Social Ethics

Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics, Henk ten Have, Editör, Springer-Verlag , İstanbul, ss.1-11, 2015

Abstract

The ethical values and behaviors are not only abstract terms, but they are refined and conceptualized by

real-life experiences. The societal context where the actions of humans can be analyzed by ethical

decision-making is entirely relevant to deliberate on what is the right thing to do and what the moral

agent should do, since the ethical values and principles response to the actual practices of life and to the

needs of humans in the society. This elaboration takes us to the realm of social ethics.

This article reviews the definition and contextual meaning of social ethics at a broader level by giving

special emphasis to the ethical theories and principles, focusing on the societal and public setting. Ethics

will be deliberated with social and community aspects. Based on the principle of justice and public health

ethics, the concept of social ethics has been investigated concisely through the relationship between man,

as a moral person, and the society in exemplification of the issues of healthcare ethics. It is argued that the

tension between individualism and communitarian needs can be reconciled with the perspective of social

ethics by respecting the individual autonomy without disregarding the common good and social justice.

By promoting the values of social responsibility, solidarity, and social utility, social ethics has been

proposed as the basis of a rational, moral, egalitarian, pluralistic, democratic society rising on the pillars of

human rights and human dignity.

Keywords

Ethics; Ethical theories; Ethical principles; Beneficence; Non-maleficence; Autonomy; Justice; Common

good; Distributive justice; Equality; Individual freedom; Public health ethics; Public reason; Social rights;

Social utility; Solidarity; Social responsibility