What is my moral philosophy? I have rarely given this question any consideration, attempted to codify, or label such a concept. I don’t think I consciously realized such a thing actually existed, let alone recognized an ability to define it. My lack of self-awareness is most shocking to nobody more than myself, given I participate in two highly trusted professions within our society: a military officer and a civil engineer2. Nonetheless, my lack of an introspective analysis should not imply I move through life in a self-serving heathenistic manner. In fact, my family, friends, and peers would suggest I possess strong moral qualities and a trusted source for advice. I have rarely experienced problems overcoming moral dilemmas, as I seemingly
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I was born into lower middle class family living in a very eclectic neighborhood in Washington D.C. My parents worked relentlessly to support us and ensure we succeed through life. Ironically, given they spent so much time working, I quickly learned the way of the “latch-key kid”. It’s not like I was neglected; far from it. I grew up with a family filled with love and a willingness to help those around us. I also grew up in a diverse area representing many different attitudes towards morality. Given these circumstances, I witnessed from a young age a spectrum of moral values. In a single day I could witness my best friend be beaten for lying, my mother sew a coat for our elderly neighbor, and have my bike stolen from the front yard. Basically, I was afforded an opportunity to gather and build moral values from an extensive environment. I also had the luxury to come home and place these experiences within the context of my own loving and supportive family. I truly believe this is where and how I developed a moral foundation; one that enables me to accurately compare good and evil …show more content…
A critic to these ideas may find difficulty arguing a position that states “less good, is better”3. The simplicity aspect may be the most appealing to me, as it provides a quick method to make a decision. Furthermore, I have the fortune of intuitively selecting the action that in aligned with my moral foundation, thus ensuring I suffer the least moral conflict. Ironically, this strength may one day present a weakness. It may be possible my intuition could be drastically misaligned with military ethics in some manner. In the past, it has been mentioned I allow the ends to justify the means. The same was said of those who believe torture is a viable option to extract information from prisoners in order to prevent future attacks5. Given this realization, I may have some difficult dilemmas awaiting me in the
I was born into lower middle class family living in a very eclectic neighborhood in Washington D.C. My parents worked relentlessly to support us and ensure we succeed through life. Ironically, given they spent so much time working, I quickly learned the way of the “latch-key kid”. It’s not like I was neglected; far from it. I grew up with a family filled with love and a willingness to help those around us. I also grew up in a diverse area representing many different attitudes towards morality. Given these circumstances, I witnessed from a young age a spectrum of moral values. In a single day I could witness my best friend be beaten for lying, my mother sew a coat for our elderly neighbor, and have my bike stolen from the front yard. Basically, I was afforded an opportunity to gather and build moral values from an extensive environment. I also had the luxury to come home and place these experiences within the context of my own loving and supportive family. I truly believe this is where and how I developed a moral foundation; one that enables me to accurately compare good and evil …show more content…
A critic to these ideas may find difficulty arguing a position that states “less good, is better”3. The simplicity aspect may be the most appealing to me, as it provides a quick method to make a decision. Furthermore, I have the fortune of intuitively selecting the action that in aligned with my moral foundation, thus ensuring I suffer the least moral conflict. Ironically, this strength may one day present a weakness. It may be possible my intuition could be drastically misaligned with military ethics in some manner. In the past, it has been mentioned I allow the ends to justify the means. The same was said of those who believe torture is a viable option to extract information from prisoners in order to prevent future attacks5. Given this realization, I may have some difficult dilemmas awaiting me in the