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Essay / Doing what is right is not always popular: philosophy of ethics
Table of contentsIntroductionThe philosophy of consequentialismPhilosophy of utilitarianism and ethical egoismThe philosophy of non-consequentialismWorks citedIntroductionEthics can be defined as known behavioral regulations for a specific class of humans. activity or a particular group/society. It defines how things are done according to the rules. According to the BBC (2014), the word “ethics” is derived from the Greek word ethnos, which can mean tradition, practice, behavior or temperament. Ethics deals with dilemmas such as how to live a good life with our rights, our responsibilities, the language of good and bad moral decisions, and also what is good and what is bad. In the realm of ethics, doing the right thing is not always popular, as it may challenge established norms or conveniences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Morality, on the other hand, basically means values or behaviors regarding good or bad conduct. It determines how things work based on a person's ideas or values. According to a report published by the University of Texas (2020), morality is the dominant standard of conduct that allows individuals to live in groups. Morality applies to correct and appropriate cultures to sanction. Many people tend to act morally and follow society's guidelines. Morality also calls people to sacrifice their short-term societal desires. Individually and regardless of good or evil, people or entities are considered amoral, while those who do evil are considered immoral. Based on the above scenario, ethics is essential not only towards Mr. Gunawan but also towards our lives. Many business leaders believe that ethics is not very important from a purely financial and business perspective. Ethics has some importance, mainly in business, where Mr. Gunawan can reflect on his mistakes. One of them is the ethics of leadership. The leadership team sets the tone for the day-to-day operation of the entire company. When the existing management culture is focused on ethical practices and behavior, a company's leaders can provide guidance and inspire employees to make choices that not only benefit them, but also the institution as a whole . Building on an ethical foundation leads to generating long-term positive effects for an organization, including the ability to recruit, retain and build a reputation for highly talented individuals. Ethical business management from the top builds a stronger relationship with the leaders of the management team, which ensures more cohesion within the organization (Horton, 2019). Mr. Gunawan, who is a business owner and also a manager, has failed to guide his business to become one with high integrity and strong ethical values. The second importance of ethics within a business/organization is reputation. According to Keka.com, reputation is one of a company's most valuable assets and it is also one of the hardest things to restore when it is lost. With explicit ethical behavior, a company would be able to strengthen its credibility. Potential investors and shareholders will likely attract companies that follow their moral guidelines and commitments, which keeps the company's stock price high. Mr. Gunawan, who accepted the secret commission ofmedia owners, could potentially face massive backlash from his company's stakeholders as his actions are deemed unethical and also illegal. The Philosophy of Consequentialism Mr. Gunawan's action of granting a kickback goes far beyond the question of whether his actions are right or wrong. Consequentialism is a theory created by a person named John Stuart Mill, and it means the doctrine that actions based on their consequences should be judged right or wrong (Britannica, 2020). This theory is best related to the situation of Mr. Gunawan and his company. Consequentialism can be broken down into two particular parts which are utilitarianism and ethical egoism. The belief that the moral right is the behavior that generates the most good is generally considered utilitarianism. This general statement can be described in several ways. One thing to note is that theory is a form of coherence; the correct action is fully understood as the results. The magnitude of the relevant consequences is what distinguishes utilitarianism from selfishness. In the utilitarian context, the most important benefit must be maximized; that is, both the good of others and the good of oneself (Stanford.edu, 2014). Ethical egoism is the view that individuals should follow their own self-interest and no one else's interests should be defended. It is therefore a normative or prescriptive theory: how people should conform to it (Westacott, 2019). There are many pros and cons when it comes to utilitarianism and ethical egoism. The benefits of utilitarianism are that it is a universal concept that we can all understand. At any given point in life, a person's goal is to reduce personal harm while increasing satisfaction. Regardless, even though pessimism is at the center of all our thoughts, we do not want to live in misery. By creating a society that places more emphasis on behaviors that generate happiness, we will create a typical climate. Second, to benefit from this method, we do not need to practice any religion. Utilitarianism is a philosophical method that can add religious elements if we are happy. This action is not intended to seek redemption of the soul. He will not impose other views of God in order to ensure inclusion. If we focus on what makes us happy above anything else, then we can always channel our spirituality directly. Third, the choice to do good or evil requires an impartial procedure. If we make a choice, our actions are always influenced. Results can be positive, negative, or a mixture of both. Utilitarianism attempts to describe justice through these steps. Once we know the outcomes that bring happiness, we can all work toward an unbiased, unbiased way of identifying on a personal level what is right and wrong (Connectusfund.org, 2019) Philosophy of Utilitarianism and Ethical Egoism The disadvantages of utilitarianism, on the other hand. On the other hand, society does not focus solely on satisfaction/happiness when making decisions. Utilitarianism implies that satisfaction is the only intrinsic value, but other resources are worth considering. Existence is something that gives us meaning. It has a value that should not be ignored in order to be free to choose for yourself. If love is in the picture, there are also the connections that trigger the emotional response. Second, regarding the future, the results are uncertain. Utilitarianism wants people to look towardthe future and then plan what will make them happy