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Essay / Deontological Ethical Theory: Kant's Perspective on Duty
They face ethical dilemmas in their field and therefore must be prepared to apply ethical principles to guide them when making decisions, relying on professional rather than personal principles and in resolving ethical issues. Social workers are very knowledgeable about the code of ethics, identifying ethical dilemmas and resolving them. An ethical dilemma involves making a decision among different courses of action to choose from and regardless of the outcome of the action, some ethical principles are compromised, meaning there is no perfect solution. However, determining what to do when faced with an ethical dilemma relies on the differences between values, ethics, laws, policies and morals. It is used as a prepositional statement used by social workers to help them take the correct course of action in that particular situation. Ethics relies on rational and logical reason to arrive at a decision. However, value is the meaning of something that we believe is valuable to us. Such values can inspire ideas about how to achieve equality and social justice. As for morality, it describes behaviors that are often used to strengthen relationships. The laws and policies are complex, but social workers are legally required to follow this course of action. For example, a social worker may have to violate the code of ethics as part of a legal obligation to share confidential information and therefore must recognize agencies.