- Am I doing the right thing?
- Am I doing it the right way?
- Am I doing it for the right reasons?
Can virtuous behavior be taught? In other words, is there any point to having a ethics course to encourage ethical behavior? Or, does learning about ethics just teach people what to say to better avoid getting caught?
ReplyDeleteWhat have you learned in this class about Honest Work? Aristotle says there are many paths of vice, fewer of the Golden Mean -- paths to virtue. Are you confident about your ability to discern right from wrong action? Explain.
I have learned that honest work is thoughtful and purposeful. You cannot go blindly into a situation without understanding whether it is the right thing for yourself, your company, your family, and the greater good of humankind. Next, you must consider whether what you are doing is being done the right way, i.e., legally, ethically, morally. Finally, are you doing it for the right reasons, not about greed, power, coercion, etc.
I have always believed myself to be a good person, but certainly not perfect. These questions certainly have caused me to take pause and think about what I am doing and why. My mom always said, “Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want me to read about in tomorrow’s paper”. As a child I thought I understood what she meant by that statement; in other words, don’t break the 10 commandments, be a good person and help out others. I still think those are good to start with, but understanding the right way and the reasons behind it, are just as important.
I am confident about my ability to discern right from wrong because I believe that I am astute and a good judge of character. I think you must continually ask the question to satisfy yourself before making a decision.
Can virtuous behavior be taught? In other words, is there any point to having a ethics course to encourage ethical behavior? Or, does learning about ethics just teach people what to say to better avoid getting caught?
I believe that virtuous behavior can be taught to a point. It’s the example that we see in others, including our parents, teachers and people we surround ourselves with. It’s the example we set – for others to follow. Parents and teachers probably have the most influence in this area. Being honest, saying what you mean, and mean what you say – that’s not always easy and we can lose sight of that, especially when we are exhausted.
I do think there’s a point to have an ethics course to encourage ethical behavior – again, the parent, leader and teacher are all teaching – it doesn’t hurt to have it repeated. Any person who sets out to be deceitful will accomplish it with or without what they have been taught. Other factors cloud judgment and cause a person to choose to do the wrong thing, the wrong way for the wrong purpose.
I definitely agree! Our teachers and parents play a huge role on are ethics. As well as the environment in which we are raised, in most cases. If we are not taught lessons through discipline, appreciation, and determination as children we would all be blind and leading each other.
DeleteAnother quote that I think goes along with yours above would be "if you do not have anything nice to say do not say anything at all." This to me just says our actions can hurt others if we do not think before we act!
Enjoyed reading your post during this session!
Colette
Honest Work goes a long way. From this class I have found out that honest work is more than honesty. It comes along with courage, trust, and knowledge. You must learn to be honest with yourself as well as others to make this become more purposeful and meaningful. Once you are true to yourself, you learn how to express yourself openly to others without being tied to the emotions. Also allowing yourself to determine right from wrong. Being honest with yourself it takes the difficult part out of determining right from wrong. I believe this class has just helped educate me on ways to evaluate my final decision and validating the right decision.
ReplyDeleteCan virtuous behavior be taught? This is an interesting concept. I feel that most adults already have their foundation and will either be ethical or not. I think it is harder to teach someone ethics once they have already been in the workforce and have direct experience with ethical/non-ethical situations. However, I think it is easier to “teach” or persuade younger people who have not been involved with this is in their daily lives. I do believe that we are all exposed to ethics at a young age and our parents, grandparents, and teachers guide us in ways they believe are right. We all have different values and opinions; and determining the right option is a choice we must make. Hopefully we have all learned from mistakes and have gathered valuable lessons to make better choices in the future.
I do believe that I normally make the right decisions when it comes to determining right from wrong. I do know that my "right" does not always align with what others think are "right". So this goes back to my statement that everyone has different values and opinions. So acting on what I believe is right is being honest with myself. Understanding the situation and analyzing the full set of consequences also helps me weigh and measure the right decision.
DeleteColette...great post....I agree that everyone is different with their values! If you listen to our conversations in class that shows you right there!
DeleteI agree that every ones right and wrong are different. The only way to make the best decisions are to analyze the full set of consequences, opinions, view points, etc. This class has been a great reminder of that.
DeleteWhat have you learned in this class about Honest Work? Aristotle says their are many paths of vice, fewer of the Golden Mean -- paths to virtue. Are you confident about your ability to discern right from wrong action? Explain.
ReplyDeleteLorrain and Colette have had great posts about this, but I agree that I have learned that Honest Work isn't just some quick decision you make without thinking. From this I have learned that although I think I make pretty good decisions in life, it is better for me to stop and truly think about the decision I am making and how it will affect others. You also have to think of how others would look at the situation and that your way is not always the best way to approach something. I need to keep an open mind, and not be influenced by others.
Yes, I am confident in my decision-making abilities. I have been in compliance/Quality Control long enough to see the bad decisions people make, and in return I know it is not worth it to possibly lose your job over a bad decision.
Can virtuous behavior be taught? In other words, is there any point to having a ethics course to encourage ethical behavior? Or, does learning about ethics just teach people what to say to better avoid getting caught?
I think at our age it is hard to teach "Ethics" or change who someone is in the workplace. But, I don't think this course is teaching people how to avoid getting caught. I feel that most of the people who take this course through the TAP program have been in the workforce for quite some time so to try to change who they are or what the do is very very hard. I could almost compare it the girl who think she can change her boyfriend (it goes both ways) :). I feel for most of us, we are either ethical or not at this point. We have either made good decisions throughout our career or bad ones and have just gotten away with them <----not good. But, for the ethical people out there, I think this gives a new refreshing way to look at things.
