Overwhelming, sometimes startling, questions posed in class encourage us think beyond the box and push ourselves further to examine the ethical issues of a variety of topics. During the first official class of the semester, we were thrown a curveball with questions like “is it wrong to have sex with a dead chicken?” or “is it wrong to have sex with your siblings?” The class discussion, an endless back and forth between students debating the ethicality of these subjects, pointed to how our ethical decisions are based on how we were raised. From a young age, authoritative figures, whether it is our parents or teachers, aimed to shape our morality by teaching us what society deems to be right and wrong. I find this particular interesting because
…show more content…
After one class, I found myself thinking back to a thought expressed in class that remained untouched. While discussing the ethicality of child labor, someone posed the question of whether ethics is a matter of luxury. My mind started reevaluating all the choices I make in my everyday life when I heard these words. When I contemplate this theory, I think back to our conversations relating to how what we determine to be the right choice is shaped by our life experiences. In the child labor scenario, there is no better alternative to sending a child to work in a house as slave. If we decide to keep the child at home, he faces a life of poverty and starvation. It dawned on me that those faced with challenging ethical decisions are fortunate enough to have a choice. While we might beat ourselves up until we reach that point where we are satisfied with our decisions, we are at least given different alternatives and the ability to choose becomes a symbol of power, wealth, and …show more content…
My immediate response would be to investigate the situation, find the culprits, and punish them for their actions. But then when I learned that there was one organization on the college campus that publicly supported the vandals, I realized that this isn’t as clear of a case as I originally thought it to be. This isn’t just about someone running someone else’s work. This is about the conflicting viewpoints on one campus. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and by punishing the vandals, we would essentially be stripping them of their freedom of expression and freedom to protest. While I do agree that this particular manner in which they protested the symbol of the American flag is absolutely wrong, I understand where the anger stems from. The group that originally planted the flags intended them to be representative of the lives lost during the tragedy of 9/11, yet the vandals interpreted it differently and thought it would be best to express their views by trashing the makeshift memorial. This scenario represents how quickly our emotions are tied into our decision-making. When I first volunteered to share my opinion in class, I was basing my words off of how I felt in response to the vandalism. By pushing aside our emotions, I think we can see a clearer picture of reality and make a better ethical decision. The true complexity of ethics can
After one class, I found myself thinking back to a thought expressed in class that remained untouched. While discussing the ethicality of child labor, someone posed the question of whether ethics is a matter of luxury. My mind started reevaluating all the choices I make in my everyday life when I heard these words. When I contemplate this theory, I think back to our conversations relating to how what we determine to be the right choice is shaped by our life experiences. In the child labor scenario, there is no better alternative to sending a child to work in a house as slave. If we decide to keep the child at home, he faces a life of poverty and starvation. It dawned on me that those faced with challenging ethical decisions are fortunate enough to have a choice. While we might beat ourselves up until we reach that point where we are satisfied with our decisions, we are at least given different alternatives and the ability to choose becomes a symbol of power, wealth, and …show more content…
My immediate response would be to investigate the situation, find the culprits, and punish them for their actions. But then when I learned that there was one organization on the college campus that publicly supported the vandals, I realized that this isn’t as clear of a case as I originally thought it to be. This isn’t just about someone running someone else’s work. This is about the conflicting viewpoints on one campus. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and by punishing the vandals, we would essentially be stripping them of their freedom of expression and freedom to protest. While I do agree that this particular manner in which they protested the symbol of the American flag is absolutely wrong, I understand where the anger stems from. The group that originally planted the flags intended them to be representative of the lives lost during the tragedy of 9/11, yet the vandals interpreted it differently and thought it would be best to express their views by trashing the makeshift memorial. This scenario represents how quickly our emotions are tied into our decision-making. When I first volunteered to share my opinion in class, I was basing my words off of how I felt in response to the vandalism. By pushing aside our emotions, I think we can see a clearer picture of reality and make a better ethical decision. The true complexity of ethics can