...Patricia Sanchez Philosophy 105 Intro to Ethics Question 2 of 2 Do we have a moral duty to help starving people on the other side of the world, who we will never meet? To aid hungry nations or not, is a complex issue. One that, I myself, have had some trouble even formulating an idea. Initially, when I think of this, I immediately say “Yes, we help!” But after reviewing some of the literature, case studies and political views on the subject, I am not so sure. As human beings, I believe that we have an inherent duty to help others who are in need. I prefer not to mention things I have done to help others, but in this context I believe it to be imperative. If someone is hungry, I have gone out of my way to feed them; the consequences are of no value to me, whether it was financial repercussions on my part or the part of an establishment, made no matter to me. If a person is hungry, you feed them. A family one time, had hit a deer on their way home to Flagstaff, I already had a full lodge and house with guests in town for a wedding; I called and asked my mother to oblige these people, who had a small child and baby. She refused, stating, “She couldn’t manage the extra stress right now.” I was appalled. Eventually a place was offered and the family was provided a place to sleep that night. However, my animosity towards my own Mother grew intensely. This scenario has been repeated over and over in my life. I truly believe that virtues are implanted in us, and if...
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...Robert Carroll Econ 394 Essay 2 10/28/15 Moral Duty of Debt When thinking of debt as a “promise to pay” it is only natural to feel the obligation to fulfill that promise. However, not all debts are the same and the sense of duty to repay different debts can certainly vary. The type of debt, reason for the debt, and who the lender can all affect the willingness to pay the debt back. Some debts may seem unfair, while others are clearly the result of your own conscious decision to take it on. There are many factors that can affect one's willingness to pay back a debt, whether it be penalties on defaulting or just a sense or a moral obligation to keep that promise. Although most people intend to pay back their debts, there are certainly some circumstances that I wouldn't absolutely pay back a debt. There are certain debts that I believe should absolutely be paid back. I would absolutely pay back any debts that are the result of my own conscious decision to borrow money for assets. For example, I would always pay back car loans. If I am buying a car that requires a loan, the chances are I could find one that is more affordable. However if I wanted to buy a more expensive car and take out a loan for it, I would make it my obligation to pay the loan back. The reason for this is not only a moral obligation but also for the sake of society's ability to borrow at all. If everyone decided to borrow money for things and not pay it back, our economy would collapse and no one would...
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...Famine, Affluence, and Morality: To Give or Not to Give PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instuctor: Noel Sauer October 14, 2013 With his focus on the state of the people in Bengal, India, Peter Singer gives us (in his opinions) the ways in which the inevitable, non-unavoidable death and suffering that is taking place there can be stopped. In his article, Famine, Affluence, and Morality, Singer draws the conclusion that if we not only has individuals, but as a government [as a whole] would do our parts, the suffering of these individuals would greatly be reduced. In this summary report, I will try to point out his arguments for immediate help for this nation and give a personal response of this article and his arguments. In his article, Famine, Affluence, and Morality, Singer’s goal is to get us the people of an affluent countries to understand and accept his conclusion that with help from us from anyone, the people of Bengal, India will survive and our moral ethical duties would be satisfied. From the beginning of this article, Singer tries to paint the picture of what is exactly going on in Bengal. He clearly and simply states "people are all dying in East Bengal from lack of food, shelter, and medical care" (Singer, 1972). Singer believes and tries to get us to believe that with help from other individuals and countries the people of Bengal will survive. He points out that in order for the nine million “refugees” to live at the very least a year the estimated amount...
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...answer and produce no conviction.” In which I believe that Singer’s considerations show that people should do what would be considerably more than most people would actually do, people do not establish Singer’s conclusions in their full strength or generality. So Singer’s arguments may admit to partial answers, and possibly once properly qualified may produce some conviction. In the article Singer argues that the people who live in affluent countries must radically change their way of life as well as their conception of morality, so that they will become committed to helping those that are in need. Singer begins by asking us to consider cases of famine, like that in Bengal in 1971, Singer argues that the majority of people have a moral obligation to donate all we can possibly to the famine relief, and seeing that the people were suffering tremendously and either the government nor the individuals was doing anything near what was required to help. In saying this, this applies to all people regardless of any other person’s inaction. The “all we can”, is reasonably interpreted as the amount that one can give without - 1 - [no notes on this page] Running Head: Peter Singer’s Beliefs 2 causing any harm to his/her dependents or that of one’s self, or without causing something comparably immoral to the one he/she will be trying to...
