ETHC 445N Week 1 Discussion 1: Helen’s Wisdom of Friends Dilemma

Professor and Class,

          Helen is at a little dilemma with this situation to lie or not to lie on a job application. The first of the friends Henry, suggested that she lie on the application making him more of a consequentialist because the ends justify the means (Ruggiero, 2012).  Henry feels like the appropriate action is necessary to get the outcome that Helen ultimately needs. Her second friend, Jennifer, supports and trusts that Helen will make a good honest choice and therefore she is considered to be deontological. Jennifer cares however she is give’s a general expectation that Helen will make the right decision and the principle is the main idea of her decision making. The last friend, George, stated that Helen should never lie and even though there was a slim chance of getting caught and this would make him more care-based. George seems to be more concerned with the principle also but that the impact of the lie may have on others made me sway more toward the care-based ethics.

            I can definitely see how other people with same approaches may arrive at different kinds of advice because everyone’s thought process is different and everyone’s morals are different. I think that this situation had a lot to do with the moral detector in the specific person to whom you are opposing the question to. I think it depends on what you are taught and what you have taking into action as something you personally see as right or wrong. I don’t always think that people are raised on what is right and wrong I think as people grown older, they adopt their own way of right and wrong. If you are looking for an example look the responses to this post, they are prime examples!

            Out of the Three Primary Schools Ethics I feel like is my style already would be the Deontological. I don’t really worry about what other people should do I more trust them to do what they believe to be right or wrong. I leave the majority of the options to others to make their own decisions. A recent article regarding surgeons and ethics importance described ethics as “…the discussion of what one should do given a certain set of circumstances, can serve as a way of coping with the underdetermination problem (Keune & Kodner, 2014). This article has another perspective of ethics in the environment of surgery and gives further support of the idea that same situation can be approached in different way.

References

Keune, J., & Kodner, I. (2014). The importance of an ethics curriculum in surgical education. World Journal of Surgery : Official Journal of the International Society of Surgery/société Internationale De Chirurgie, 38(7), 1581-1586. doi:10.1007/s00268-014-2569-0

Ruggiero, V. R. (2012). Thinking critically about ethical issues (8th ed.). New York: Mc-Graw Hill.

Hello Classmates and Professor,

            Starting with Henry, the best Three Primary Schools of Ethics Henry would be referencing is Consequentialist.  In Consequentialist theories, the main ideas relate to happiness that might come with possible consequence (Page, K., 2019).  For example, Helen’s white lie on the resume may benefit her in getting the job but the consequence can be the employer finding out Helen does not have the appropriate experience for the job.  In Jennifer’s response, Care-Based theories best fit her statement.  Jennifer knows Helen is an honest person and would make a decision just as Jennifer would have (Page, K., 2019).  In other words, Jennifer would not claim she had the three years of experience and expects Helen would not as well.  George response is more Deontological theories.  George focuses his response with simply doing the right thing in every situation (Page, K., 2019). 

            I could imagine other people using the same approaches to arrive at different kinds of advice.  If example, if someone wanted to take short cut in doing a homework assignment such as plagiarism, the individual may ask themselves if they should do it.  I can’t imagine if everyone uses the same approach though.  Moral relativism is the idea that there are no universal moral standards applies to everyone (Ruggiero, R., 2012).  Therefore, there is somebody that does not use this approach. 

            I feel like I use all of the Primary School of Ethics combine together.  There is no single theory I use specifically. It also depends on the situation.  If I had a one-time coupon for a free coffee but the barista did not take my coupon. I would use the coupon again knowing the coupon was a one-time use.  When the situation comes down to school, I am honest and always do the right thing in such as Deontological theories in always doing the right thing regardless of situation (Page, K., 2019).

References

Page, K. (2019). Week 1 Lesson: Ethics and Aristotle [Lecture notes]. Retrieved from Chamberlain College of Nursing.

Ruggiero, R. (2012). Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

    I believe Henry is replying in the Care-based primary school of ethics. According to our module reading, this theory asks you to empathize with others. You help them make decision-based on what you would wish done for yourself (Chamberlain, 2019). Henry emphasizes and says how happy they will be with Helen’s work so it’s okay to tell a little lie. Jennifer’s response is more the deontological theory. This is the theory focuses on which choices are morally required, forbidden, or permitted (Alexander & Moore, 2016). Jennifer is trying to make Helen focus on what she feels is right, Helen knows honesty is the right thing. Lastly, George is a consequentialist. George emphasizes that getting caught lying can do harm even though it might seem small and harmless.

·      I can imagine other people using the same approaches to arrive at different kinds of advice for another type of situation. I do believe that every person gives different advice depending on their past history. This same approach can be used for someone that wants to fake call in a sick workday so they can take their daughter to the first day of kindergarten.  

·      I do admit that I have thought about all three-primary school of ethics styles. My choices will all depend on the situation and feelings about one particular situation. I do tend to fall under the care-based theory at times if I think I truly worked hard to deserve something. I now the morally right thing to do is follow the deontological theory and always pick based on what is morally fair and right.

Alexander, L., & Moore, M. (2016, October 17). Deontological Ethics. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/Links to an external site.

Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2019). ETHC445N Week 1Lesson: Three Primary Schools. Downers Grove, IL. Devry Education Group.