Ethics is recognising that a piece of work has a moral dimension, reasoning about it in a way others can examine, and acting on the conclusion when acting costs something. It covers noticing whose interests are affected and who is not in the room, applying an obligation that binds regardless of convenience, being honest about one's own contribution and one's own errors, and raising a concern through a route that can actually resolve it. It is a practical capability about conduct under pressure rather than a body of philosophical knowledge.
What ethics is not
- It is not compliance. Following a rule because it is a rule is a floor, and much of what this rubric assesses happens where no rule applies. It is not moral certainty or strength of conviction, both of which can accompany bad reasoning. It is not the ability to discuss ethical frameworks, which is knowledge. It is not risk aversion dressed as principle, which stops work without an argument. And it is not judging other people, since a learner fluent in identifying others' failures and silent about their own has not demonstrated it.