Ethical Theory: The Problems of Normative and Critical Ethics - Assignment Example

Part 1; the situation I remember working down the street of the town and saw some street children at the corner of the building with plate asking for money. The situation really touched me and so had the question in mind of whether I should stop the car and help them with some cash to buy food or just ignore them and save the money for my daughter who is sick of diabetes. Am in dilemma since, I cannot stop my eyes from seeing the street children at the corner of the building with plates asking for money while it’s raining yet I have the capacity to help. And if I help the street families, what about my sick daughter back at home, which will help? should I save the money for her by just ignoring the calling sings for help from the street children?, will my decision sounds ethical?. This is the many questions that I was experiencing while just seeing the street children in the rain begging for money (Brandt, 2011). Who was involved? The street children were involved in my ethical dilemma of whether to give them the money for their help or not since, even me I had a serious problem at home that need attention and money. My daughter is sick of diabetes and hence is faced with ethical dilemma of helping the street families since I have the capacity to provide food clothing and shelter or just ignore them and focus on helping my daughter who is diabetic. Where the situation took place The situation took place at the street of America where there is a rising case of street children and poverty rate. I want to help but any time am convinced to open the windows and call them for help, there is this thing that rings into my mind, My daughter back at home is really sick of diabetes. So the ethical dilemma is whether to help the street families or just ignore them and concentrate on the health of my daughter back at home. When it happened and what was going on. The ethical dilemma happened on Friday evening when it was raining and I was driving back home after my daily hustle. While was driving home one Friday evening after my daily hustle, the jam got us up and so while waiting for the jam to end, I experience a very touching and situation that puts me in dilemma. Right in my screen, I can see the street families at the corner of the building with pates begging for money for the food while it’s raining (Brandt, 1992). The values and norms that were in conflict The homeless people stood at the corner of the building begging for money while it’s raining. So the question is this, can I give them the money? Can I ignore them and the homeless state facing America? Since, even I too am having my serious problem back home. My daughter is really sick of diabetes and she too need help and support. So the ethical dilemma is whether to ignore the street families given that I have the capacity to help them and focus on the health of my daughter or just give a helping hand to the street families. Your thoughts and feeling I arrive home to a large 2400 square feet house, in which there is plenty of food, rooms for the entire family members. But sensibly, am not able to provide charity to my daughter with diabetes. My thought and feelings is that, street families like my daughter need help and so, I should help much I can since, I do believe that it is ethical to help those in need of help if we have the capacity to do so since, I don’t know when my daughter will need help else when she is unable to help herself given the condition she is in (Crane, 2016). What you did I just had to looking for a small parking and decided to give a helping hand to the street children as much as my daughter is sick of diabetes. That is the best I could offer to the street families and that the outcome is that, I was happy with my ethical decision I made since, the street families were happy and I was too freed from ethical dilemmas I had in mind Rate your decision. I could ate my happiness as 8 since, I felt that at least I was not selfish to what I had as well as I felt for my daughter back home who need support to like the street children do need our help. Part 2; the ethical or moral dilemma described in Part 1 above Virtue theory Under the virtue theory, many philosophers consider that morality comprise of assuming correctly the defined rules of conduct. Most probably, I should learn the rule and afterwards ensure that every action live to the above rules. In this regards, the virtue theory place more concern on the learning rule and rather place more emphasis on the significance of creating good attitude of character such as the heart of giving and caring for the poor. The best virtue that I believe I have in me is the virtue of generosity, the courage and temperance in helping the street families at the time of need. Furthermore to advocating for the good attitudes toward others, virtue theory holds that we must get rid of having bad attitude such as unfairness and pride. It places emphasis on the more training because virtues traits are created in individual’s youth, adults and thus, are accountable for inspiring virtues in the young generations (Frost, 1996). The virtues are the recommended attitude that we embrace which controls our emotions. In my case, in acting in response to natural feelings of fear I must create the virtue of bravery that permits me to be strong when experiencing an ethical dilemma. Many of virtues fall at extreme character. With no courage, then I would have created the nature of fear and eventually, I will not be in a position to help the street families. It is hard to find the mean between the severe traits. In reality, we require support from our justifications to it. This in reality is a state of ethical dilemma of what I ought to be doing that is morally right and what not to have done. I consider my decision of helping the street family to be ethically correct under the virtue theory. Duty Theories I do believe that there is an apparent commitment we have as human beings like the caring for the needy. Under the duty theory, it is based on the ethics on specific, foundational rationale of commitment. According to the duty by Kant, it places more emphasis on the principle of duty. This is influenced by pefendorf; Kant was in agreement that we need moral obligation to individual and others like creating individual talent and ensuring that our promise is kept to others. Kant explained that is more foundational principle of duty that entails some specific duties. It is single, sell proof principle of reason that is consider as crucial. The moral virtue of categorical imperative made me give an helping hand since, under this virtue, it just mandate an action despite individual wishes and the principle provides that we treat people as an end and not to a means to an end (Kagan, 1998). In this regards, we must always treat people with respect and not to use them as an instrument. Kant argues that we must treat people as