s it Ethical to Pose as a Lesbian Couple for a Couple’s Discount?
A person submitted an interesting conundrum to the New York Times “The Ethicist” column. She wanted to join a local pool that offered a discount for a couple, which could be defined as a married couple, or a couple in a relationship who cohabitate. The writer’s husband did not want to join the pool, so she and her friend posed as a lesbian couple and used the writer’s address for both women to pose as a cohabitating couple, and asked The Ethicist if this was “okay” for her and her friend, because they are not lesbians at all. After examining the issue, considering the viewpoint of The Ethicist, and applying Kantian rules, it is clear that this is not an ethical act.
The letter …show more content…
If her ruse was discovered, the likelihood of all gay couples seeking the discount coming under suspicion was very slim. The Ethicist concludes that she was unethical, but not because she was posing as part of a gay couple, rather because she was falsely posing for part of a couple at all.
Using the Kantian deontological framework, the writer was unethical. There are a few reasons why posing as a false couple for a monetary advantage was morally wrong. For example, according to Kant, there are “perfect duties” and “imperfect duties.” A perfect duty is one that a person must perform, regardless of individual feelings towards or benefits from the action. Kantian ethics state that telling the truth is a perfect duty. Even though the discount benefits the writer and her friend, presenting themselves as a couple violates the perfect duty not to lie. This is one way in which the writer was unethical. The fact that she was posing as a lesbian does not matter here. Another perfect duty is to refrain from theft. Seeking and accepting a discount using deceptive means is stealing that money from the company.
Another example of shady ethics in this situation is found when applying the
A person submitted an interesting conundrum to the New York Times “The Ethicist” column. She wanted to join a local pool that offered a discount for a couple, which could be defined as a married couple, or a couple in a relationship who cohabitate. The writer’s husband did not want to join the pool, so she and her friend posed as a lesbian couple and used the writer’s address for both women to pose as a cohabitating couple, and asked The Ethicist if this was “okay” for her and her friend, because they are not lesbians at all. After examining the issue, considering the viewpoint of The Ethicist, and applying Kantian rules, it is clear that this is not an ethical act.
The letter …show more content…
If her ruse was discovered, the likelihood of all gay couples seeking the discount coming under suspicion was very slim. The Ethicist concludes that she was unethical, but not because she was posing as part of a gay couple, rather because she was falsely posing for part of a couple at all.
Using the Kantian deontological framework, the writer was unethical. There are a few reasons why posing as a false couple for a monetary advantage was morally wrong. For example, according to Kant, there are “perfect duties” and “imperfect duties.” A perfect duty is one that a person must perform, regardless of individual feelings towards or benefits from the action. Kantian ethics state that telling the truth is a perfect duty. Even though the discount benefits the writer and her friend, presenting themselves as a couple violates the perfect duty not to lie. This is one way in which the writer was unethical. The fact that she was posing as a lesbian does not matter here. Another perfect duty is to refrain from theft. Seeking and accepting a discount using deceptive means is stealing that money from the company.
Another example of shady ethics in this situation is found when applying the