Ethical System and Its Justification in the Essay

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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.

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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….....

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