Teaching ethics in an unethical setting: "doing nothing" is neither good nor right

Abstract

Does it make sense to teach ethics in an unethical setting? Should teachers who work in morally compromised institutions make an effort to introduce biomedical ethics to the curriculum? Using the medical establishment in contemporary India as a window to understanding the challenge of teaching ethics in an unethical setting, this article attempts to discuss issues pertaining to ethics education in institutions with a weak ethical climate. Putting ethics into practice is the essence of ethics education and in this the integrity of the teacher and the moral environment of the institution play significant roles. The choice or decision to "do nothing" is not necessarily value neutral; rather, given the deteriorating ethos in medical establishments, it goes directly against the principles of "doing good" and "avoiding harm". Practitioners of the art of healing have a moral obligation to protect, uphold and nurture the cause of ethics in medicine. Teaching and learning ethics should be initiated -- not pushed aside -- even in unethical institutional settings.