Ethics is Always Above The Law - Essay Example

Reflection EssayI will start this paper by highlighting that ethics is always above law. According to my understanding, law should not be considered as the only prerequisite to maintain stability and order within a society and a business organization. For instance, I would like to argue that the employees (no matter unskilled workers or highly skilled engineers and professionals) should have certain moral standards and values that could result in greatest good for greater number in a society.

Nonetheless, engineers have their own liability to their firm and society since they are required to develop fool-proof buildings and well-designed property units so that the probability of accidents reduces. This is not only the requirement by law but also it is one’s professional responsibility to remain honest as the stakeholders associated with the organization otherwise will have to bear the burdens from accidents and self-triggered catastrophes. I would argue that that no researcher, mathematician and actuary specialist could truly estimate the worth / value of human life in quantitative terms because there is no generally acceptable formula for this purpose.

Therefore, the professionals have to consider the risks involved in certain technical jobs and tasks. In addition, I would maintain that engineers also have responsibility to remain open to any direct criticisms and negative feedbacks regarding their work quality to avert the possibility of crisis and unpredictable events.Technological developments have contributed significantly in globalization of this world as well as have supported organizations and customers because new (innovated) products could be produced and offered speedily and cheaply to masses.

For instance, I would argue that technology facilitates in product innovation, which benefits society because a large of variety of want-satisfying products are available in marketplace to benefit their end-users. Similarly, technology facilitates process innovation that, in turn, enables producers to reduce their costs, enhance productivity and maximize shareholders’ wealth. However, i would like to endorse that it is unethical to use technology to produce either socially detrimental products from socially irresponsible production methods or responsible products from harmful methods mainly because consumer, employee and environmental safety are all at stake.

Next, the environmental degradation (global warming, ozone layer, carbon emissions, acid rains etc.) is also against ecological ethics since it leads to resource depletion (marine life and natural assets). Proponents of Utilitarian approach also buttress my aforementioned explanation by arguing that we should leave, at least, the same amount of resources for our future generation that we received from our previous generation. The calculation of risks (through any generally accepted methods) associated with procurement, production, distribution, and use of different forms of energy is, indeed, a relatively better option to identify the extent of damages and adverse consequences to a society.

However, I would argue that statisticians should consider all political, socio-cultural, economic, legal, environmental and technological factors to come up with near-to-accurate estimates. For instance, if some factors are missed either intentionally or unintentionally then the probability that calculations are err-free would be low. As a result the policies that would be formulated on the basis of such risk calculations will be flawed, thereby leading to undesired consequences such as waste of organizational / societal resources.