The relationship between ethics and politics Essay

The relationship between ethics and politics - Essay Example Your duty is to weigh the benefits and the harm of your actions. For example, the majority believes that it is entirely wrong and unacceptable to take the life of another. But if you saw a child’s life in danger and the only way that you could save the child was to take the life of another, it would not be unethical to do so, although standards of behaviour dictate that taking the life of another is wrong. Barak Obama: I believe that taking the life of another to save a child does not set a bad example and it reinforces our responsibility to protect children. However, stealing when you can easily ask for food or work for it sets a bad example and would not be acceptable by any standards of conduct. Socrates: Again it is about knowing what is good for you. I cannot be good for you to fail to save a child from eminent harm. Nor can it good for you to steal to feed a child. Moral realism dictates that ignorance is the only form of unethical behaviour. Rational man determines what he thinks is best in each situation. In this regard knowledge motivates action that is appropriate and false perceptions and beliefs motivate inappropriate conduct. Socrates: Not necessarily. There is a human inclination to be corrupted by power so that political institutions tend to be susceptible to timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and tyranny. None of these political institutions are capable of being impartial and are vulnerable to corruption. Socrates: Democracy gives that unsuitable ruler certain rights that permit him to remain in office longer than he should be. He has the right to insist upon a thorough investigation and he has the right to confront his accusers. Socrates: I would have thought that that fact that he was unsuitable would have already been a matter of public record. Still, I would have to say that democracy is the lesser of all the evils of politics. For instance, timocracy is authoritarian and can be compared to military