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...Zakharov Ilya Essay The issue: Children have no responsibility towards their parents when they grow old. Children are never asked to be born and parents can`t expect their help. Nowadays many people think that children who have just come of age have the tendency to lose their contacts with parents. And as a result parents can`t expect help from their children. However, let`s consider the facts. It is believed that the duty of the children towards their parents consists of respect, obedience, care (especially when old people cannot take care of themselves). These duties are determined by the history, different traditions and religion. And apparently the main duty is to love your parents. This one goes without mentioning. With the rising cost of living sometimes parents have to ask children for help and support. And in this case there is the moral obligation of the children to look after them. Even if some people are not in the position to support parents financially, there are many other ways in which it is possible to give a hand. But one should, nevertheless, consider the problem from another angle. There is an argument against making it legal to force children help their parents. One must admit that, because of complicated emotional problems between parents and children, enforcing by law is not the solution. Another argument is that children were not given birth to become caretakers, because some parents may go for having more kids just for profit. And this is not love...
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...Whose Job is Famine Relief? PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning December 12, 2012 Everyday on television one will view several commercials about giving to another country, to help the starving children. When Peter Singer wrote his article in 1971“Famine, Affluence and Morality” he was able to give a disastrous review of what readers may ordinarily think about different things such as charity and famine relief and if it is moral. Why is there so much famine around the world? Some put blame on lack of food and shelter with no medical care. Others believe that if there was a population control put in place that this perhaps would solve the issue of famine, with as long as these severely poor countries are still giving birth to children, famine becomes a vicious circle. Is it really the obligations of those who live in wealthier countries to support those in other countries? Should these countries make sure their own people are taken care of first? This is the argument that Mr. Singer presents in his paper. One has the moral obligation is to help others in need whether it be a cup of coffee or assisting in drilling a well for water and no matter if they are next door or across the world. With three different premises and a conclusion Singer argues for relief. The first of the three premises is understood when Singer said “that suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are bad” (Singer, 1972, pg. 231). The next of these three premises...
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...Utilitarianism vs. Deontology, Should Tiger Woods have his contracts reinstated by the companies that dropped him? I will be discussing both of these theories and the positive and negative side of each. I will also tell you my thoughts and how I would answer this question. The Tiger Woods scandal brings up many questions concerning today’s society and the ethical and moral obligations that celebrities have when companies invest in you in exchange for your endorsement of their products. Although, Tiger Woods may be a great golfer his moral choices have proved to be less than desirable by the masses. According, to the Judeo-Christian values that our country was founded on (Cherry, 2007) adultery is believed to be morally unacceptable and thus makes the basis of the utilitarian approach to this discussion. The utilitarian theory is based on the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. This theory may hold true when speaking of adultery. I agree that adultery is wrong but do Tiger’s personal indiscretions warrant the abandonment of his endorsers. Was Tiger hired on the basis that he lived a moral life or because he is a great golfer? Now that Tiger Woods has made a public apology, does the belief that everyone deserves forgiveness prove to have priority over the condemnation of adultery? The utilitarian approach determines the greatest priority by the happiness level or consequences it produces. Since your happiness level is greater when influenced by positive...
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...there is consideration of the ethical conduct that will help in realizing the best of the consequences. An individual using this method of consequences framework has an aim of producing the most good. The Duty Framework The duty framework method of coming up with ethical decisions focuses on the obligations and duties that are usually posed in different situations. The method considers the ethical obligations that individuals have and the things that they should never do. The method defines ethical conduct as fulfilling one’s duties and doing what is right. The main aim of the method is performing the right act. Section 2: The Duty Framework Decision Making Process The duty framework is the more preferable of the two methods discussed above. Firstly, the method presents a solid ground for the formulation of decisions. Mainly, it is due to the fact that most moral duties are standardized and an expected course of action is present for most of the situations. As such, justification of a course of action would be easy. It very much unlike the consequential framework where different situations will have their decisions made upon the personalities of the individuals faced by the dilemma and the environment in which the particular situation is presented. Secondly, the duty framework would provide a...
