values means competence of living in accordance with universal human values, mutually fulfilling relationships and of competence of Nyaya or Justice. Niti or Policy means acceptance of the guidelines or policy for right utilization , protection and enrichment of  all the assets including  the 'Self' or 'I',  the 'Body' and the Physical facilities. Charitra or Character implies three things: i. Chastity in conjugal relationship(swa-purush/swa-nari); ii. Access to rightfully acquiring wealth (swa-dhan); and iii. Compassionate behaviour and work (Dayapurna karya aur vyavahar).

Everything being in Space is an Evidence of Co-Existence.

 

Need to Bridge the Gap between Our Present Conduct and as it Ought to Be.

 

Life and Profession should be Seen Together.

 

Ensuring Competence in Professional Ethics: Competence as an Ethical Value

     As a professional you have a duty to maintain  your competence in your particular field:

     Keeping up to date with technological developments

     Deepening and broadening your knowledge through continuing professional development.

      It ensures that you can be relied upon to deliver work to a high standard, and so preserve public interest in your profession.

     Along with maintaining your competence , you have a duty to recognize its limits. This means not taking up work which you are not qualified or able to do well.

 

Self-Confidence as Competence:  Competence as a product of confidence based on the skill and capability to do something.

 

Ethical Human Conduct has Direct Correlation with Collective Happiness and Prosperity.

 

Professional Ethical Competence lies in Understanding the Comprehensive Human Goal comprising Right Understanding or Samadhan, Prosperity or Samriddhi, Fearlessness or Trust or Abhay and Co-Existence or Sah-Astitva.

 

Competence in Professional Ethics can be ensured when there is Clarity, Regard and Self-Motivation for Excellence in the real sense. There should also be compatibility between the professional's understanding of excellence and his actual conduct.

 

Competence is a matter of mutually fulfilling relationship and Interaction with Nature. Only a happy and prosperous professional can exhibit competence in his work.

 

Competence in professional ethics can be ensured by having a holistic vision of technology and development. Technology must be people-friendly and eco-friendly in the real sense.

 

The mad race for technology must end.

 

Salient features of Ethical Competence result from a right understanding of Humanistic Education, Humanistic Constitution  and Universalistic Human Order

 

Humanistic Education provisions a study of conscious aspect or jeevan along with technology.

 

Providing Wisdom in Education enables us to Realize Justice. Justice is the starting point of humane-tradition.

 

Existence is an orderliness with every entity being  an orderliness with its being-ness. What is beingness  for a humane being? It's a humane conduct, which is defined as values, character and principled living.

 

The present status of destruction of earth is the result of industrial and professional education.Its alternative is humane education, behavioural education,Resolution education  etc.