Ethical Philosophy in Lives of the People - Essay Example

Ethical Philosophy It would not be a mistake to suggest that Ethics plays an important role in lives of the people. Indeed, it is often seen as the major driving force of actions that are performed by the individuals and is regarded as a peculiar aspect of our personality that differs people from the animal world. Over the history there have been many ethical theories formulated which means that nowadays every is able to find a theory that suits one. In this paper I will provide an account of my ethical philosophy, utilizing Kant’s moral philosophy.

The first aspect that should be mentioned with this regard is that I act in a manner that if my actions become universal law, this would not harm anyone. For example, I never lie to the people. In spite of the fact that it may be difficult at times, there is a fine logic behind it: I do not lie to the people because if I start lying, everyone could start lying. As a result, there will be no one that can be trusted in the society. This means that lying should not be made a universal law and it should be excluded from my behavior.

Another aspect that I would like to mention is treating people as ends only, not as means. It is often suggested that the quality of personal relationship has deteriorated in the contemporary world; it is attributed to the fact that people try to stay autonomous and see others as way to achieve their goals. I despise this kind of thinking. Of course, some of my friends are able to help me with different tasks. However, they are not my friends because they can be useful to me, they are my friends, because we have similar interests and so on (Cornman & Lehner, 1992).

In other words, I never think about my friends from this point of view. Finally, I also would like to highlight the concept of good will. The latter means that a person performs an action out of the desire to follow the universal law and behave ethically, not pursuing any other goals. Indeed, I know that sometimes my actions can be beneficial for me; for example, if I report a mistake of a waiter, I will be able to get a bonus from a restaurant. If I see a mistake I would most certainly report it not because I expect some sort of benefits, but because I truly believe that by doing so I help the organization improve their quality of service.

Having examined all the points that were mentioned, I might conclude that my ethical philosophy is consistent with Kant’s moral philosophy. First of all, it utilizes the concept of universal law and rejects any action that can’t be made one. Secondly, it urges me to treat people as ends, not means which is something that can be rare nowadays. Finally, it puts a great emphasis on the idea of good will, encouraging a person to behave properly without expecting any reward. References Cornman, J.

, & Lehrer, K. (1992). Philosophical problems and arguments: (2d ed.). New York: Macmillan.