Social ethics: components, characteristics and examples

Human beings live in a society, whether we like it or not. We interact with other people, either directly or indirectly, and our actions may have repercussion at the social level, which is why not everything is allowed and we must think very well before Act.

The idea of ​​social ethics is somewhat complex, but broadly speaking, it refers to the values ​​that people have in society as a whole so that our behavior does not cause harm but our rights continue to be respected. Let's take a closer look at this complex concept, in addition to seeing its components and some examples.

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What is social ethics?

Social ethics is a concept that deals with the moral conduct of individuals as well as their collective reality and the combination of their individualities. It's about all the norms of behavior that people have to be able to live peacefully with others, respecting their own physical and moral integrity and that of others.

That is, it is about those socially desirable behaviors that should be carried out in a society so that this is a good space for coexistence in which to live.

The idea of ​​social ethics is complex, since it implies establish what are the appropriate actions and behaviors that all people should carry out or avoid doing within a given society. Although it is legitimate for everyone to think of their own good, it is necessary to have empathy and respect for others, since if they did not, everyone would think selfishly, behaving too Liberty. The excessive freedom of one can be the prison of another.

Although the idea of ​​social ethics starts from the fundamental principle of respecting the rights of others so that one's rights are respected, it should be noted that each understands in a different way what is socially appropriate. Thus, social ethics can vary, since it varies depending on the ability of people in a society to see to what extent their actions involve consequences at the social level.

For example, the idea of ​​recycling is today an ethical-social obligation, since it implies respecting the environment so that future generations can live on an uncontaminated planet. However, in previous decades the population was not aware of this, which did not reduce their consumption of plastics or reduce carbon emissions. Although they did not know the damage their actions were doing, they had social repercussions that will determine the standard of living of humanity in the future.

Components of social ethics

According to the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, social ethics is made up of three components: the family, society and the State.

The family

The family is the first human group with which we have contact, and it is through it that we are acquiring different types of values, including those of a social type.

It is within the family that norms are instilled that regulate the behavior of its members, both towards the rest of the family and towards the community. It is a fundamental environment where values ​​are learned such as not doing harm to others, respecting the opinion of others, respecting the property of other people, sharing ...

Clearly each family has its own educational style and therefore their idea of ​​what is socially ethical varies. It is based on these differences that will condition its members to adapt and be more respectful of the ethical norms of society.

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The society

Society is the human group, of macroscopic size, that is in charge of creating the norms and laws that support what is considered socially ethical. That is, the society of each region, country or culture of the world It is the one in charge of deciding what is considered a socially accepted behavior and what is not.

This can depend on various aspects such as culture, religion, historical context, and past events. For example, the socially ethical in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century was very different from today if we speak, for example, of respecting people regardless of their race.

The state

The state is responsible for applying and enforcing the social ethics shared by most of a society. Although not all social norms have to be typified in the penal code, many of them, such as the respect for life by criminalizing murder or the defense of private property by punishing theft, they have basic laws ethics.

It is thanks to the State that it is possible to protect individuals as a whole, preventing everyone from doing whatever they want without questioning the ethics of her actions. That is, it is through the application of justice that social ethics is protected and imposed, offering rights and imposing obligations on all individuals in society.

Characteristics of social ethics

Among the main characteristics of social ethics we find the following.

1. Regulates human behavior

Social ethics, both imposed through state laws and accepted by society as a whole in the form of socially imposed norms, regulates human behavior.

It implies everything that should be done and what should not be done to have a good coexistence, which makes people behave in the way that society requires us to do.

2. Create universal principles

Socially ethical norms are transformed into universal principles, with a reduced degree of flexibility and very difficult to break, given their social and criminal consequences.

Yes OK breaking a universal principle is not synonymous with committing a crimeDoing so can put the individual in a very bad position in front of the rest of society, losing repercussion or seeing its status in it jeopardized.

An example of a universal principle whose violation does not imply legal consequences is to say hello. Although trivial, not greeting other people can be seen as an antisocial act that, although not legal implications, it can lead to the rejection of the rest of society towards the individual who does not follow the universal principle.

A clear example of a socially ethical principle that, if broken, implies legal action is the principle of not killing. This is universal to the extent that it is accepted by the majority of individuals in a society and shared from culture to culture. Not respecting it implies not only the rejection of society, but also the application of legal penalties.

3. It is the implementation of values

Each person has values ​​that depend on the family and the society in which they live. Actions in favor of social benefit from an ethical-social perspective are, in essence, the implementation of those values.

For example, if we have the courage not to harm others, we can put it into practice not only respecting the lives of others, but also helping them and doing their utmost to benefit the neighbor.

4. Coercion is not accepted

The idea of ​​social ethics states that prosocial actions must be done voluntarily. That is, no one should be forced to perform actions beneficial to others, but should come from within: he or she should be the one who has the will and initiative to help the most disadvantaged, get involved in social causes, contribute to the progress of the society...

Universal ethical-social principles

Although each culture is different, it is true that many ethical-social principles are universal. Next we will see a few that are either only accepted on a social level or, in addition, have laws that regulate them.

1. Respect and care for nature

Nature must be respected and conserved so that all human beings can continue to live healthily.

If we abuse animal and plant species and do not protect the environment, we run the risk that it will gradually wear out, causing food shortages and social problems such as poverty, ethnic conflict and wars for control of resources

Although there are many states that have laws that prohibit polluting or exploiting some animal and plant resources, the truth is that this principle is not as universal as others.

2. Be kind and generous to others

Being kind to others is a universal principle that, although it is not penalized, it is it is considered a prosocial behavior necessary to be considered a well-adjusted individual in society.

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3. Respect for the institutions and current legislation

Although this principle can be controversial, since the current legality of a state does not have to be socially fairIt is true that respect for the law is a universal principle.

It is because if they do not comply with the laws, everyone could do what they want, and in many of these laws there are values ethical-social that, although they are desirable, are only respected when there is a law that prohibits behaving in a transgressive way towards that value.

4. Respect the rights of other people

Based on the principle that if we want to be respected we must respect others. We all have rights and obligations And, in the event that someone does not respect us, most states have laws to ensure that they receive the corresponding sanction.

5. Respect freedom of thought

Nobody is the same and, much less, thinks in the same way. Everyone has had experiences that influence their way of perceiving the world, with which each person has the thought of it.

Freedom of thought is considered a universal principle, at least in Western countries, since not respecting it is considered, in most cases, a violation of human rights.

However, this principle has its limits, since if the opinion implies intolerance or harm to other people, it is breaking two other principles, that is, that of being tolerant of human diversity and that of not doing harm to the rest.

6. Do not steal or murder

Although these are two different principles, they have in common that most countries view robbery and murder as crimes. From this it can be inferred that the principles of respecting the property of others and the lives of others are universally recognized ethical-social values, and that breaking them entails serious penalties legal.

Bibliographic references.

• Roldán, A.F, (2006). What do we understand by social ethics? Two views on the subject. Theology and Culture, Year 3, Vol. 5.
• Ulman, Y. (2015). Social Ethics. In: Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics, pp. 1-11 DOI 10.1007 / 978-3-319-05544-2_395-1.