Discussion Board - Ethics - Essay Example

Ethical Dilemmas 2009 Dilemma Perhaps one of the most frequently happening ethical dilemma in my academic life is the use of quotations in my papers and essays. Quotations allow to pinpoint a certain idea of a particular author without any distortions, and are a good source of opinions and therefore allow to built an objective outlook on the problem and create an entire system of persuasive evidence to prove my point. The dilemma arises when I have doubts as for what exactly the author’s viewpoint is, and even more – in case part of author’s opinion coincide with the point I have to find proofs for, and I am then tempted to use only part of the quotation. Using a quotation partially is a very widely spread and officially allowed technique in scientific writing, however, I am aware of the fact that like this, its author’s position might be distorted (either voluntarily or non-voluntarily, as people often tend to “interpret” opinions of others and see what they want to see). In other words, a part of quotation that is taken out of the context, can serve to support virtually any statement or idea. That is why I choose, while writing my papers, to keep in mind the norms and guidelines of scientific ethics, which presupposes that I should only use quotations when I am 100% sure that it truly reflects the idea of its author.
Dilemma 2. One more issue of ethical character that I want to talk about is something that I never participated in personally but seen it in a family of my close friend – and considered it quite a complicated dilemma. The problem is the one of putting elderly people into nursing homes. To my strong belief, elderly people most of all need care and love, their family that can provide them with the feeling of security, safety, stability, and being needed. On the other hand, many aged people who are practically helpless sometimes refuse to move in with their children or grandchildren. As a result, many families with elderly relatives often find themselves in a sort of “vicious circle”: they know that their old ones need help, but cannot give this help because, say, their parents or grandparents do not want to move in with them, and the kids cannot devote enough of their time to the aged people. In this situation, many families prefer to turn to nursery homes that very often provide even better conditions than many people have at home. Elderly people are given full medical care there, they are free from any household duties and have plenty of opportunities to spend their time with people of their own age. Nursing homes nowadays have gardens, physical therapy and around-the-clock services. However, although the attitude of the society towards putting relatives into such institutions is very loyal, and sure enough those who do it do not show or have any disrespect towards their elder relatives, and I am also convinced that people feel really good there, I personally would never send my grandparents or other relatives there. I heard one old woman once saying that she would be glad to stay in such a house, socializing with people and not having to do anything about the house … But somehow I know she did not mean it. She probably was only trying to attract the attention of her grandchildren and children to the fact that she lacks support and communication. Besides, elderly people very often feel guilty for their disabilities and do not want to “spoil” the lives of their loved ones. For me, the solution of this dilemma is very simple: people are the happiest when they live in their own homes. Although these institutions for the elderly people are called “homes”, they still cannot substitute family relations and love of children. Of course, remembering the words “judge not, that ye be not judged”, I will never blame anyone for sending their elderly relatives to such a place, but in case there is a real possibility to spend more time with, and take care of, your dear ones, I personally would advise to all children: better stay with your parents.
All in all, when making choices in my life in case an ethical dilemma occurs, I tend to stick to Lawrence Kohlberg’s approach to the psychology of moral development (her theory was later updated by Carol Gilligan). This theory demonstrates an “Aristotelian” approach to the ethics and moral, as it claims that in case of a dilemma, it is necessary to choose what is right for each particular person and situation, rather than something conventional. I am convinced that every person, whatever actions he or she takes, acts out of positive intention, and the important thing is to understand what this intention is. That is why “situational ethics” seems to me more applicable than the approaches that “begin in a contrast between the questions ‘What is good?’ and ‘What ought I to do?’”. (Ethics and Morality, 1996)
References
1. Kohlberg, Lawrence (1973). "The Claim to Moral Adequacy of a Highest Stage of Moral Judgment". Journal of Philosophy 70: 630–646.
2. Ethics and Morality. (1996). In Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia. London: Routledge. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/8439307/. Read More