This course has enriched my understanding of the ethical process
and the benefits of ethical theorization. It has also opened my eyes to my own moral
standards and ethical behaviors. Sometimes
we take our actions for granted because they have become so automated and
mundane. But this class has forced me to
take a closer look at my thinking patterns, my moral practices and the importance
that I place on my moral values.
I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned in this course
is the importance of living in sync with your true moral values. I realize now, after finish the course, that I
have not been in line with my true values. Things such as the importance of treating
animals with love and respect have been severely scrutinized. For example, how can I judge someone for
torturing a cat or starving their dog when I am eating chicken that has been raised
and processed in a modern farming facility? I may not be torturing that animal myself but
I am supporting an industry that is. This
is not living in sync with my moral values.
How can I preach the importance of a tight family unit when I see my
mother or brother only once every few weeks? The hypocrisy and contradiction of my actions
proves that I am not ethically theorizing my own behaviors.
The next biggest lesson I have learned is that the practice of
ethics is not as simple as good and bad. I realize now that our perspectives are
severely jaded by so many factors. I
used to think that I was a very open-minded and rational person, but I realize
now that I was not ethically theorizing through my own beliefs. LaFollette explained that one of the reasons
we fail in this is because “we lack the relevant empirical information we need
to make wise personal choices” (2007, p. 7). I realize how truth in this statement. I believe that I have become morally lazy, preferring
to make decisions based on what I have in my knowledge bank instead of taking
the time and effort to collect more facts. I think more personal and philosophical
reflection of my own thinking is absolutely necessary if I am to make moral
decisions.
Thirdly, I learned that morality is not something to be practiced
on special occasions or for big causes. It is something that should be done
daily. I always thought I was behaving ethically
on a daily basis therefore I never took the time to evaluate my behavior. Now looking back, I realize that the lack of
awareness and attention to my own actions causes me to act immorally without
even realizing it. Everyday behaviors
that I never paid any mind too I realize are not behaviors I would consider correct.
LaFollete (2007) said that “we regularly
make exceptions for ourselves and for views we endorse. I believe this statement is very true. In this aspect, I believe I need to increase
my awareness of my own actions and how I interact with the rest of the world. I have been extremely surprised by my own
moral standards and how I have let myself depreciate ethically.
I think this course has been very effective in revealing things to
me that were concealed by my own ego and inability to collect the information
needed to make good decisions. Most
importantly, we need to be highly conscious of the consequences of our actions.
Sometimes it is like a domino
effect. We may only see how one action
leads to the other but if we are aware, we can see how subsequent effects of our
actions continue to hurt us in the long run.
References
LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
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