Ethics and Social Responsibility

Ethics and Social Responsibility
Marcus Alexander
Ethics and Social Responsibilities
ETH 316
September 21, 2015
Aubrey Weekes


Ethics and Social Responsibilities

What does it mean when someone says that an action is ethical?   That question can be answered so many different ways.   Ethics is a perception of a situation or culmination of situations, decisions, and resultant factors.   In order to answer this question, a person would have to consider the ethical values of the person.   Is the person using the views of virtue ethics, utilitarianism, or a deontological to base their decision?

There are similarities within the three views of virtue, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics.   In virtue ethics, a person would be making an ethical decision if that decision is aligned with an effort to strive for excellence.   “It takes the viewpoint that in living your life you should try to cultivate excellence in all that you do and all that others do (Boylan, 2009, p. 133)”. Similarly, from the utilitarianism viewpoint, a person would have to consider whether the decision would result in the best outcome for the community or society.   With deontological ethics, a person would have to take into consideration the duties of that person and how one fulfills obligations to self and community.   All three perspectives judge the ethical decision with consideration of whether or not the decision considers personal responsibilities and quality of life.

The three views have different standpoints as well.   When basing a decision with virtue ethics in mind, a person considers one’s own advancement and makes the conscious decision to further personal goals.   With utilitarianism, a person considers the furthering of community. “Utilitarianism is a theory that suggests that an action is...