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...BUSINESSES HAVE A MORAL DUTY TO PUT THEIR CONSUMERS FIRST 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, Malaysia has become one of the develop countries in the world. Many new things have been developed and improved in terms of business administration, economy, facility, technology, culture, education system, and so on. All of these things have a significant relationship with the law. People or organization has the right to be protected and the law have been created to make people’s lives more comfortable and peacefully. Laws have been used to protect consumers for centuries. These laws have been designed in a variety of legal forms, including criminal law, tort, contract, intellectual property, etc. In addition to those laws that specify consumer protection and product liability as their primary concern, numerous other provisions have the effect of protecting the consumer, for example by streamlining the prosecution of fraud, protecting property or facilitating litigation. This study will examine the critically assess the view that businesses have a moral duty to put their consumers first. Legislation of consumer protection in Malaysia now is entering to the new era with the recent introduction of the Consumer Protection Act 1999. 2.0 Business moral duty and consumer protection 2.1 Business moral duty A duty is an obligation to act in a certain way. When the obligation is based on moral and ethical consideration, it is a business moral duty. Often we think about moral duties in term of...
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...STRENGTHS OF DENTOLOGY: Deontology is based on duties and rights and respects individuals as ends in themselves. It places value on the intentions of the individual (rather than the outcomes of any action) and focuses on rules, obligations and duties. Deontology requires absolute adherence to these obligations and acting from duty is viewed as acting ethically. The deontological thinkers tend to think about care delivered through a long term continuous relationship. To them breaking care up into smaller fragments is a denial of what caring is really about. They maintain equity and considers every individual equally and worthy of protection. Motivation is valued over consequences, which are beyond our control. An immoral motive cannot be justifies by unforeseen good consequences but a good motive is worthy of value. It provides guidelines for making moral decisions , without the need for lengthy calculation of possible outcomes. It recognises the value of moral absolutes that do not change with time or culture. Deontology sports a fair trial of right or wrong as it depends on a universally accepted morality approach. It also makes the philosopher study both sides of a situation without compromising the outcomes. WEAKNESS OF DENTOLOGY: Deontology: One of the key criticisms in healthcare is that applying a strictly deontological approach to healthcare can lead to conflicts of interest between equally entitled individuals which can be difficult or even seemingly impossible...
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...Piety and Justice The wise Henry David Thoreau once stated "It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right." This quote emphasizes that what one follows through obligations of the “law”, whether it is commitments to your city, family or divinity, it may not be what is righteous in regards to your own moral values. This theme of obligations vs. moral justice can be expressed in Sophocles’ Antigone, which can be seen through the main characters Antigone and Kreon, who have opposing views, but actions depict that if the law contradicts one’s moral duties, then one is justified to act in a manner of disobedience. The tragic Greek playwright Antigone is set in a more traditional era of time, where the city of Thebes is organized completely around religion and there are strict gender roles and expectations the citizens must abide by. Men are socially obliged to take care of the city, whilst women are to be taking care of the household, and more importantly are not to be seen wandering out in public. This distinction is important, as in all Greek plays, nothing is coincidence and the polarities between the gender roles plays a huge role in how the characters justify their actions. The play begins with Antigone and her sister Ismene sitting outside the palace the morning after the attack of the city of Thebes. The day prior, their brother Polyneices attacked their other brother Etyokles, and both committed acts of fratricide in pursuit of...
