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Ethics deals with morality of the human acts, but the question is when does an act ethical or unethical?
Human actions are judged as ethical or unethical depending on the circumstances surrounding
the same and based on certain standards generally accepted by a particular community or group
of people. For example, the issue of mutilation or the cutting of a limb or integral part of the body or the suppresion
of any of its functions is morally wrong, but what if one's foot must be amputated to stop the toxemia and the spread
of infection to the whole body that could lead to the loss of ones life? Or the removal of malfunctioning kidney that can lead to
poison to the person suffering. Man in this case can interfere with the administration
of his body when the preservation of his health and life demands so. Surgical mutilation of organs and
and functions is morally permissible when there is reasonable hope for a general improvement of the
whole organism. Plastic surgery for correction of physical defects is morally justified when a person may gain
a certain good in doing so.
Sterilization is also immoral because it is the direct suppression of bodily organs that are needed for reproduction both for man and woman,
but if sterilization is the only way to stop the growth of malignant tumor that could threathen the health and life of an individual,
sterilization becomes ethical.
Killing is immoral, but to kill a person for self-defense is moral because man has right and duty to preserve
his life. When it is required for national security or for the common good of the community as in the case of
criminals sentenced to death and of enemy soldiers during war, killing is justified.
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