Interpretation of the Fables - Assignment Example

Title: Interpretation of fables Student’s Name: Name of Course: Institutional Affiliation: Date Submitted: Fable 1: The Fable of Education a Commodity An ethical egoist holds the view that all the actions of an individual are always taken in order to further one’s own self interest. Therefore, to the ethical egoist, voluntary work is only meaningful to the extent that it enables the volunteer achieve his own personal goal. To the ethical egoist, volunteer workers are not driven by the desire to help other people in the society. Rather, they find the motivation from the reputation that they derive, which boosts their curriculum vitae, and consequently, prospects for a better-paid employment. An ethical egoist would be opposed to the views expressed by Deidre. He would disapprove of the attitudes that Deidre has towards voluntary work. He would be opposed to Deidre’s view that many of the volunteers that she deals with are driven largely by a selfless urge to help other people in the society. The ethical egoist would point out that the fact that volunteer work at the organization is a ‘middle class thing’ reflects negatively on the spirit of selfless giving. The argument would be that ordinarily, volunteer work should be an activity in which individuals from every specter of society can contribute. By being a ‘middle class thing’, there is more to it than just giving back to other people. It is about pursuit of interests and opportunities that come in the way of middle class people whenever they are associated with voluntary work. There is an ethical difference between engaging in volunteer work for purely altruistic reasons and doing it purely for purposes of furthering one’s own employment prospects. When one engages in volunteer work purely for altruistic reasons, he is able to give the job at hand his undivided attention, without letting his self interests take precedence. However, when one pursues voluntary work purely for purposes of improving one’s own CV, the goals and objectives of the work may never be achieved. This is because every time a volunteer feels that his CV has gotten a sufficient facelift, he leaves the volunteer organization and pursues paid employment. Such a trend reflects negatively on volunteer organization, particularly the top management people like Deidre, who have to keep up with a high employee turnover rate. To the ethical egoist, every individual person is uniquely placed to keep pursuing his own needs and wants effectively. We can only the needs and desires of other people imperfectly. Therefore we can never be well positioned to pursue them. For this reason, doing volunteer work for purely altruistic reasons is a way of intruding into other people’s privacy and minding their business. On the other hand, engaging in voluntary work in order to further one’s employment prospects is perfectly alright since they will be seen to be pursuing their own self interests rather than creating the impression that people being helped are not competent to look after their own needs. The impression is that we all ought to do what promotes the best interests of everyone in the same way, and that the interests of everyone are best promoted when each individual adopts a policy of pursuing his own interests exclusively. On the basis of this argument, it is best to engage in voluntary work merely as way of seeking better employment prospects. Fable 2: The Fable of the Educational Contract A deontologist would not be supportive of the way Anatoly approaches his work. A deontologist judges the morality of choices on the basis of criteria and not the state of affairs brought about by those choices (Herman, 1981). For deontologists, no matter how morally good the consequences of an action are, some choices are always morally forbidden (O'Neill, 1989). What makes a choice right for a deontologist is the extent to which it conforms to a moral norm (Hill, 1991). The result of the norm-keeping strategy is the situation whereby the Right always takes priority over the Good. For Anatoly, the right thing to do is to adhere to the changes that are being made to the Agricultural Extension program. If he does adhere to these changes, his performance appraisal ratings will be poor and he may not be accorded a new contract. A deontologist would be satisfied with the increase in emphasis on ‘accountability’ among officers, in line with the government directives. The deontologist would approve of this new arrangement on the basis of the concept of agency. He would say that morality is intensely a personal issue, in the sense that every individual’s top priority is to keep his moral house in order. Anatoly’s categorical obligation is not to focus on how his actions are causing uneducated and financially weak farmers plunge deeper into crisis. Rather, the focus of his categorical obligations is to keep his own agency completely free of moral taint. He does this by adhering to the new directions on accountability to the letter. One of the assumptions that underlie the new reforms is the notion that the economic contribution of the rural sector to the national economy is decreasing, owing to the ongoing rural economic downturn. Those activities that fell under the category of ‘welfare support’ were the first ones to be removed government’s payroll. Anatoly worked within this category, and therefore, most of his farm advisory work had to be curtailed. The assumption is that money that is spent in ‘welfare services’ is better off being spent in more priority areas, where chances of success are higher. This is why Anatoly finds himself working with seemingly successful farmers whose chances of becoming successful in their work are higher. Moreover, such a success