Ethics the Role of Ethics in My

Ethics

The Role of Ethics in My Life

Ethics refers to the systematic and logical study of right and wrong behavior. The challenge with ethics is that ethical decisions are often subjective. Variables like personality, culture, and upbringing can all affect one's ethical character. Age and gender can also impact one's ethical decision-making process. The study of ethics has been an ongoing one in the field of philosophy, but it also has direct applications in fields ranging from law to medicine.

Almost all decisions have an ethical component. Even deciding what food to eat is an ethical decision, because the consumer chooses things like fair trade and organic over factory farmed and exploitative. Therefore, ethics can help me to create a more ethical and just society, by making choices that are congruent with core ethical principles. Ethical principles may include such things as fairness and the refrain from harm. Generally, there are two ways I will evaluate a decision on its ethical merits: the utilitarian method and the deontological method. Utilitarian ethics evaluate the consequences of an act, more than the nature of the act itself. Utilitarian decision making takes into account the maximization of value for the greatest number of stakeholders. Deontological ethics, on the other hand, focus more on the categorical nature of the act itself. If the act is deemed to be unethical in character, then it is considered wrong regardless of the consequences. Using a deontological model, stealing a loaf of bread to feed a hungry child is ethically wrong; whereas using the utilitarian model, stealing the loaf of bread may be considered ethically correct.

I use both deontological and utilitarian ethics in my life, because I believe it is impossible to use the same moral framework to evaluate each decision. The world is too complex for oversimplification. I try to keep in mind core principles, and generally believe more in the consequentialist view than the deontological one. Not all laws are ethically sound, and many legal acts are unethical. I believe that if other people made decisions that were more ethically principled, the world would certainly be a better place because there would be less worker exploitation, more equitable social systems, and less injustice in general. I am willing to pay more for products that are produced by ethical companies, which I believe need to be supported over products made by corporations that do bad things to the environment and exploit their workers.

"Kitty Genovese syndrome"

The Kitty Genovese syndrome is also known as the bystander effect. In some sociological situations, bystanders will not interfere even when a crime is being committed. Explanations for the Kitty Genovese syndrome include general apathy, and what is known as the diffusion of responsibility. In other words, if I am the only person to witness an ethical infraction, I may be more likely to interfere than if I were surrounded by dozens of other people.