Ethics is about what is acceptable and what cannot be accepted within the society (Cox 89). Culture is the main determinant of what is morally right and wrong. The term refers to beliefs, attitudes, traditions and norms that guide the way people live and how they conduct their lives. There is therefore a thin line between culture and ethical issues. This explains why some actions may be regarded as morally tight in certain nations why disregarded in others. For this reason, ethical issues are subjective in nature and also dynamic. They may change depending on the society’s stage of development. Secondly, ethical issues may also change depending on what the society aims at achieving.
According to many researchers, ethics could be explained as a reflection of the subjective nature of human beings (Bishop 78). This is the subjective nature which is determined by the cultural beliefs which one ascribes to. They determine how one judges something to be right or wrong. It is referred to as subjective owing to the fact that such people cannot give any rational or objective reasons as to why one ethical issues is acceptable or not. For instance, there are those who support abortion while others do not. Both of these people cite ethical issues as the basis for their rationale.
Though subjectivity is mostly disregarded by most policy makers, it is imperative to note that some form of it is necessary. Subjectivity for instance provides an individual with an opportunity to reflect on the fundamental rights of human beings. The right to life for instance has made many nations disregard what is being referred to as euthanasia.
One can also use subjective issues in a more objective way. This may be achieved through being open to any other views from other parts of the world. Being empathetic is imperative in making subjective matters more rational. One should know that there is no single explanation to social issues by acquiring what a sense of tolerance.
Reference
Cox, R. T. Algebra of Probable Inference, the Johns Hopkins University Press. 2001
Bishop, C.M. Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning. Springer …