is needed for him to put build his moral reputation in the eyes of his employer. A deontologist, though, may make some changes to the existing contract system in order to bring about satisfaction to all the parties: the farm advisory officer, all farmers and the government. The deontologist would be happier poor farmers were offered some assistance just like their well-to-do counterparts. This is the good thing to do. Incidentally, there are many other good things that can be done. If, for instance, a rule was made requiring farm advisory officers to show their innovation, Anatoly would be happy that he has an opportunity to engage in an activity that inspires him. He would also be happy that he is putting his education into good use while improving the economic wellbeing of other people. Fable 3: The fable of accountability A consequentialist would perfectly support Peter’s approach to his work at the department, the way he conceived the Gravy Train program, and the way he focused on accountabilities so strictly that he disregarded traditionally revered teaching approaches. Peter’s approach is of consequentialist nature. He holds the views that the delivery of a quality educational product is what matters most; that it is better for this standard to be maintained instead of a status quo whereby outstanding teachers coexist with their colleagues who are standardly mediocre. The consequence matters more than the inherent qualifications that a person possesses. Rigid specification of performance and behavioral accountabilities are, to Peter, the surest way of getting the best result. Act consequentialists claim that an act can only be morally right only if it is able to maximize the good (Herman, 1981). In other words, when the total amount of bad is deducted from the total amount of good, the result must be a desirable one (Smart, 1973). As hedonists put it, pleasure is the only intrinsic good while pain remains the only intrinsic bad. Both of these claims are a good basis of evaluating a consequential analysis of Peter’s approach to leadership at the business department, particularly the Gravy Train Program. Peter instructs his teachers to maintain an eye on the classroom program so that students who are not enrolled do not attend. However, he insists that these prospective students should be turned away in such a way that they are attracted to enroll in the future. Such an instruction is aimed at maximizing pleasure and reducing pain on the part of both the university’s business department, the students who are enrolled into the program, as well as the non-registered, prospective members as well. Peter is aware of the fact that some of the negative reaction from highly qualified teachers who are been forced into shaping up within strictly laid-down accountabilities and rules of behavior as if they do not know the right thing to do. Peter is not worried about this resentment since it is needed for mediocre teachers to be forced to be in tune with standards that facilitate the realization of the best outcomes. Moreover, argues Peter, appearances are everything in the contemporary culture. The new initiatives were based on the assumption that in its current form and practices, the university’s Continuing Education program was incapable with putting up with a market that is increasingly becoming supersaturated with providers. In order for the quality of the program to be improved, many things needed to be put right, including the employment and appraisal procedures that the university has traditionally been using. The Gravy Train program was designed against the backdrop of a need for something to be done in order to improve student numbers within the program. For an act consequentialist, only the consequences of the act are considered. In order for these consequences to be properly determined, a rule under which every given act falls has to be clearly spelt out (Williams, 1973). In the case of Peter’s circumstances, the rules involve accountabilities and behavioral traits that are needed for the continuing education program to succeed. As an act consequentialist, the only changes that I would make are on how to reward the teachers who are exceptionally good. I would create a parallel program for promoting research undertaking by these exceptionally schooled individuals, who have a genuine need for recognition within their fields of specialization. Fable 4: The fable of educational requirement A moral rationalist would argue that Yanita’s approach for her CPE is morally defensible. Moral rationalists emphasize on the use of a rational procedure or reason in making morally upright decisions (Benn, 1986). Part of the human rational faculty involves a purely intuitive sense through which people understand abstract concepts that exist within a spirit-like realm. Within such a rational intuition, moral principles, for instance the notion of justice, are perceived in the same way that mathematical truths are rationally perceived (Nagel, 1986). Yanita, like all other people strives for happiness. This is why the falsification of her APE re-registration bothers her. She feels that the professional requirements of the job are putting her in a situation whereby she is not satisfied with her actions. She is in a dilemma on whether to pursue a course on financial management during retirement or to undertake CPE re-registration. When she convinces herself that her issue of retirement precedes all other requirements, professional or otherwise, she is simply defining what is morally right for her. This is because it is intended to give her happiness in possibly the most rational way. Yanita is professionally motivated and has the inner drive to stay up to date with all forms of certification within her discipline. This