at the highest level. Because nothing is assured beyond the present moment, the principles of this instruction cannot be applied. We simply operate based on assumptions. Third, happiness is a subjective thing. The degree of satisfaction that something offers us is not achievable to assign exceptional value to it at all times. Whenever we choose to do an operation, our first meeting will always provide us with a high degree of happiness. The amount of satisfaction we experience may diminish each time you pursue this task. There are also some pros and cons of ethical selfishness. The benefits of ethical egoism are that it would lead to a greater sense of personal belonging within society. By thinking about ethical egoism as a spiritual concept, a person will be able to understand their personality more deeply. In fact, he or she will be able to focus on discrepancies in others in order to promote self-interest. Second, ethical selfishness promotes a healthy home. This type of theory is also applicable to a household where it is carried out because a house is a manifestation of a person's identity. This also ensures that the family's desires will also be met quickly before other needs arise outside the world. Third, ethical egoism ensures that our basic demands are always met. An individual who adopts ethical egoism using his moral structure always meets his basic needs unlike those of others. This, however, does not guarantee a comfortable life, but ensures that housing, clothing, food and water will be the priority (Lombardo, 2016). The disadvantages of ethical egoism are that it is an approach that would establish a self-centered system. culture. One of the central tenets of ethical selfishness is that no one will take care of your personal needs but you. This means that everyone, including family members, continues to reflect on their own interests. Marriages would not be comfortable or loving environments: they would become a means to an end. Relationships with children would be the same. Second, in a world of ethical selfishness, there would be a lack of empathy. Implementing an ethically selfish society will cause us to lose sight of our current culture of empathy. Understanding what others think or feel has many benefits, and its lack is one of the hallmarks of psychopathy. We need this trait to form friendships, to have satisfaction in our intimate relationships, and to see a reduction in societal aggression. If people pursue self-interest more than they support each other, it would make society violent. Lack of understanding would lead to more errors, poor health outcomes, and people being less satisfied with each effort. Third, ethical selfishness can lead to a breakdown of ties within the labor market. Ethical egoism suggests that in a company with this structure, employee relations would become problematic, because the company would only serve to achieve its goal. Partnerships built throughout a career are built on what others can do for you, instead of being a mutually beneficial position where a rising tide lifts all ships. Everyone would give up what others could do, because their privileges in this system are always the top priority. In Mr. Gunawan’s case, he clearly practices ethical selfishness in his workplace. His actionsshow that he only cares about the future of his business in the short term and does not care about the consequences he may have to suffer in the long term. The Star recently reported a case similar to Mr Gunawan's, in which a person named Riza Aziz faces corruption charges in Malaysia over an alleged embezzlement of US$248,000 (RM1 billion) of state-owned 1-Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). Following the alleged theft of some US$4.5 billion (RM18.3 billion), his father-in-law Datuk Seri Najib Razak was dismissed as Prime Minister of the Fund. Belfort believes that money from Red Granite, including from high-profit individuals, Goldman Sachs came from legitimate sources, according to Riza Aziz. “In hindsight, the funding source for Red Granite and the film was completely blind to Belfort, based on Defendant's history of disguising these criminal acts and funding sources,” the lawsuit states. The Philosophy of Non-ConsequentialismIn philosophy, deontological ethics places particular emphasis on the relationship between obligation and justice in human actions. The word ethics comes from the Greek deon, “work”, and logos, “truth”. An action is considered morally right in deontological ethics because of some aspect of the action itself, not because the outcome of the action is good. Deontological ethics asserts that at least specific actions are morally necessary, regardless of their effects on human well-being. Immanuel Kant, the German founder of analytical philosophy in the 18th century, was the first major philosopher to describe deontological concepts (Britannica.com). According to Immanuel Kant, there are 3 formulations of imperative. The first formulation is "Act only according to the maxim that at the same time you can make it a universal law without inconsistency." » Kant argues that a true moral proposition need not be tied to any specific conditions, including the identification of the decision maker. A moral maxim must be isolated, and accessible to every human being, from the particular physical details surrounding the proposition. According to Kant, we have a perfect obligation, first of all, not to act according to maxims that lead to logical contradictions (Shakil, 2013). Additionally, we have imperfect roles that still rely on pure justification and require understanding how they are performed. Because these duties are based largely on the desires of humanity, they are not as powerful as ideal duties but are more legally binding than ever. Unlike perfect duties, if they fail to fulfill an imperfect duty, people are not blamed. However, if they do, they receive praise because they have gone beyond their basic duty and fulfilled their responsibilities. Imperfect duties are circumstantial, meaning that one cannot reasonably live in a constant state of fulfilling that obligation. Perfect and imperfect duties are characterized by the fact that imperfect duties are never fully accomplished (Shakil, 2013). The second formulation is "Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another", never simply as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end . This imperative says that every moral action must be treated not only as a concept but also as an end. Most endings are contextual because they should only be followed if they conform to a conceptual imperative. To achieve a certain goal, one must pursue it categorically. Free will is the foundation of all rational action. Since free will is the only source of moral action, it