Ethics In Contemporary Society Essay

The study of ethics explores man’s notion of morality. It refers to the in-depth analysis of the social norms that are used to gauge what is right and what is wrong from our actions. Most of these social norms largely depend on our view of life and its value. This is where â€Å"bioethics† was based. Although all the moral principles stem from the basic social norm that life should be valued, it should be noted that overtime, the way in which life is esteemed and prized changes. In other words, though the notion of preserving and promoting life seems to be the core principle of morality, the interpretations of the importance of life, along with the basis of its value change sporadically from time to time. Advancement and changes in the view of life Technological and medical innovations have delivered various changes in the life of mankind. These advancements have brought about ease and comfort in our day to day living. Such innovations were deemed as necessary tools for progress, advancement and expansion towards a more developed state of industrialization. Such innovations were made to fulfill an end goal of having a world where each and every human being will find a better state of life. However, the rise of this modern civilization did not only produce improvements in the way of living. Rather, it also introduced modifications in our values. In essence, the modern civilization that leans on science, technology, and capitalism proved to be the major basis for the creation of the evolving views on life and living. This modern society brought about by deemed advancements challenged our social norms and created a new sense of consciousness and appreciation for life. As what can be observed, the various bioethical dilemmas that remain to be very arguable issues these days stemmed from the introduction of scientific and technological advancements. Generally, it seems that the advancements that were created and invented by man not only enabled us to have power and control over our physical landscape. Rather, these granted us a certain level of empowerment that allowed us to generate the notion that we can challenge the traditional parochial view of life and living. As such, many issues that address the concept of life and death have risen. The question, however, remains the same: should these challenges to the norm beneficial or do these changes just contribute to the disintegration of society and ruin of moral integrity? No common ground Abortion, â€Å"mercy killing,† â€Å"mercy death,† and â€Å"letting people die† are just among the pressing bioethical issues that continue to haunt not only the medical sector, but the entire society. Apparently, issues that involved life and death stem from our various points of view regarding how, why, and when life should be valued and in what degree. Although all worldviews seem to agree that everybody should place value on life, the basis on how it should be valued changes over time and place. For example, it should be noted that issues on â€Å"mercy killing† stem from the fact that people are faced with the dilemma on what should be prioritized: life as merely the chance to breathe or life as a state of actual living. Also, the introduction of innovations to man’s way of life largely prompted many people to disregard the supreme thought that â€Å"everyone has the right to live. † Instead, more and more people are adapting the thought that life should be valued only if the person will enjoy more benefits that sufferings in the life that he is bound to pursue. Radically, the importance of life has changed from â€Å"being supremely important† to â€Å"becoming important on the grounds of the rewards and punishments that it may bring. † Unfortunately, the dilemma of choosing which of these life views are better for our society will be left unanswered unanimously for each of us will hold his own set of moral opinion, that is again, largely influenced by the degree of technological advancement that enveloped each of our lives. Reference: Thiroux, Jacques P. (2006). Ethics: Theory and Practice. Prentice Hall