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AKAHOME ESELEBOR

PERSONAL ETHICS PAPER


CSC 208-401
October 14, 2012

No matter our financial status, how educated we are, or where we are from,
we all possess some sort of ethical perspective and through the study of ethics, we
can expand and evaluate our doctrines and beliefs. Being from Nigeria, the study of
ethics has helped me frame my inherent beliefs and view issues (hypothetical and
real) from a more developed and inquisitive mindset.
The pillars of my ethical code are: delaying instant gratifications to acquire
long term desires, showing respect so it can be reciprocated, and remembering that
regardless of how bad my situation is, someone is going through worse. My desire to
delay instant gratification is a principle I acquired from my mother who always
taught me to focus on long-term goals and stay away from any short-term
distractions. It is the reason I was able to complete high school at the age of fifteen
while most of my classmates dropped out. Next time you're faced with a choice, do
the right thing. It hurts everyone less in the long run (Van Draanen). I had deduced
that doing whats best for the long run would better your future as well as your
present.
Being Nigerian, respect is an enormous part of our culture. Elders are
treated with the utmost respect even as much as bowing when talking to them. In
some traditions, children have to prostrate when greeting their parents. This form
of utmost respect has trickled down to virtually every aspect of my life. It reminds
me of how I would like to be treated when Im older.
On a personal level, taking a respectful, caring approach to life's
situations gives you a better perspective, lets you see solutions, and

accentuates the positive instead of the negative. It allows you to


strengthen one more area of your character. (Putnam)

Coming from a financially average family, things had a tendency to change


rather rapidly and we were mentally equipped by my parents to economically adjust
to any situation. I moved to the United States two years ago and I still dont own a
laptop. This results in making several trips to the schools computer labs weekly. I
could complain about that, but I know a classmate in Nigeria whose parents cant
afford to send him to college after performing excellently in high school.
Social Contract theory states that acting according to a moral rule is right if
rational people would collectively accept it as binding because of its benefits to the
community (Hop). Although this is a really broad and generalizing approach, it
suits my approach to moral issues because having lived among small as well as large
communities; I believe that a people would only use rules that befit them for the
good of its members.
Act Utilitarian deals with the consequences of our actions. Stating that, an
action is good if it benefits someone and bad if it harms someone. Despite the fact
that it seems like a standard approach to tackle moral issues, it doesnt measure our
effort as it only focuses on the consequences which contradict with my belief of
delaying instant gratification because it only focuses on the result and not the
obstacles avoided (in my case).
Kants approach is affiliated with goodwill and focuses on the reason and
process as to how the consequence was reached. Showing respect is something I do

that I perceive as mandatory and ideal because it aids in maturity and good-fortune.
And since Kant is associated with goodwill and reason, it is applicable to my ethical
beliefs.
So, my ethical code varies across these different approaches. I tend to take
each day as it comes and evaluate things as they occur rather than focus on the
effects of the events in the future. For example, if someone is stealing from a shop so
that he can feed his kids, it is wrong in my own ethical perspective due to the fact
that the action is wrong. So in a scenario like that Kantianism is applicable. In
another instance, assuming the government decides to install cameras in every
single location of my city in order to catch criminals, it would be right in my ethical
code as it is benefitting and acceptable to the society. This results in a framework
that although slightly imbalanced, is intent on the general and immediate wellbeing
of the society.
For example, Id like to examine the case of Carla who purchases the solution
to her final due to her workload and time constraints. Education and its impact hold
a very high standard in my beliefs and this particular issue contradicts with my
stance and thus goes against my stand on Act Utilitarianism. But I believe that even
though Carla is in the wrong for purchasing the answers, she isnt hurting anybody
and doing the right thing for herself and her family, so that makes it justifiable in my
opinion.
My ethical code maybe flawed in some aspects but so is everybodys. It is my
personal approach to lifes toughest moments and my answer to lifes biggest
questions. Some people may see themselves as all knowing and believe they can

absolutely differentiate between right and wrong but in actuality we are all wrong in
some aspects. It is how we tackle those problems and re-evaluate our stances that
ensure we are endeavoring to be ethically sound.

References

Hop, Jean. (2012). Intro to Ethics Theories Continued [Slides].


Retrieved from <https://d2l.depaul.edu>.
Putnam, Mark S. "The Ethics and Respect Connection: Caring and Caring Less."
The Ethics and Respect Connection: Caring and Caring Less. N.p., 2002.
Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.characterethics.org/articles/respectandcharacteronnc.htm>.
Van, Draanen Wendelin. Flipped. New York: Knopf, 2001. Print.
Retrieved from < http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3199878flipped>

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