Finding Ethics
Sandy Hutchison
8/2008
I would like to first state how fascinating I find ethics. I had no idea how many different types there are. During some of my reading I felt that there was a little knit-picking going on then… I saw how a little tiny difference could change the formula of a theory. I was surprised by all of the steps needed to apply some of the theories. One of the command factors was that at lest one of the steps was to “weight it out”. This is the advice I give to anyone who asks me for it. Kids will often come to me for advice and I will say,“ You know what’s right and what’s wrong. Then if it is not a right or wrong kind of thing like, should I jump out of a plane or go bounty hunting for coyotes, or ballooning or date my best friends old boyfriend? The first thing I often say to them is to weight it out. What are the pluses and what are the minuses then, will you regret it if you do it or don’t do it?
Just as no one theory fits everyone all of the time, no one ethical theories fits within my own personal philosophy of ethics. The Consequential theory fits my belief of karma but each of these theories can be applied to any number of sensible decision in various situation, theoretically, they can all be used at one time or an other.
Consequential theory… “Base ethical judgments on the results or outcomes of actions or rules.”(Pg. 99) A good action or ethical action is one that will result in good consequences, and a bad action or unethical action is one that will result in a bad consequences. This is the simplified statement I give when children ask me about cause and effect. I explain that no one action is always good or bad.
I can easily relate to Pluralism. I believe in the cultural rights of others. I do not advocate any that do harm and I am incline to promote a peaceful remedy to any harmful actions.
I saw no reason to reinvent the wheel so I am using my “b” responses in my journal
Egoism...