GREAT CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL DEBATES

Abstract

Ethics or morality, regardless of the form in which they appear, are an important part of the composition of the ideas inherent in human societies. They actually allow us to justify the legal rules and to determine what is allowed or prohibited in the society. At the same time, it involves areas that do not fall directly under attack by the laws, but also explore the meaning of different legal and social norms exposing the values that such norms do not only make them mandatory, but also attractive and motivating for any subject. Ethics and morality are successfully imposed on human societies exactly because of their joint ability to express the meaning and values of a certain normative order of social life.

Some authors give the term ’morality’ an interpretation for solid point which constitutes norms and sense of responsibilities, while ethics, according to them, precedes morality or creates its occurrence (Riceur, 2001:58-89). In actual use morality often refers to pre-established normative order, while ethics is more about questions and uncertainties of the subject that is faced with practical choice. For example, one talks about ‘ethical goa’ in order to describe the state of consciousness of the subject who is trying to make the best moral choice. But there is also a deontological use of the term ‘ethics’ which, on the contrary, is more about rules than the subjective orientation. In can be stated that in a society, there are realistic conditions, trends concerning these moral challenges and the question is how the media, i.e. daily press reflect such situation in the society, and on the other side, how such media image influences the society, or in such areas.