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...April 30, 2012 Current Event Ethical Dilemma On February 26th of this year, in the town of Sanford, Florida, 28 year old George Zimmerman shot and killed 17 year old Trayvon Martin with a 9mm pistol. Mr. Zimmerman claims this was in self-defense. Trayvon was armed with an Arizona Ice Tea beverage and a package of candy Skittles he had just bought from the local convenience store. The Sanford Police Department questioned Mr. Zimmerman and then released him without arrest, using the “Stand Your Ground” law as his defense. In this horrific situation the Police Department had a moral if not legal, responsibility to further detain and even arrest this man, on the ethical principles of Privacy, Respect for Persons, and Beneficence on behalf of the victim. The Right to Privacy for every person means the right to be free from intrusions into ones physical body, space, mind and personal information. This includes the right to be free from bodily restraint in any way or of having to disprove another’s perception of our attire. The Bill of Rights supports the ethical principle, Right to Privacy, specifically with the 14th Amendment, Amendment IV, which covers privacy of the person and possessions with the following: The right of the person to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing...
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...Professional Regulations Week One Assignment – AICPA Code of Professional Conduct AICPA Code of Professional Conduct The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct represents the principles that “are based on the values of the profession and the traits of character that enable CPA’s to meet their obligations to the public” (Mintz & Morris, 2011). The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct has six essential principles to guide them in the performance of their profession. The six essential principles are: Responsibilities, the Public Interest, Integrity, Objectivity and Independence, Due Care, and Scope and Nature of Services. All these principles need to be follow by the members of the AICPA. These principles link the professional conduct to moral judgment and recognize the responsibility that CPA’s have to his or her clients as well as the public. AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Principles The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct have six essential principles. The first principle is call “Responsibilities”, which protects the public of irresponsible and immoral behavior. The second principle is “The Public Interest”, which protects the best interest of stakeholders that includes the clients, credit grantors, government, investors, etc. The third principle is “Integrity” because this principle identify the public trust and CPA’s need to be candid and honest while maintaining client confidentiality. The fourth principle is “Objectivity and Independence” and this ensures that...
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...officer has a very important duty in our community. Also, officers are required to protect all citizens from any potential threats, and uphold peace in our community’s. What experiences have pulled me toward this profession? Well, since I was young I have always respected the responsibility’s, of the officers in my community. Naturally I was interested in wearing a badge. B) Being a police officer, the job involves potential moral issues on a daily basis. For an example, police officers have the duty to protect all citizens, which may include your damsel in distress, or even your average Joe who is being held up at the local drug store; however, the title of citizen, is even given to those who, some say are un deserving of such protection, like murders, rapists, or even a collaboration of the two. So, a police officer has to overcome any personal feelings or opinions during his duty’s’. Another potential moral issue involved, with the day to day agenda of a police officer would be conflict of interest. Police officers are active in our community’s. With that in mind police officers have to be trusted in acting without bias in conducting their duties. For an example if an officer pulls over a person for speeding and the person just so happens to be his old Ethics Professor, from back in college. That officer is obligated to give that ticket as if the person he pulled of was a regular person. C) In the Police officer Code of Ethics, these moral principles are listed. One...
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...HLT-305 Tuesday 26, 2014 * Went over class Thursday 28, 2014 Ethics * Is the study of rightness or wrongness of human deliberation, decision, and action * Such study assume that moral evaluations criteria exist above the level of individual human choice ( sheer relativism) * There is disagreement about the scope and nature of evaluative criteria Medical Ethics * Practical, deliberation process of addressing the rightness and wrongness of medical act * Involves question of what I ought to do or not as relates to the rightness or wrongness of particular actions * Involves questions of motives or intent Principles * A principles may be defined as a basic truth or general law or doctrine that is used as a basis of reasoning or a guide to action or behavior. Principlism * The Belmont report * Beauchamp and childress’ text The Georgetown mantra * The principles Beneficence * Doing the best of someone well being * It’s going to benefit the patient the some way * An obligations to help others further their important and legitimate interests * Paternalism- consists in the judgment that beneficence trumps autonomy Non-maleficence * Do no harm * We need to make sure were not doing harm to the patients, make the patient understand what treatment they are getting. That the harm is out weighted for benefits. * Respect for autonomy * Respect the choice of the patients, and protect the people who...
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