Since beginning humans have tried to develop and enhance ways to communicate and interact with others. Instinct guides human behaviour in this but naturally that behaviour ranges from pure good to pure evil from person to person based on their mentality.
God occasionally sent prophets who defined for the people rules to follow. Then there came from time to time intellectuals and philosophers too that preached their own version of ethical values. These rules and values were meant to determine people’s course of lives and it was expected that they will not diverge from this righteous path.
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about morals – what is good and what is bad in our everyday intents, decisions and actions. Societies documented them in legislative books and made constitutions. Law enforcement agencies were established to ensure rule of law. Some followed the teachings of prophets exactly while some amended them. Some followed philosophers.
Different sources influence the ethical values and laws prevailing in a society. Without getting into the debate of which is the better source; aim has always been to have a set of values that controls people’s actions and wins them the title of being truly civilised.
Rules and values that are documented in books of corporate governance are termed professional ethics or business ethics.
The aim is not to let business mistreat the client and at the same time to safeguard the veracity of profession. Both clients and the people belonging to that profession benefit from this. Most professions have devised some sort of codes that people belonging to them must follow.
It is expected from a true practitioner that they will adhere to the standards set by these codes. This also makes sure that professionals who act in accordance with these standards will not be undermined commercially by those who are ethically less enlightened. Moreover, it helps in maintaining public’s trust in that profession.
Today one of the major issues affecting our Pakistani society is lack of ethics and standards that has led us to a place where we see no hope. We have become apathetic society – not a nation anymore rather a mob of people in which everyone is pulling others’ legs just to meet their own desires.
Socially dead, economics ruined, identity lost; we are living ugly lives with deplorable minds harvesting vile thoughts. The only things we all are running after like hungry animals are money and power. Voraciousness has taken over our minds and souls. We are more concerned with money and possessions instead of spiritual, emotional, or cultural values.
The only way to end this rat race is to eradicate ethical misery. We need to live lives we were supposed to live as human beings, not what we are living right now. And this can only happen if men of good moral values group and strive together. We should not let ethics be limited to books only; rather their practice must be stressed.
Our interaction with fellow humans must be subjected to ethical values like humanity, love, respect and sincerity. We will have to step up, assimilate and adhere to our religious beliefs to get back what we have lost.
HANNAN KHALID
Rawalpindi
