Ethical systems and their philosophical justification

¶ … Ethical System and Its Justification

In the definition of an ethical system, there are both the ethical theories and ethical principles. These provide the viewpoints upon which an ethical analysis is conducted Schwartz, 2003.

They provide guidance as to what path to take to arrive at the final decision James, 2000.

To me, good is defined as that action which is ethical in nature and which complies with the standards of the society at large.

There are several actions that I consider to be good. One example is helping another student revise for an exam. Secondly, there is the action of helping an elderly woman cross the street. There is also the act of encouraging and motivating people in their daily lives. Another action that I consider to be good is that of letting certain persons such as the elderly or a pregnant woman cut the line where you are in a grocery store. Other actions that I consider to be good include telling the truth at all times and taking responsibility for one's actions. The common feature in these actions is that they show that the individual has respect for other people. They show that the individual cares enough for the other members of society and they are willing to do right by them.

These actions are good because they conform to the four ethical principles. The first is the principle of beneficence. This is where a person aims at doing what is good at all times. The priority in this is doing what is right Thong & Yap, 1998.

The act of helping the student or the elderly woman is a good example.

The second ethical principle is that of least harm. This principle is much similar to the principle of beneficence. It is where the person should do the least harm possible and to harm should be done to the fewest number of people Thong & Yap, 1998.

It can also be argued that people are more charged with the responsibility to do no harm to people than to do that which is to the benefit of others Morris, Schindehutte, Walton, & Allen, 2002.

Another example is in daily life where when we are walking on the street, we are more likely to just walk past each other while causing no harm to one another rather than to benefit the person we are walking past.

The third principle is that of respect for autonomy. This is where an ethical theory should allow people to reign over themselves and to have the capability to make the right decision applicable to the situation at hand Thong & Yap, 1998.

This is where we acknowledge people as they are and we respect them no matter what their decision is.

The fourth ethical principle is that of justice whereby ethical theories should prescribe actions which are fair to all. This means that ethical decisions should be in line with the ethical theory unless for justifiable reasons Thong & Yap, 1998.

For example, a policeman can be allowed to speed if they are trying to rush to a scene of crime.

The ethical system so described above is good because of several reasons. As described above, the common feature in these actions is caring and respect. These actions and the ethical system described conform to two ethical theories.

The first is the deontological theory of an ethical system. This theory states that when doing an analysis of an ethical dilemma, people should stick to their duties and obligations. It basically means that the correctness of the action in itself is judged on whether it is right. By looking at the examples of the actions being carried out, both the action itself and the outcome of the action can be judged to be good. Taking the example of helping the student to revise, the student will be able to understand the subject better and the outcome will be that the results of the exam will be pleasing. This shows that the action itself is right as well as its outcome. Therefore, the action is good.

The theory of utilitarianism is the second theory that applies to these actions which I consider to be good. The theory looks at the ability to predict the outcome of an action. In this way, the action which produces the greatest benefit to the people is the most correct. Looking at the example of the action of honesty, the outcome of honesty can be expected to be good. Therefore, the action itself can be said to be good.

My personal morals and ethics are based on my catholic faith and to do good by society's standards as well as my own. The ethical system is not majorly based on my own personal feelings rather the common feeling of the society. This is the basis for the ethical system that I describe in this paper. This ethical system needs to be followed for many reasons. One is that it gives a good outcome for the action so done. By the result of the action being good, it does result in the positive development of the society. Other members of the society will also be encouraged to act in the same good way.

The second reason why this ethical system should be followed is that it is not limited to any religion. Depending on the society that a person hails from, they may or may have their actions judged per a particular predominant religion. However, looking at the actions described above, these actions are not dependent on any religion rather they apply to all persons. Therefore, despite religious differences, the ethical system can apply to all people.