an end anytime out actions towards a person depict an inherent value of an individual. Providing charity for instance is ethically correct because it appreciates the inherent value of the receiver. By contrast, we treat others as a too, to an end anytime we treat an individual as mean of attaining something else which is wrong. For instance, refusing to help the street children since, I have my daughter with diabetes too, hence I will treating the street family as a mean of happiness since, I don’t help more because I have my own problem at home so why should I help. This is wrong. Under the categorical imperatives, it controls the ethics of actions that impact me as an individual, not giving the street family food yet I have capacity to help is wrong because, I may be treating my life as a tool for alleviating my unhappiness. According to Kant, ethics of every action might be established by an appeal of a single rationale of responsibility (Kagan, 1998). According to Ross W.D, some circumstance will be evident when we should select between two conflicting responsibilities. In a classical example of my case, can provide help to the street family in terms of food clothing and shelter or can I focus on helping my daughter who suffers from diabetics. The duty of loyalty makes to help the street family since, I have the capacity to do so, on the contrary, the duty of non-malfeasance necessitate that I get rid of harming others and hence, helping mu8ch I can is moral. As per Ross, I will by instinct understand which of this responsibilities is my real responsibly and which is my prima facie duty. As a result, my responsibility of non-malfeasance turns to be my real duty and I must help the street family much I can. Consequentiality Theories Under this theory, it is frequent, for a person to establish the moral duties by weighing the impact of their actions. As per the consequentialism, correct ethical conduct is established merely by cost benefit analysis of a consequence of actions. The theory of consequentialism states that an action is ethically correct where the consequence of the action is more ideal than being not ideal. This principles provides that were first must compute the good and the bad impact of our actions then we establish if the net good consequence outweigh the net bad consequence. Where the good consequence is ideal, and then out actions is ethically correct. This theory helps me in to examine my actions faster whether it is morally correct or incorrect by making an appeal to experience instead of making an appeal to raze instinct (Brandt, 2011). The very appealing aspect of consequentialism is that it is convincing to the public visible impact of my actions. From my ethical dilemma, it was evident that good consequence outweighs the bad consequence in the sense that, I provided help to the street family much I can despite the fact that am having daughter in the house that is sick of diabetes and need help. In this regards, I would deem my actions to be morally correct. On the contrary, am less contented with my verdict since, I did not provide shelter and clothing to the street families given the fact that I have fully capacity providing shelter. My action was incorrect since, the bad consequence as far as clothing and shelter is concerned, outweighs the good consequence. Under the applied ethics the issue of providing street families with shelter is an applied ethics since; many will either go for or against the provision of shelter to the street families. Even though the issue to provide shelter to the street families is not all moral issues, some are would consider as merely an issue of social policies. The objectives of social policies is to aid in making the society effective by establishing convention like the street family laws, human trafficking laws and zoning codes. Moral issues relate to worldwide commitment practices like the duty of helping those in need and get rid of lies and it is restricted to specific society. Common concern for society polices and morals overlap. For instance, some society policy restrict individual from some neighbor from having yard sales but as much as the neighbor are not affronted, then there is no wicked in the doing concerning the resident with yard sales. Hence to meet the criteria of applied moral issues, the issue should be more than just the social policies, it should ne ethically appropriate (Wilber, 1998). Part C: Reflection Many of the theories discussed in part 2 above made me happy with the decision I made since, the theories emphasis on the need for moral actions in what we do to help those in need. The theories further insist that we need to evaluate our bad and good consequence and where our good consequence outweighs the bad consequence then, we are morally correct. This is exactly what I did as far as helping the street families with food. The virtue theory made me less happy since, the theory since, it inflict me the pressure of fear witch I consider it to be harsh since, the act of giving is a charity and should come down from your decision as much as I have the capacity to help. If were in the same situation, I will make again the same decision of helping the street families since, I do believe that it is morally correct to help the less privilege if we have the capacity to help. It is morally incorrect not help and we have capacity to help in terms of food, clothes and shelter. Street families who stand at the corner of the buildings with plates asking for money or food are the ethical and moral calls. The question is whether to help them or ignore them given the state of the street families in America. I arrive home where I stay in a large hose that self contained, with sufficient food and extra rooms to provide shelter. But sensibly am not in a position to provide charity, between my daughter who suffers diabetes and the memory of the street families. This makes me in total ethical dilemma of what is morally right in my actions. Sincerely speaking, of all of the above situation change my perceptions, my ethics, values in my life. What I learned is that am doing great in placing more emphasis on my own requirements, my daughter requirements and our living standards. Bibliography Brandt, R. (1992) Morality, Utilitarianism, and Rights, New York: John Wiley. Brandt, R.B. (2011) Ethical Theory: The Problems of Normative and Critical Ethics, London: Cingage learning. Cahn, S. (2011) Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, Sydney : springer. Crane, A. (2016) Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability , New York: Cingage learning. Frost, M. (1996) Ethics in International Relations: A Constitutive Theory, London: Springer. Kagan, S. (1998) Normative Ethics, London: John wiley. Merrihew, R. (2006) A Theory of Virtue: Excellence in Being for the Good - Page 53, London: John Wiley. Wilber, C. (1998) Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy - Page 127, Sidney : Springer. Read More