Ethics

Ethics are "the rules or standards governing the conduct or members of a profession" and "a set of principles of right conduct." Ethics are the ethos of a person or company, what what they will or won't support and what they believe in.

Ethics can be discussed in three ways: morality, legality and integrity. Legality is to do with the law and what is legally right. Morality is to do with moral students a person or company's responsibility to others and the environment. Integrity is to do with a company's principles.

An example from recent media is Urban Outfitters. They have made offensive products to get attention from the media, these products include: a "Kent State' jumper covered in bloodstains which could be a reference to the 1970 massacre; a shirt covered with the word "depression"; and a shirt with the words "Eat Less". This shows that Urban Outfitters have very little moral compass and are more concerned with whether the products will make money for them and bring in more custom. They probably believe the term "any publicity is good publicity".

Another example is PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) who, as it has recently come to light, do not treat their animals ethically. PETA euthanises animals if they are too ill or injured to continue living, which would be ethical, as they would be put out of their misery and pain, however they also kill animals purely for the reason of lack of space or because they believe that their owners were treating them badly.

In my opinion, companies that do not have good ethics are not responsible companies. I will refuse to work with or use a company unless they are ethical and treat people and animals as they deserve to be treated.