ETHC 445N Week 3 Assignment: Greater Good Analysis Paper [GRADED A]

Chamberlain University ETHIC445N Greater Good Analysis In the following three situations which I have analyzed, I will identify the consequences of the actions taken and whether they represent the greater good and who (if anyone) benefitted from them. Finally, I will address whether the consequences ethically justify the decisions and actions. Situation 1: The Mayor of a large city was given a free membership in an exclusive golf club by people who have received several city contracts. He also accepted gifts from organizations that have not done business with the City but might in the future. The gifts ranged from $200 tickets to professional sports events to designer watches and jewelry. I believe the mayor was acting unethically by accepting the gifts from organizations that have not done business with the City but might do so in the future. By accepting these gifts many people could presume he has accepted them as bribes for future favors. Perhaps he was thinking by accepting the gifts he was being nice to his constituents who were showing their appreciation, but he should not have accepted them. Today’s politicians are scrutinized and judged for every action; they are public officials and should not give their community any additional reason to question their ethics. This type of behavior appears that he can easily be bought or influenced. According to Locke, pleasure is the standard of moral judgment. Pleasure goes both ways in this situation; the giver gets pleasure when seeing the Mayor accept the gift, and the Mayor gets great pleasure when receiving such expensive gifts (or when knowing he has control over the community, if he is that type) (Ruggio, 2011). Locke believed that human nature allowed people to be selfish and that’s why I feel that Locke would have accepted the gifts and the mayor accepted the gifts; both were not ethically correct. Situation 2: A college instructor is pursuing her doctorate in night school. To gain extra time for her own studies, she gives her students the same lectures, the same assignments, and the same examinations semester after semester without the slightest effort to improve them. This is a tricky situation. I believe what this college instructor is doing is both common and ethical. Even though the professor is still meeting her requirement to teach, her students may benefit from changes to her lectures and assignments; however, she is still providing them with lessons, assignments, and exams. Do the students have an opportunity to learn additional information? Yes, they can be self-sufficient and go beyond what they are learning in class and find additional information to learn so it is ethical for her to present the information which is required; provided what she is presenting is the required information. I believe Locke would agree with the professor’s methods and would also use the same assignments, lectures, and exams if he were in the same situation. The negative to previously used assignments are that students tend to pass around their assignments to friends. I have a hard time with this; you don’t learn from using another student’s exam or essay and you certainly do not benefit from using another student’s assignment; it is unethical and cheating/plagiarism. Out of this entire scenario, this is the only negative I see. Situation 3: Todd and Edna have been married for three years. They have had serious personal problems. Edna is a heavy drinker, and Todd cannot keep a job. Also, they have bickered and fought constantly since their marriage. Deciding that the way to overcome their problems is to have a child, they stop practicing birth control, and Edna becomes pregnant. To me, this situation is highly unethical. This couple is not stable and neither one of them is in their right frame of mind or ready to raise a child. You should not bring a child into the world because you feel it will help heal your relationship. A couple should first try to work on their relationship before having a baby, which will only increase their stress levels. With a child you must put the baby’s needs ahead of your own, while still working on the relationship. I could see where having a baby might help a couple grow up and make better decisions, but a baby isn’t a toy, and it will not fix relationship issues. This is another life that needs love and care; an unstable couple who cannot manage their relationship is not prepared to provide that love and care. Despite my belief that this is unethical I feel that Locke would find this couple’s decision justifiable because a lot of his teachings are based on religion and in religion it is believed that a baby is a gift from God. So, he may see it as God giving the couple a second chance at their marriage. In conclusion, every day we make both ethical and unethical decisions. We must think each decision carefully and sometimes we regret that decision and try desperately to make it right. We also must accept the consequences of our decisions; which, we haven’t thought about. What we need to do is stop and carefully think about what we are going to do before we do it. Is it right or is it wrong? What will happen if I do this? Will I regret it or not? References Ruggiero, V. (01/2011). Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues, 8th Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from