That ethics has become so controversial reflects the individual nature of ethics. Each individual choice is imbued with certain ethical assumptions, but those assumptions will vary from person to person. Only when those assumptions are shared by a large enough segment of society do they become norms. For the individual, the choice often becomes the decision between one's personal code of ethics and that of society as a whole.
Even the way ethics are measured is controversial. Some measure ethics based on outcomes, a school known as consequentialism; others measure ethics based on the decision itself, regardless of outcome. This is the deontological school of ethics. Our legal system is based mainly on deontological ethics, yet our laws do not cover the full gamut of deontological ethical violations.
While ethics in business and among politicians grab headlines, ethical dilemmas touch every aspect of society. Within economics, for example, significant controversy can arise when economists disagree. Often, there are ethical considerations to these disagreements. These stem from the ethics associated with motivation.
Economists find work in fields such as banking, government and non-profit organizations. Economists in each of these institutions, however, are often faced with the same ethical decisions as other researchers. This traces back to funding. Governments have biases and motivations, as do private enterprise. Non-profit organizations, such as the Cato Institute, put on a veneer...
When an economic researcher reaches a conclusion that supports a position that benefits the researcher's financial backers, immediately questions are raised concerning ethics.
This paper addresses the issue of ethics within the sphere of economic research. It is hypothesized that economic research is fraught with ethical dilemmas, particularly because the researcher sets the parameters of research design. Occasionally, biases such as sources of funding may be disclosed, but often this is not the case. This paper will address the issue of the ethics of economic research, with respect to findings that support the biases of the researcher's financial backers.
Works Cited
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Smith, Lynn. (2002). Are Women Indeed the Fairer Sex? Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2009 at http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jun/28/news/lv-women28
