Applied Professional Ethics - A Developmental Approach - Assignment Example

Philosophy Assignment I understand that Kohlberg’s creation of the “Heinz Dilemma” serves a very fundamental purpose in order to aid the comprehension of the ethical beliefs of the common man. By posing the scenario to individuals Kohlberg was able to uncover a critical component that guides the ethics and morality of people while, assessing how the identification of this constituent or the similarities in responses can be utilized to establish guidelines on actions and behaviors that can be deemed as acceptable and ethical given the “Heinz Dilemma”. Most importantly, the generated responses of the predicament enable the establishment of a perspective that indeed ethics itself is a notion that is marked by progress and development such that what is deemed as a moral decision for a ten-year-old is certainly not the same for an adult. This progression in moral decision making which Kohlberg conceived in the form of his ‘Theory of Moral Development’ suggests that ethics, the matter of right and wrong and morality cannot be viewed as constants; in fact, they are variable in nature for they are characterized by evolution and transformation that is in alignment with an individual’s development. Assignment 2 – Chapter 1 1. An ethical theory aims to provide a guideline for individuals to abide by and assess the principles that suggest “how to live life well” (Beabout and Wennemann, 1994), while, a system of values only looks at the existing behavior and actions of a social group. 2. Ethics is a discipline that encompasses an analysis of what is deemed as right and wrong to enlighten individuals on living a good life. 3. Standards in ethics include: self-interest, rules and practices, principle of utility, duty and virtue. 4. Egoism follows the standard of self-interest to perform an action. However, the problem with this concept that it does not take into account the consequences of an action on others. 5. Conventional morality follows the standard of customary rules and practices. However, the issue in this case is that unjust or unequal regulations are not denounced. 6. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that abides by the principle of utility. Act utilitarianism follows that one should act in a manner which provides the greatest pleasure for the greatest number, while, rule utilitarianism states that one should follow the rule that produces such results. The issue with this theory is that it ignores the purpose of an action. 7. Duty ethics categorize the right action on the basis of duty itself. Accordingly, categorical imperative refers to a rationale that is deemed as compulsory and collective. The issue in case of duty ethics arises when duties come in disagreement. 8. This theory follows the standard of virtue to achieve self-actualization by aiming for well-rounded associations with others. However, the issue is that one cannot generalize or define virtues for they are variable in nature. 9. The ethical standards can be stated as incompatible because they rely upon conflicting principles to achieve the ultimate aim of ethics. Assignment 3 – Chapter 2 1. Level One: A child submitting his assignment on time to avoid getting punished by the teacher. Level Two: An employee maintaining a ‘Good-boy’ image to ensure that he does not get involved in any problematic situations with the senior management. Level Three: A whistleblower leaking the details of a government venture that could essentially violate the privacy of billions. 2. I most often act at Level Two of moral decision-making. 3. My self-interests include seeking career growth, monetary benefits, success and happiness. However, at many times the desire for money and happiness always comes in conflict, for example, in an everyday scenario one could choose to save money and not hang out with friends when this alternative provides happiness. In terms of social roles, the role of a student and an employee may come into conflict. For example, spending more time to study for an exam instead or working longer hours at work. 4. Professionalism is characterized by transcending the minimum obligations that are expected from an individual to incorporate one’s conscience into moral decision-making. A professional is expected to commit to the standards of performing his/her duties in a manner which allows him/her to fulfill the designated objectives of the job. According to this observation it is important to maintain professional standards because if one only projects the acceptance of professional standards rather than actually abiding by them then it would be deception, which can be deemed as an unethical act. 5. No, he or she would not be acting as a professional under such circumstances. Assignment 4 – Chapter 3 2. A husband-wife relationship in which the husband is cheating on his wife is the example of a relationship where trust is violated and its basis of deception fails to promote human dignity. 3. Men and women have different ways of responding to situations and while, this may imply that their selected ethical standards maybe different, the ethic of acting in a specific manner applies to both sexes in a given dilemma. 4. A principle is not subject to a specific rule, whereby, rules can be seen as a mere commandment such as the letter of the law, a principle is associated with the spirit of the law because it provides people with a guideline to opt for actions that promote wellness in life (Beabout and Wennemann, 1994). Assignment 5 – Chapter 4 1. Respect is a constant element that is present in the acceptance of various moral principles. If an individual fails to show respect, it is likely that he/she is not a firm believer in what the moral principle aims to promote. Therefore, the principle of respect and other moral principles are essentially interlinked. 4. No, this is not the case because respect must be present regardless of the choice or the action that has been favored by a person. Assignment 6 – Chapter 5 2. The act must be properly, accurately and thoroughly describe to allow a person to assess the critical components that constitute of the act such as the intention, motive and the circumstances that surround the act. 3. The intention of the act is a primary constituent and it holds more significance with regards to the moral assessment of the scenario even before motive and circumstances are taken into account. Accordingly, motive describes the purpose that the action is expected to achieve in the long term. 4. By noting the intention of an act one can gauge the moral significance of an act, this follows the incorporation of motive and circumstances in the scenario because one cannot proceed with ethical judgment unless the moral worth of the deed has been established and confirmed otherwise, it would lead to the generation of inaccurate and even irrelevant results. 5. Indeed taking into account the circumstances of an action is important because if the scenario in which the act was conceived is ignored then it would not be possible to apply moral principles in an effective manner. For example, hitting a person with a bat and injuring them would be considered unlawful if the action is isolated from the circumstances to be examined. However, if this action is taken in self-defense to prevent an attacker then the consideration of these circumstances would change the situation and the legal evaluation of the case. Assignment 7 – Chapter 6 1. If the presence of conflict is able to guide a decision maker towards effective results for the parties that are involved in the conflict then it can be deemed as good or healthy because it provides individuals with an opportunity to understand the morality of the scenario and resolve the conflict by applying the principles to obtain desired results and choose an option that promotes wellness and goodness. 2. A conflict that leads to harmful consequences for involved parties because of a failure to resolve it effectively. 4. I would advise the company to stay in the country of origin and develop alternatives to cut costs in other departments for example, by streamlining operations. Moreover, I would assess whether there are other divisions where cost cutting measures can be implemented to enhance profits by reducing expenses. Assignment 8 – Chapter 7 1. Professional activity allows individuals to link theoretical knowledge and practical applications to achieve desired results. For example, lawyers study previous cases to present better arguments at trials while, doctors assess the anatomy to improve their ability to serve patients (Beabout and Wennemann, 1994). 3. The environment is important in a social context because it contributes to the development of social structures and allows moral reasoning to be used effectively to understand and solve dilemmas so as to contribute towards applied ethics. 6. I am concerned about being able to achieve the goals that I have set for myself. I think this should remain a dominant concern to allow me to take decisions that aid the achievement of my life’s objectives. 7. Kohlberg’s theoretical framework allows individuals to gauge where they are present in their moral development so that they can be motivated to reach higher levels and improve their lives. Moreover, by using the model, one can also see where others are standing to find out ways of interacting with them when they are involved in ethical dilemmas. Reference Beabout, G. R., & Wennemann, D. J. (1994). Applied professional ethics: A developmental approach for use with case studies. Lanham: University Press of America. Read More