Philosophy of Ethics

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Philosophy of Ethics

Metaethics

People who use religion to discriminate against various groups of people (e.g. LGBTQ+ community, women, other religions).

This example shows how religion can impact people's notion of equality and ethics. Although the golden rule, as said by Jesus, is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", people use their religious beliefs to invalidate the lifestyles of others. People may do this because they believe that their religion is superior and everyone must abide by its teachings, or because it provides an excuse for their discrimination.

A teeenager who stabbed her step-cousin said that "God made me do it".

This example shows that if God is the ultimate source of moral guidance, then his teachings may conflict with the laws and morals of our society. The Bible says that "thou shalt not kill", which conflicts with what the accused claimed. This immoral action may have been chosen because of the ambivalence between good and bad. Although murder is a crime in our society, the accused's supreme being was supposedly calling on her to do the action anyways. The accused was facing a struggle between doing what society sees as right and what her higher power was asking her to do.

Normative Ethics

Criminals who must commit crimes, such as theft, in order to provide for their families.

This example deals with the question of what a morally good life is. Although the individual at hand is doing an illegal act, they are doing it for the welfare of others. Is their underlying motivation enough to morally justify their actions? The Seven Laws of Noah state that one must not steal. However, the individual likely did it anyways because of necessity.

Kevin Mitnick was convicted of hacking but turned his life around and founded a company to protect other businesses from security lapses.

This example raises the question of what a good person is. Although Mitnick committed various crimes which undoubtedly harmed others' lives, he also helped to protect others from cyber attacks. Mitnick's actions reflect the Samma-Sankappa: the right understanding of reality. Mitnick may have committed his crimes because hacking is a low risk crime with a high possibility for reward. Mitnick may have thought that he would not be caught through the Internet.

Applied Ethics

Should we bring back extinct species?

This ethical issue debates if we have the right to interfere with nature's actions and bring back animals from the dead. Resurrecting these extinct species could help the environment by restoring old ecosystems and even slow climate change. However, these animals could bring new viruses and become invasive, thus doing more harm than help. The eightfold path states that we must act with integrity and not exploit others. If we are to bring back these extinct species, we must make sure we do not exploit them for their rareness and cause them to die out again.

Is abortion unethical?

The abortion debate highlights the ethical dilemma of killing an unborn child. One side proposes that since the fetus is a living being, it is no different from murder and should therefore be criminalized. The other side argues that abortion is sometimes the better option, in comparison to the foster system or being born into a family without the necessary resources and supports for a child. The Qur’an forbids abortion and states that children and unborn babies cannot be killed, even in fear of poverty.