is why she is regarded as a leader in her area of specialization. Moreover, she is involved in teaching CPE courses. This is why she feels that the re-registration requirement for CPE is not meant for people like her. It is meant for those who would not bother to update themselves with the latest changes in their fields of specialization. She rationalizes that she does not deserve to be reduced to the level of a formal registrant of a course she has spent so much time teaching. There are many assumptions that underlie the CPE system. It is assumed that all professionals who are targeted by the system have the same level of self-drive and interest in their careers and professional advancement. It is also based on the assumption that staying up to date with developments in the field is necessary for doctors who want to be regarded as leaders in their fields. It is also based on the assumption that without such a requirement, most, if not all professionals, would never bother to stay current with the changes that are taking in their fields of specialization. The last assumption is that at no time will there be a conflict between the need for CPE re-registration and other educational requirements among professionals. As a moral rationalist, I would recommend several changes in the CPE system in order to cater for the needs and aspirations of professionals at different stages in their careers. First, I would exempt all ENT specialists who are currently teaching CPE courses from the need to reregister for CPE without necessarily losing their leadership positions in their fields. Secondly, I would put in place less stringent CPE certification requirements for all professionals who are aged 40 and above, as a sign of respect and appreciation for life-long dedication to their fields of specialization and the experience that they have accumulated over the years. Fable 5: The Fable of Vocation The ethical perspective adopted in this fable is moral rationalism. To the moral rationalist, Fatima needs to undertake a rational procedure in making decisions that will appear upright in his own eyes as well as in the eyes of other reasonable people who understand her situation. Fatima is contemplating resigning from her position as the Adult Learning Center, a community-based organization. A moral rationalist would understand, even sympathize, with Fatima’s dilemma. The community-based organization has changed a lot since she took over the leadership. The aspect of this change that bothers her, robbing her of commitment, is its transition from a community-based organization to a VEP (Voluntary Education and Training) center. An individual’s approach to rational thinking arises from the interests that the person has and the way his own circumstances impact on those interests (Etzioni, 1993). For Fatima, the most nagging question is on whether she did the right thing to bow to government pressure in exchange for funding. If she did the wrong, she owes the community an explanation for letting the organization be converted into an entity that no longer provides the services for which it was created in the first place. In making his verdict on whether Fatima’s actions were morally rational or not, he would refer to the circumstances under which the organization changed from a community-based organization into a VET. First, funding was needed. Moreover, traditionally, the organization’s goals have always been changing depending on the purposes for which providers of funds committed them. Whether or not Fatima is bothered by the question of the local people buying into the new VET strategy depends entirely on Fatima’s understanding of personal success and motivation for his work. She may be bothered by the fact that people started appreciating VET just out of ignorance as well as the net alienating effects of being locked out of such development initiatives for so long. The new initiatives that are being pursued by the organization are based on many assumptions. It is only after a rational assessment of these assumptions that faults in the morality of Fatima’s decisions can be observed. The conversion of the organization into a VET is based on the assumption that the purpose for which it was created no longer exists. The impression is the marginalized members of the society who used to be the first target of the charity organization such immigrants and the disabled has been overshadowed, rendering the needy people helpless. With the conversion of the organization into a VET, the assumption is that this is where the needs of the community are, and that development can best be achieved this way. Yet Fatima loses his sleep over this turn of events. She must be thinking that something is terribly wrong somewhere. Perhaps Fatima should not bear all the blame alone as the director. Since the beginning, the Center’s work was always incredibly diverse, and it was unfolding unpredictably from year to year. As a moral rationalist, I would change nothing about the recent change of task within the Center. Traditionally, the community’s interest drives the Center’s goals. Since this same community has fallen for the current VET initiative, I would neither make any efforts to change things, nor would I resign from the position of the director. Fable 6: The fable of the educational partisan There is a difference between the traditional notions of ethics and postmodern situational ethics. The latter are often used to challenge the traditional ethical notions, mainly with the claim that they are obsolescent. Yet claims to the contrary are often made – that traditional morality and ethical codes have continued to suppress our moral sense. Postmodernists often criticize the claim that a systematically coherent ethical theory exists, of the variety