What are ethics and how do they affect decision-making? According to the Santa Clara University, "[ ] [E]thics refers to well based standards of right and wrong [ ]." Ethics are not the same as religion, but "Religion can set high ethical standards and can provide intense motivations for ethical behavior" (Santa Clara University). What about the law? There can be a law in place, but that does not necessarily mean that the law is ethical. An example could be that San Francisco makes it illegal for people to sleep in the parks at night. What about the homeless people that camped out at the parks and now has nowhere else to go? People sleep in the parks during the day, nighttime is not any different except that there are fewer people.
As a society, there are already certain moral standards that are followed when making decisions. For the Christian population, there are the Ten Commandments; a code of ethics that is followed by its believers that has many guidelines and implications. Other examples of these codes of ethic are the Boy Scouts Law, or a doctor's Hippocratic Oath. An ethical decision is affected by these pre-existing codes and laws and as they are accepted by society. These guidelines can mold a decision and can be the basis for the ground rules of a decision making process.
The ground rules for a decision could also be different. In Markkula Center for Applied Ethics: A Framework for Ethical Decision Making, they indicate that, "[ ] individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome". In recognizing that there is a moral dilemma, there also has to be a solution, but that solution can have many outcomes. There are many advantages and disadvantages for these decisions. All of the alternatives and moral perspectives need to be considered thoroughly. There are difficult questions that are asked when making an ethical decision, such as:
How do these decisions affect everyone?
How do these decisions affect the