Do Governments and Individuals Have an Ethical Duty to Protect the Environment - Assignment Example

1. Do Governments And Individuals Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Environment? Yes, the government and individuals alike do have an ethical responsibility to protect the environment. The environment is a factor that affects everyone alike no matter who that person is and therefore, its care cannot just be attributed to one body or person alone. Since the environment affects all of us, then it is safe to say that all of us should protect it since its demise will affect everyone thus it cannot be said that there are certain people who can afford to ignore this responsibility (De La Torre, 2004). The advancements that have been made in technology today have been beneficial, but it has also held its disadvantages as well as such advances have been made by the use of establishments such as factories and processing plants which have also been responsible for playing a large role in the pollution of the environment. To right this wrong the society cannot depend on the government alone as this will be too big a task to be handled by one institution and thus they will require the cooperation and help of every individual involved. It should be noted that one cannot easily thrive in a harsh environment and thus it can be said that the progress and achievement that has been realized by the society has been due partly to the environment and resources that it has had to offer. Knowing this it would not be right for the human population to then turn around and continue to indulge in activities that they are aware are affecting the environment in a negative manner. As a means of showing our appreciation, it should be every individual’s responsibility to take it upon themselves to play a part in cleaning up the environment no matter how small a role one might perceive it to be (De La Torre, 2004). Knowing that the environment is being destroyed and doing nothing about it equates to destroying the environment and thus it should be noted that one should not consider themselves innocent just because they are not involved in the pollution activities that are happening around them. The environment was also given to the human race by the Lord, and while doing so he put us in charge of its care and thus it is our responsibility. Just as one would not sit back and watch their child die we should not be unmoved by the plight of the environment (Pope Leo, 1890). Taking care of the environment will benefit every individual in the after all so the task should not be taken up by a few people, but by every single person present in the world. The alternatives at our disposal, as opposed to taking care of the environment are bleak, and no one would want to live in a world where the outcomes of the pollution have made it so that no one cannot breath in the air freely anymore and thus it can be said that humans have no choice, but to help in protecting the environment. 2. Are There Ethical Reasons That A Government Or Corporate Authority Can Interfere With The Private Sector's Ability To Make Profit? There are a number of ethical reasons that may arise whereby authorities should be able to interfere with the private sector’s ability to make a profit especially when their activities have potential of having a negative impact in one or another (Kelly, 2006). The private sector may at times become overzealous in their efforts to increase the money that they are making and at times these efforts transcend motivation into pure blind ambition whereby they might not care about who or what might get hurt in the process. When such situations arise, it is up to the government or whichever related corporate authority to step up and interfere with the company’s activities for the common good. This can be attributed to the factor of subsidiarity whereby a situation is better handled by those who are closest to it and thus are aware of what is going on (Pope Leo, 1890). A good example of this is when a company finds it cheaper to dump its toxic waste into places such as rivers and lakes rather than get rid of them in a more sanitized manner. Environmental authorities in such a case should step in to prevent such a practice from taking place and punish the organization guilty of the act in order to ascertain that the environment does not suffer irreparable damage as a result (Kelly, 2006). The issue of solidarity also comes into play in this case whereby corporate authorities stepping in to prevent such a scenario from happening do so in order to protect the people that they are serving thus showing the ties that they have with the community and their positive relationship in the process. There are a few times, however, when outside interference is not necessary and simple serves as an undue burden on the individuals/corporations involved such as when there is no harm to any of the parties involved. For example, a company’s choice to outsource the activities of a department to another country for instance so as to reduce expenses should not be interfered with if the workers in that department are not set to lose their jobs in the process (Kelly, 2006). If the organization’s plans include perhaps reshuffling the workers to other sections of the department, then interference should not be ran simply because an external party deems it unfair that the workers involved have to change the nature of their jobs. If there are no negative effects to these reshuffles such as a dock in pay, then it is quite within the company’s right to do what they can to increase their profit margins. All in all, it can be said that intervention by the government or corporate authorities should only be run if it is for the protection of one or all of the parties involved, otherwise an organization should be given the freedom to conduct its business freely and in the best way they know how as long as no harm is inflicted upon anyone (Ellis, 2007). 3. Drawing Upon Catholic Social Thought, Describe The Relationship Between Justice, Charity, And The Common Good. The common good can be described as a positive outcome for all individuals involved and thus is a topic in relation to large groups of people or in particular, the society. Achieving the common good in a society is not always easy and in order to do this one needs to abide by a number of terms that should be agreed upon by a majority to ensure its success. The catholic school of thought through the use of a number of doctrines have provided such terms that can be used in the achievement of everyones' good and two major principles of these doctrines are those of justice and charity (The Vatican). In this case, justice is not in reference to law derivations, but actually means social justice whereby the practice of distributism is encouraged. This is whereby social and economic justice is provided via initiatives such as spread out ownership of large corporations ensuring that not just a chosen few are able to benefit and live a productive life in the society. With regard to charity, this virtue is encouraged to ensure that all individuals live a fruitful life, and by helping those in need, no one will be left behind to suffer (The Vatican). Charity in truth in particular is encouraged as lies are the source of many troubles and with their presence other virtues such as love can be twisted up to the point that its true meaning is lost upon a society. The practice of justice and charity are two more than adequate stepping stones to the goal of achieving the common good in a society and serve as a light to illuminate the way forward to a brighter future (The Vatican). References The Vatican. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. http://www.vatican.va. 7th Dec 2012. De La Torre, Miguel A. Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins. New York: Orbis Books, 2004. Ellis, C. Telling Secrets, Revealing Lives: Relational Ethics in Research with Intimate Others. Qualitative Inquiry, 2007. Kelly, Eugene. The Basics of Western Philosophy. San Francisco, CA: Greenwood Press, 2006. Paul, Richard & Elder, Linda. The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning. New York: Foundation for Critical Thinking Free Press, 2006. Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical. Rerum Novarum, http://www.vatican.va on 7th Dec 2012, 1890. Read More