offered by Stuart Mill or Emmanuel Kant. Rather, they feel the need to liberate morality from all bounds of modernist subjective aesthetics and instrumental rationality. Situationists would say that the widespread government reforms in the vocation education that Lucien drove were not pursued in the right way. There was no compromise, and, therefore, the element of love and concern for other people’s views is lacking. From a situationist’s perspective, a straightforward approach to ethics is the most plausible tool in decision making. The situational ethical thinking tends to be interpreted with regard to tolerance of and utmost respect for other people. Lucien’s approach to policy is based on the assumption that the differences between the commitment of others and one’s own commitments as well as realities should be spelt out so that it does not get into the way of public campaigns. A situationalist has to be armed with all the ethical maxims of his community as well as his heritage whenever he entering into a decision making scenario (Bagnall, 1998). He regards these maxims with respect, since they are the main illustrators of all his problems. However, he is always prepared to compromise them or to set them aside if this is what should be done in the interest of love. Lucien’s policy change drive is based on the ethical assumption that the concept of truth should never be taken seriously; that the truth is how you argue it out. All postmodernists challenge the notion that it is possible to derive universal moral codes from objective foundations. Lucien was not objective in his proposals for reviewing the vocational education. This is because such foundations tend to act merely as illusions of modernity. In other words, they are products of the contemporary rationalist project, which has been developing since the era of Enlightenment. According to Richard Rorty, one of the most respected contemporary modernists, truth is an illusion in itself (Bagnall, 1998). He does not see the reason why we should take the idea of truth in itself seriously, leave alone the concept of objective morality. The same views are held with regard to language as a tool of human expression, something that underscores the central point that it occupies in the realm of situational ethics. Although post-modern situationists like Lucien do believe that it is possible to derive universal moral codes from objective foundations, they have to settle down to the fact that being mindful of other people’s views and needs matters. Ultimately, Lucien is being haunted by the decision for which he campaigned so staunchly. Lucien’s vocational educational system can best be changed by integrating the views of the stakeholders who were locked out of the recent changes. Critical self-reflection I went about doing this essay by analyzing each fable and relating it to the appropriate ethical perspective. In each of the fables, the first task was familiarizing myself with the meaning of the ethical perspective that the fable was meant to address. Then, I read the fable for the first time, noting the main ethical issue faced by the concerned individual. Next, I referred to the guiding questions provided in the text containing the fable as a guide addressing the ethical perspective and interpreting the fable in the best manner. I learned many things from each of the fables and the ethical perspectives that were used to interpret them. The most interesting fable was the Fable of Education a Commodity, whose interpretation was on the basis of the ethical egoism perspective. I learnt about the fact that sometimes, an individual needs to act in his best self interest in order not to be seen to be minding other people’s business, thereby creating the impression that they are not competent to handle their own affairs. I also learnt that it is not in any person’s self interest if everybody acted in their own self interest. If such a situation existed, a state of anarchy would exist and life would be short and brutal. The lessons learnt in this task impacted profoundly on the way I think about matters of charity, profession, morality, and business. I now feel obliged to do volunteer work in order to pursue two aims: one altruistic (to help others out) and the other in self interest (to further my career prospects). I have also gathered some flashes of wisdom that I can use in both my business and professional life. In these two areas, I may find myself succeeding through proper use of the moral rationalist perspective to explore various options before making important personal choices. References Bagnall, R. (1998). Moral Education in a postmodern world: continuing professional education, Journal of Moral Education, 279(3), 313-331. Benn, S. (1986). A Theory of Freedom, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Etzioni, A. (1993). The Spirit of Community: The Reinvention of American Society. New York: Touchstone. Herman, B. (1981). On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty. Philosophical Review, 90(1), 358-382. Herman, B. (1981). On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty, Philosophical Review, 90(7), 358-382. Hill, T. (1991). Autonomy and Self Respect, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nagel, T. (1986). The View from Nowhere, New York: Clarendon Press. O'Neill, O. (1989). Constructions of Reason, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Smart, J. (1973). “An Outline of a System of Utilitarian Ethics," in J. Smart & B. Williams, Utilitarianism: For and Against, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Williams, B. (1973). "The Structureo f Consequentialismi,n" J. Smart & B. Williams, Utilitarianism: For and Against, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More

