Discussion Question on Ethics

Consider different situations in your life where you my use different ethical perspectives to justify your actions. Consider, as well, whether situational ethics or universal ethics is more desirable.

Ethics is something that all people are born with and can apply to different situations they experience throughout their lives. Some people may lack ethics more than others though. For example, there have been many documented  instances of racism in judicial court cases where white men experience a less harsh reprimanding for criminal acts, opposed to individuals of other ethnicities who had committed less threatening crimes, particularly black men and women in the United States. If the judicial court had applied ethics to their punishments, perhaps they would have been more just instead of racist.

Many parents today face the ethical decision of choosing to allow their young children to use electronic devices as a way of keeping busy. As the technologies of the world advances, it may be important for children to be familiar with the logistics of technology however one should also consider the health impacts of our electronic devices. Obesity rates have increased largely over the past century alongside the development of technology and the two have been linked together. Is it therefore ethical to allow children to depend on devices from such a young age?

This theory can be answered using situational ethics as it depends on the individual child and their reliance on technology. The first example should however use a universally ethic stance as law should be universal and uniform for everyone.