Ethics
- Megan Proctor
- Feb 27, 2023
- 3 min read
This blog relates to readings which will be listed at the bottom of this page.
Ethics is an immeasurable concept based around an individual's or society's moral behaviors. Each person has their own set of morals, usually based on the general ethics of the population around them. For instance, living in California, you may assume the morals here are left-leaning with emphasis on human rights, welfare, and eco-friendly approaches. However, the state also has high rates of homelessness, housing costs, etc.; this can be seen as immoral, but ethics cannot be measurable, it all depends on the individual to deduct their own opinions and reasonings about what is or is not ethical.
The first reading I found interesting was The Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number by Jeremy Bentham. This short article goes into a utilitarian approach regarding appealing to the masses. The utilitarian approach at ethics leaves the voting to the masses and whichever party gets the most votes decidedly makes the rules. The key is simplicity, with humans being fundamentally equal no matter the background or status of the individual. Although I do see how this can be used, and has been used, for a great purpose in voting, I also believe that if mass votes come at almost 50/50 with one side being slightly greater, there should be room for compromise. A little over half of the voters are, assumably, happy with their outcome while a little under half of the voters are unhappy with this.
For instance, presidential elections or morally divided topics such as abortions. Both of those things are
something that you, personally, can relate to and have your own opinion on, no matter the stance. However, if politics hinders your morals and set of ethics because a little under half of others voted, it doesn't seem fair if there are no compromises.
The second reading I would like to share is the article from the Atlantic titled The Extraordinary Decisions for Italian Doctors by Yascha Mounk. This article discusses the tough decisions that Italian doctors must make when their hospitals are being overrun with emergency care patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article was posted in 2020, so the situation was vastly dire versus the circumstances with COVID-19 today, but the principles of morals are still in place. What should these doctors do when faced with turning away patients? First come first serve was typically the go-to method, but they also debated on taking care of the patients who had the highest chances of survivability, or who had more years on their life such as adults under 60.
If you are over 60 and read this, you may feel unhappy with that decision, as the doctors would not treat you due to your age. You may have a high survivability, however they turn away someone next to you who might not live another day. These are all immeasurable and tough concepts and decisions to come up with, but must be done because of lack of resources. Compared to some animals in the wild who must decide if they must abandon one of their offspring to heighten the chances of survival for the others, it is a fact of life that is never easy and goes to show how we are still subject to mortality.
Briefly discussing the ethics based on the articles above, how would ethics apply to your own viewpoints? It's a difficult question to answer and requires introspection and a lifetime of self-reflection, but it is ever-changing. In the moment, I think about my ethics in Interior Design. The ethics that bother me when it comes to home affordability, a right to decent and humble livings at a minimum, and the active approach at waste reduction. I appreciate the beautiful, luxurious interiors of upper class homes, but my morals value the right to have essentials of the home that can be given to everyone under a human right if not for the decency of the families who are the backbone of their country's industry. And what is the point of decent living and lavish homes if our planet is consumed by waste? Many may not share the same opinions as I do, but being the most ethical "you" is to live by those morals.
The Extraordinary Decisions for Italian Doctors by Yascha Mounk: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/who-gets-hospital-bed/607807/
he Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number by Jeremy Bentham:
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