Normative ethics

The pregnant substance abuser is now making choices that not only affect her life and well-being but her fetus’ life and development. The social worker has the choice to report the pregnant substance abuser which arguably could violate NASW code of ethics…

Actions can be both moral and unmoral. The decision on whether or not an action is moral depends on the perspective applied. Act Utilitarianism, Rule Utilitarianism, and Kantian Ethics of Duty are some perspectives used for ethical questions. These perspectives can be applied to the story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin. The story revolves around an affair between Calixta and Alcee that occured on the night of a big storm. Neither Calixta nor Alcee spouse seem to have become aware of the event that…

Ethical Dilemma Situation Ethical dilemmas involving law enforcement officers happen every day. We can create a situation all on our own or we can be brought into a situation just because we are there. The facts remain the same, no matter how we ended up in an ethical dilemma situation, what are we going to do about it and is there a right way to handle the situation. Situation After all of the hard work and effort I have put forth to graduate with a criminal justice degree, I am placed…

To further exemplify the principles of either one of the aforementioned theories, it is essential to apply them to situations that could be fairly argued from either perspective. In the case of Christy O’Donnell, the moral question posed is whether or not it is moral for physicians to euthanize terminally ill patients who wish to end their life on their own terms. O’Donnell, a mother and lawyer, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer after the discovery of a tumor approximately the size of a…

4. How might utilitarianism be used to resolve dilemma 4 (pg. 132 of Jones)? Do you agree with this resolution? Why or why not? The theory of utilitarianism is to maximize benefit rather than judge whether the course of action was right or wrong (Jones, 2005, p. 26). If an action, results in greater good, even if it is morally wrong, can be justified as the correct course of action morally in a broader context (Jones, 2005, p.26). If utilitarianism is used to resolve this dilemma, then the…

boss Mr. Mead and the fugitive Mr. Ethics meet resistance to their radical views that suggest people should not be happy. This coming from Edwin’s co-workers May, Nigel, and the author of the revolutionary book, Jack. Edwin’s personal interactions with these characters subtly convinces him that happiness and sadness are interrelated, the words having no value if there is nothing to compare the feelings with.…

Tristram McPherson enthusiastically sets out to prove that killing animals under nearly any circumstance is morally wrong. In “Why I am Vegan”, he lays out a multitude of different reasons which it is wrong to kill even painlessly. McPherson has several very valid and reasonable ideas however they lack any type of support as to why they should be upheld. McPherson spends a lot of the second section considering the autonomy and future of the animals; however, more importantly he compares the…

Metaethical Frameworks Metaethics is a question of not what should we do but why should we do it. It breaks the idea down that you decision is based on good and bad. But what is good and bad? Who determines what is good and bad? Is it an idea from inside of a person or group of people? If you determine that what is right for you might be wrong for someone else, who is right? Everyone has their own internal moral code that decides right and wrong. There are several questions that metaethics asks…

philosophy and ethics. One of his most notable works is Nicomachean Ethics. In the second book of this collection, he discusses the difference between intellectual and moral virtue. However, before one can delve into the difference between two types of something, one must first understand what the overall something is. Or in this case, before discussing intellectual and moral virtue, an explanation of virtue itself must be made clear. While it is never explicitly stated in Nicomachean Ethics,…

Graduating from a Jesuit high school and university has instilled in me the will to do what I, and most people, consider to be fair, honest, and morally right. Both institutions not only provided an exemplary education but supported me as I grew into the man I am today. Through the Jesuit education I inherited the moral philosophy of being a man with and for others. Keeping this goal in mind I participated in a multitude of retreats which shook me to my core and allowed me to realize how…