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Financial Reporting and Ethics - The Institute of Chartered ...

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FINANCIAL REPORTING AND ETHICS6.3.1 Broad ClassificationsA broad classification <strong>of</strong> ethical theories differentiates the socialscientists approach from the philosophers’ approach.(a)(b)Descriptive <strong>Ethics</strong>This is also known as comparative ethics. It is the study <strong>of</strong>people’s beliefs about morality. It is a form <strong>of</strong> empirical researchinto the attitudes <strong>of</strong> individuals or groups <strong>of</strong> people. <strong>The</strong> aim isto discover people’s beliefs about such things as values, whichactions are right or wrong, <strong>and</strong> which characteristics <strong>of</strong> moralagents are virtuous. Simply put, it is a factual description <strong>and</strong>explanation <strong>of</strong> moral behaviour <strong>and</strong> beliefs. This the socialscientist approaches.Prescriptive or Normative <strong>Ethics</strong>Normative ethics bridges the gap between meta-ethics <strong>and</strong>applied ethics. It is the attempt to arrive at practical moralst<strong>and</strong>ards that tell us right from wrong, <strong>and</strong> how to live morallives.<strong>The</strong> formulation <strong>of</strong> prescriptions <strong>and</strong> proscriptions about whatwe ought <strong>and</strong> ought not to do. It is a study <strong>of</strong> ethical theories thatprescribes how people ought to act. How should people act?118

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