Ethics & Human Interface: Dimensions & Applied Ethics

1. Introduction, Scope & Importance of Ethics

Cue Words	Notes
Definitions & Quotes	Albert Camus: "A man without ethics is a wild beast loose upon this world." Ethics is the study of moral questions and principles that guide human conduct, distinguishing good from bad actions. Derived from Greek Ethos (character). Evaluates the nature of obligations people owe to themselves and society, aiming for Summum Bonum (the Highest Good / Definitive Happiness).
Importance of Ethics	Ensures Individual & Social Good: Guides human behavior to balance personal welfare with collective harmony (e.g., farmers adopting water-saving irrigation). Provides Moral Framework: Acts as a navigational map for complex moral dilemmas. Frees from Bias & Prejudice: Deconstructs stereotypes and promotes impartial, inclusive decision-making.
Scope & Voluntary Human Acts	Scope is restricted to Human Actions (voluntary, conscious, deliberate actions performed with freedom of choice) as opposed to mere Actions of Humans (involuntary/reflex actions like blinking or breathing). Widens with emerging technologies (AI, Gene Editing, Surrogacy).

2. Four Main Branches / Dimensions of Ethics

Cue Words	Notes
Descriptive Ethics	Studies what people and cultures actually believe to be moral. Uses empirical observation to document moral practices, taboos, and historical customs (e.g., Kohlberg's theory of moral development; studying public attitudes toward Facial Recognition Technology).
Meta-Ethics	Investigates the nature, origin, and meaning of ethical terms itself ("Ethics about Ethics"). Asks fundamental questions: What does 'good' mean? Why is stealing wrong? (e.g., analyzing the philosophical justification behind the Jain practice of Santhara).
Normative (Prescriptive) Ethics	Establishes norms, standards, and criteria for how people ought to act. Formulates foundational theories of moral obligation: Deontology (Duty Ethics): Kantian categorical imperative—action is intrinsically right if done out of duty regardless of consequence. Consequentialism / Utilitarianism: Action judged by outcome—greatest happiness for greatest number (Bentham, J.S. Mill). Virtue Ethics: Focuses on moral character of the agent (Aristotle).
Applied Ethics	Application of moral theories to specific, real-world dilemmas in private, professional, and public life.

3. Domains of Applied Ethics

Cue Words	Notes
Bioethics	Ethical issues in biology and medicine: abortion, euthanasia, surrogacy, organ allocation, gene editing (CRISPR), human cloning, and stem cell research.
Business & Corporate Ethics	Corporate governance, fair wages, protection of whistleblowers, avoidance of insider trading, and environmentally responsible supply chains (e.g., e-waste recycling).
Environmental Ethics	Moral obligation of humans toward non-human nature, biodiversity, and future generations. Addresses climate justice, eco-centric vs anthropocentric views, and sustainable consumption.
International Ethics	Ethical principles governing state behavior in international relations: fair trade deals vs predatory debt-traps, climate justice, refugee protection, and ethical regulation of warfare/cyberattacks.
Media & AI Ethics	Media Ethics: Avoiding fake news, maintaining objectivity, preventing invasion of privacy (paparazzi), avoiding "gotcha" journalism, and preventing live telecast of anti-terror combat operations. AI Ethics: Algorithmic bias, accountability in autonomous systems (self-driving cars), deepfakes, mass facial surveillance privacy violations, and digital divide.

4. Key Ethical Theories Underlying Applied Domains

Cue Words	Notes
Principlism in Bioethics (Beauchamp & Childress)	A widely-used, textbook-recognized four-principle framework for medical/bioethical decisions: Autonomy (respecting patient's right to decide), Beneficence (acting in the patient's best interest), Non-maleficence (do no harm), and Justice (fair distribution of healthcare resources) — directly applicable to GS4 questions on euthanasia, organ allocation, and consent.
UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021)	The first global standard-setting instrument on AI ethics, adopted by all UNESCO member states, emphasizing human rights, transparency, accountability, and environmental sustainability of AI systems — a real, citable international instrument for AI ethics answers.