What Does “Ethical Implications” Mean?

The phrase “ethical implications” gets thrown around a lot, but without much explanation. What does this phrase actually mean?

In this post, we will be covering what exactly “ethical implications” means and why it is important.

What Does “Ethical Implications” Mean?

The phrase “ethical implications” refers to the implied moral outcome of any particular action or decision. To “consider the ethical implications” of something means to question whether or not the result of the taken action will be morally good or evil in the eyes of society.

You can consider the “ethical implications” of just about any action. Really, this phrase just means “thinking about whether or not something is good or evil before you do it”. Say that you are interested in a product that you see at a store, but you cannot afford to buy it.

So, you wonder if you should steal the product instead of buying it. During the course of your internal debate, you ask “would it be wrong to do this?”. Simply thinking about this question is “considering the ethical implications” of what you plan to do.

Of course, there are far more serious examples. Scientific research requires individuals to question the ethical implications of what they are doing all the time. Say, for instance, that researchers are considering a study in which they will test medical treatments on rats.

There is a high chance that many of the rats may die in this study, and otherwise endure a painful experience. However, if the research goes well, the scientists may be able to save human lives with what they learn.

Is it right or wrong to conduct the study? Should animal suffering be avoided no matter what, even if the outcome could save human lives? Or is it the right thing to do to take whatever measures necessary, even harming other living beings, to save people?

Regardless of the conclusion made, simply thinking about this would be “considering the ethical implications” of the research.

Ethical Implications in Research

There are many ethical implications in areas of research. Generally speaking, there are two types of ethical implications that are asked in research settings:

• Will the results of this research be moral or immoral?
• Is the research process being considered moral or immoral?

For the first example, consider the Manhattan Project: the research project that led to the creation of nuclear bombs. No one was being hurt during the project, so there was no question as to whether or not the research process itself was immoral.

However, everyone knew that the result of their research would be a weapon of terrible destructive power. They did have to consider the “ethical implications” of creating such a devastating weapon, such as what it would be used for and why.

Sometimes, the end goal of research is undeniably good, but one must consider the ethical implications of how they get there. For instance, many research projects involve testing on animals. Some of the animals may suffer negative effects or even die.

However, the goal is to learn things that can help people. There are ethical implications to consider here as well. Do the ends justify the means? Is human life worth more than animal life? Is one human life worth a hundred animal lives? These are common ethical implications considered in research.

Ethical Implications in Business

The ethical implications of business are, unfortunately, often overlooked or ignored. Sometimes, they aren’t even considered at all. Ethical implications in business includes thinking about the good and bad things that will come from business decisions.

For instance, perhaps a company wants to lower the cost of making their product, so they can make a bigger profit when they sell it. In order to do this, they consider using sweat shops or other morally questionable methods of outsourcing to lower the cost of their product.

Considering the “ethical implications” of this decision would include questioning how the workers will be affected, the jobs that won’t be created in their own country, and the quality of product that they are providing to customers, all for the sake of personal gain. Is it moral or immoral to do it?

Unfortunately, many individuals in business do consider the ethical implications of their decisions, but they often don’t care if those implications are unethical.

Ethical Implications in Technology

When it comes to technology, “ethical implications” mostly just refers to how it is used or will be used. For instance, imagine for a minute that someone was capable of inventing X-ray goggles that could easily be distributed to the masses.

Considering the “ethical implications” in this regard would be determining whether or not this invention would be to the overall benefit of society, or if too many people would use it for ill. Thus, the inventor has to ask themselves if it’s right to even make the technology in question.

Ethical Implications in Healthcare

In healthcare, there are many times where one must consider the ethical implications of things. Be it nursing, surgery, or pharmaceutical, medical decisions can significantly impact peoples’ lives, or even end them. One must always consider the ethical implications of what they are doing in healthcare.

Should you recommend treatments that are unlikely to work to desperate patients? Is it right to keep someone alive if they will spend the rest of their life suffering? Who gets to decide when someone is beyond saving and who receives every possible measure of care?

These are all ethical implications to be considered in healthcare.

Ethical Implications in Education

Ethical implications in education are mostly limited to questioning the morality of different decisions in education policy. Is it moral for colleges to be run like a business? Are some kids too hopeless to bother tutoring? Should school lunches be made free to everyone attending?

The ethical implications in this field are mostly just about whether or not it is right or wrong to enact certain policies in schools.