Ethics is Knowing the Difference Between What You Have the Right to Do and What is Right to Do

In law, ethics refers to a set of moral principles that lawyers must abide by in their work and dealings with other people. These include standards of morality that represent the boundaries of appropriate behaviour and conduct. The author of the quote was referring to the idea that while everyone has the right to do whatever they want with themselves, it isn’t always right to do so, especially when those actions could negatively impact others or society as a whole. Ethics involves knowing how far you can take your rights before they cross into what’s considered wrong.

Basic of Ethics:

Ethics are moral principles that govern behaviour. The philosophy of Ethics started in Ancient Greece with Socrates as well as other philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Hume, Kant and Mill. It evolved because they kept questioning it until they came up with a common definition of Ethics. They all agree that morality can be objective and derive from rational principles that enable an impartial basis for moral judgment. There are different types of Ethics including natural law ethics, utilitarianism, and divine command ethics. Natural law ethics believes that human beings should obey God’s will on Earth through universal natural laws while Utilitarianism believes in being happy at any cost without any morals or consequences while Divine Command theory has absolute beliefs that come from God’s commands. With these three ethical theories, we can make ethical decisions that affect our society by following some type of guideline so we don’t end up making mistakes as they did back then.

“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.”-Potter Stewart.

According to this ethical dilemma, there is an identifiable discrepancy. What one has a right to do does not always equate with what would be considered moral or just. 
This statement can apply in various situations such as health care where most laws governing the industry were passed before recent advances in medical technology had been invented. For example, doctors are bound by law to prioritize the welfare of their patient’s life over those who are already dead; even though they are technically allowed to use any resources available to save a patient’s life. The disparity arises when trying to answer whether a doctor should use an expensive resource for someone who will not survive the procedure rather than for another patient whose chances of survival are higher. The decision that was made by lawmakers based on scarce resources at the time may not necessarily be moral now that medicine has advanced so much. Ethics is concerned with understanding the nuances in all aspects of decision-making. It allows us to contemplate our actions and choose accordingly, giving us all an opportunity to make morally sound decisions. Moral decisions are only ever made after weighing all options, including personal beliefs. Ethical decisions require self-reflection and introspection while keeping morals in mind. As these principles often conflict with each other, both sides must be taken into consideration and weighed carefully before deciding which is more important in the given circumstance.

In many cases, the outcome depends on the person and their ideals, but ethics still provides guidelines for differentiating between what is permissible to do from what should be done. For instance, morality would dictate that one should not steal money from someone else if he or she knows it belongs to them, yet legality might state otherwise. Taking into account the context of both legal and moral reasons before committing an action can help prevent future regretful circumstances. While following through with illegal or immoral actions without a second thought may be tempting, many people find themselves suffering from mental anguish years down the line. Some things could happen as a result of these negative outcomes that cannot easily be forgiven; so never lose sight of your integrity. While doing what you know is wrong may seem like a small thing at the moment, it can lead to severe consequences down the road. If we consciously acknowledge that we have the choice to act according to the way we feel is right, then we take away the ability to excuse ourselves.

Making an ethically sound decision is difficult, but it is also necessary. Every day we are faced with countless opportunities to follow the path that seems easiest and best or to commit to what we believe is right. We should not be afraid of taking responsibility and standing up for what we believe in. Doing what is right may not be easy, but it is the correct moral decision. To do what is right requires a commitment to others and a willingness to sacrifice oneself for others. When we reflect on all of the possibilities, the right decision becomes clear. The right decision should be determined by the moral compass that guides you and what is right for the situation. We all have a moral compass that guides us and helps to point us in the direction of what we should do, but sometimes it’s hard to listen to it. It is worth listening to it and trusting that our intuition is telling us something good. It is our responsibility to guide others and teach them what it means to be an upright citizen. It is not enough to simply say that one has the right to do something, but it’s also essential to ask oneself what the right thing is.