ABSTRACT

The topic of ethics and politics examines whether there is any relationship between private ethics—the ethics of everyday life regarding how private individuals treat one another—and the ethics of politics and political action. It also asks the question regarding what standards of conduct are expected of political leaders and whether there is a unique ethics of political action. Historically, the issue of how ethics and politics were related was a religious question, but increasingly the topic, at least in the West, is a secular one now. Questions of political ethics now explore issues about the conduct of the state in international affairs, public officials, citizens, and matters of public policy.