Principles of Ethics Essay.
Principles of Ethics
Instructions:
Compose a 2-page paper, that describes a particular moral-ethical dilemma that you encountered and what the outcome of that dilemma was. Did you solve the dilemma? If so, how? If not, what were the repercussions or consequences? What would you do differently if faced with the same problem today? What is the importance of good ethics? Why should we be concerned about our actions?
Solution
Principles of Ethics Essay.
Morals refer to the behavioral standards of an individual with respect to what is acceptable in their daily activities. Ethics on the other hand refer to unstated general rules of conduct within a given system such as a societal setting (Landauer & Rowlands, 2001). A dilemma is a difficult decision involving two or more options that are mutually exclusive alternatives. A moral-ethical dilemma is a difficult decision, in which each option usually involves an outcome that goes against personal values and beliefs.
An example of an ethical dilemma I faced involved a close friend of mine, whom I considered a brother. We had grown up together in the same neighborhood, attended the same school, and each called the other’s parents ‘mother’ and ‘father’. The neighborhood we lived in was quite dangerous, with most youths and teens engaging in some form of crime. As children, we made a promise to protect each other in every way possible, especially from crime. However, as we reached the age of seventeen, my brother, Dan, drifted away from me. He started hanging out with our ‘blacklisted’ neighborhood kids while distancing himself from me. However, the gang members ceased targeting or harassing my entire family and me in any way, since as far as they were concerned, Dan was my blood brother. I was faced with a difficult decision. Informing on Dan would go against all my code of friendship and our promises. It would also endanger my family, as his new friends would target them. On the other hand, keeping his activity a secret would endanger his entire life plan and his life itself.
In this particular situation, I did not implement any solution. I was incapable of losing my friend or endangering my family. This had numerous consequences and repercussions, which are in effect up to the present day. One of the consequences is that I broke my promise to my brother, whom I had promised to protect from the life of crime. As a result, he bonded further with his “friends”, who lured him further into the life of crime and drug abuse. I kept convincing myself that I would later on go back and help Dan reform once I had enough financial resources to set him up with another life. However, upon contacting him, he pushed me away and said that he loved the life to which he had grown accustomed. Consequently, we drifted further than ever before, to the extent that I felt like I did not know him before. Our bond faded away and was erased by time such that we rarely held normal conversations void of awkward silence and pauses. His mother was sorrowful because of her son’s activities, which she had come to know about. Thus, I also lost a family.
If I were to face the same situation today, I would handle things differently. Looking back, I did not weigh my options correctly, as both outcomes resulted in the loss of a close friend. I am now a firm believer of the greater good moral concept, in which the most effective outcome with maximum gain in the event of a moral dilemma is chosen (Sheskin & Baumard, 2016). In this case, I would lose Dan as a friend, but his life would be preserved in the end. This would also save his mother the agony of losing a son to the life of crime.
Evidently,
good ethics are an important aspect of human life (Landauer & Rowlands, 2001).
They ensure that we look out for each other accordingly while minimizing any
forms of social evils. This mitigates discord within the society, which
enhances the coexistence among varying people. These ethical practices should
be accompanied by the moral standards of each individual as a guide in
decision-making. This would result in considerate action and full
acknowledgement of consequences. In the event of conflict among the various
ethics and morals, the individual should weigh the possible outcomes, and then
come to a decision based on the available information.
References
Landauer, J., & Rowlands, J. (2001). Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.importanceofphilosophy.com/Ethics_Main.html
Sheskin, M., & Baumard, N. (2016). Switching away from utilitarianism: The limited role of utility calculations in moral judgment. PLoS ONE 11(8): e0160084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160084