The Essential Role of Case Studies and Concepts in Understanding Ethics
Ethics is a multifaceted concept that emerges in the personal and professional areas of life. This week’s cases and concepts that we learned in class have [played a critical role in enhancing our understanding of ethics. The impaired Driver’s case highlights the free will that the driver possesses to make a decision that is either ethical or unethical. The driver’s morals play a key responsibility in ensuring that they make one of the two decisions.
Ethics also entails aspects of beneficence, respect for personal autonomy, and justice. In the case of Dora’s mother, it is difficult to grant her the stated death wish. However, personal autonomy should also be considered. The involved parties have to weigh their moral values against their mother’s wish to end life. Based on various factors, such as personal beliefs and religion, the involved parties may be against or in support of such a wish.
The Alcoholic’s case highlights similar issues as the case that involves Dora’s mother. The alcoholic employee, Frank, fails to demonstrate respect for his colleagues and is unjust as other staff members perform his duties and their own as well. Frank should be treated as other staff members would have been handled in case of alcoholism at the workplace. Fairness is critical in this case because it ensures that Frank does not oppress others consciously or subconsciously.
The cases highlight the most important aspects of making decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas. These include options and outcomes, rights and rules, determination/decision, evaluation of the effects, and review/reconsideration (Newton, 2013). These steps of decision-making enable the parties to explore multiple alternatives and settle for the most appropriate choice that maximizes justice, fairness, and beneficence and respects personal autonomy.
References
Newton, L. (2013). Ethical Decision Making: Introduction to Cases and Concepts in Ethics. Springer.
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Question
Discuss why the cases and concepts that this class explored were necessary to understand ethics.
The goal of this discussion is to look at the topic of ethics from the many different concepts learned in the class.