Such a trend reflects negatively on volunteer organization, particularly the top management people like Deidre, who have to keep up with a high employee turnover rate. To the ethical egoist, every individual person is uniquely placed to keep pursuing his own needs and wants effectively. We can only the needs and desires of other people imperfectly. Therefore we can never be well positioned to pursue them. For this reason, doing volunteer work for purely altruistic reasons is a way of intruding into other people’s privacy and minding their business.

On the other hand, engaging in voluntary work in order to further one’s employment prospects is perfectly alright since they will be seen to be pursuing their own self interests rather than creating the impression that people being helped are not competent to look after their own needs. The impression is that we all ought to do what promotes the best interests of everyone in the same way, and that the interests of everyone are best promoted when each individual adopts a policy of pursuing his own interests exclusively.

On the basis of this argument, it is best to engage in voluntary work merely as way of seeking better employment prospects. Fable 2: The Fable of the Educational Contract A deontologist would not be supportive of the way Anatoly approaches his work. A deontologist judges the morality of choices on the basis of criteria and not the state of affairs brought about by those choices (Herman, 1981). For deontologists, no matter how morally good the consequences of an action are, some choices are always morally forbidden (O'Neill, 1989).

What makes a choice right for a deontologist is the extent to which it conforms to a moral norm (Hill, 1991). The result of the norm-keeping strategy is the situation whereby the Right always takes priority over the Good. For Anatoly, the right thing to do is to adhere to the changes that are being made to the Agricultural Extension program. If he does adhere to these changes, his performance appraisal ratings will be poor and he may not be accorded a new contract. A deontologist would be satisfied with the increase in emphasis on ‘accountability’ among officers, in line with the government directives.

The deontologist would approve of this new arrangement on the basis of the concept of agency. He would say that morality is intensely a personal issue, in the sense that every individual’s top priority is to keep his moral house in order. Anatoly’s categorical obligation is not to focus on how his actions are causing uneducated and financially weak farmers plunge deeper into crisis. Rather, the focus of his categorical obligations is to keep his own agency completely free of moral taint. He does this by adhering to the new directions on accountability to the letter.

One of the assumptions that underlie the new reforms is the notion that the economic contribution of the rural sector to the national economy is decreasing, owing to the ongoing rural economic downturn. Those activities that fell under the category of ‘welfare support’ were the first ones to be removed government’s payroll. Anatoly worked within this category, and therefore, most of his farm advisory work had to be curtailed. The assumption is that money that is spent in ‘welfare services’ is better off being spent in more priority areas, where chances of success are higher.

This is why Anatoly finds himself working with seemingly successful farmers whose chances of becoming successful in their work are higher. Moreover, such a success is needed for him to put build his moral reputation in the eyes of his employer. A deontologist, though, may make some changes to the existing contract system in order to bring about satisfaction to all the parties: the farm advisory officer, all farmers and the government. The deontologist would be happier poor farmers were offered some assistance just like their well-to-do counterparts.

This is the good thing to do. Incidentally, there are many other good things that can be done.

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