I am not sure I agree. I have seen many people repent and change their ways so I know that change if for the right reasons is possible. I know that a leopard does not changes its spots, but people learn from experience and they grow so in a way they do change. I think that people can choose differently for themselves.
DeleteMaura - Your statement "I need to keep an open mind, and not be influenced by others" is accurate and something I did not eve think about posting about. I to believe that an open mind is very important when it comes to honest work! Being influenced by other people is where ethical situations turn unethical fast. I also believe that this sums up what Aristotle says about being many paths but less of the Golden Mean. It is easier to be influenced to do something than take your own path even if you know it is the right decision.
ReplyDeleteWhat have you learned in this class about Honest Work? Aristotle says their are many paths of vice, fewer of the Golden Mean -- paths to virtue. Are you confident about your ability to discern right from wrong action? Explain.
ReplyDelete- When honesty is at work with you, you can gain credibility. In the corporate world, people make false promises and do not live up to their words. If you work honesty into your work values, your credibility at work will soar and you will start to gain the respect that you are looking for in the long run.
I feel very confident in my decision-making skills as I am constantly looking at all angles and making sure I am considering how the decision will effect everyone/ everything involved. It is always good to take an outsiders point of view to give yourself a better perspective on what will be the right decision.
Can virtuous behavior be taught? In other words, is there any point to having a ethics course to encourage ethical behavior? Or, does learning about ethics just teach people what to say to better avoid getting caught?
- I absolutely believe that virtuous behavior can be taught. Not only taught but believe an individual will start to gain a level of will-power to conquer the bad decision with good. If taught regularly, maybe "the right thing" will just come naturally out of habit.
I agree that virteous behavior can be taught. I think some individuals will understand and utilize it better than others, but I have the faith, that with time, and patience, doing the "right thing" can be possible for all! Glad to know there are other "all people can be good" optimists out there!
DeleteWhat have you learned in this class about Honest Work? Aristotle says their are many paths of vice, fewer of the Golden Mean -- paths to virtue. Are you confident about your ability to discern right from wrong action? Explain.
ReplyDeleteHonest work involves seeing the project from all sides, evaluating what needs to be done to ensure it's completely and efficiently done, as well as creating an environment for effectively completing the task. Honest work is more than just telling the truth. It is being true to you, your boss, your employer, and your customers. If you're capable of exceeding expectations, then you should - otherwise you aren't truly giving 100% of your effort and you're under-producing just to get the job done. Honest work also involves a lot of self reflection. It is a lot like parenting where you're (at least in my case) second guessing some of your decisions - not because you think you are a bad parent, but because you hope to do better and be a better parent down the road. It's no secret that running a household is just like running a business. I aspire to be the very best I can be in all aspects of life. Being a parent in the beginning is similar to when I stepped out in the business world. I had read books and studied in my field. I was as prepared as I could be to venture out, but I lacked hands on experience. The longer I'm a parent and the longer I've been in business, I have found that second guessing myself, and seeing issues from all angles (playing the devil's advocate), asking myself if I'm doing this the right way and for the right reasons help me to make better informed decisions in all areas of life.
Can virtuous behavior be taught? In other words, is there any point to having a ethics course to encourage ethical behavior? Or, does learning about ethics just teach people what to say to better avoid getting caught?
Virtuous behavior in my opinion is most easily taught at a young age by our parents, family, and friends. It goes along with our morals. Some people aren't taught to hae virtuous behavior and I believe that it can be taught down the road to anyone that wants to be taught - to anyone that's coachable. Kind of like teaching an old dog new tricks. It needs to be something that the person wants to learn and wants to change in their life and behavior. If someone is learning ethics and ethical behavior only so they know how to avoid being caught acting unethically, then eventually it will catch up with them.
As ironic as it may sound I have been dealing with utilitarianism for the majority of my life due to playing sports. As an athlete we are put into pressure situations both on and off the field or court when we have to make an ethical decision that could potentially hurt the team. There are times where we often went to parties or skipped events such as class where the whole team would suffer. Our coaches looked at us as one whole not as individuals so when one of us got into trouble we all suffered from their decision. I actually have a good story to tell where a lack of ethics came into play with one of our teammates. We were playing in the junior college world series outside of Buffalo, New York and one of the guys on our team took it upon his self to be a funny guy and urinate in the middle of the conference room at our hotel. Due to his misbehavior the whole team got a wake up call at 3:00 am and was asked to be outside by the coaches. Once we got out there the guy who did the deed was standing with a terrified look on his face. Coach immediately told us to start running while this individual stood there and watched us. It actually got even worse the next morning when the coaches found out that not only did he urinate in the conference room but apparently one of our other teammates took a number two prior to this guy urinating on it. So after our 7:00am breakfast the team had to meet outside once again and this time it was worse than the first time. The point of the story is that we all operated as one whole and the two guys who misbehaved fell into what Jeremy Bentham refers to as ethical egoism, where they were just looking out for what was best for them and not the whole team.
ReplyDeleteYou might ask why I just told that story and there is a reason to it. I’m in the software world I think just about everyone in our class knows that by now and by being in this industry our programmers operate as a team. I swear sometimes these guys can’t walk without the other one right beside them. They are a very tight knit group. So let’s say that one of these programmers who is often oh so close is working on a project and decides to make an unethical decision such as telling a competitor or another programmer our code or how we built something to better himself either monetarily or any other way. How would a person who believes in utilitarianism view this? According to the Principle of Utility, which states that, the right action or ethical behavior is supposed to maximize pleasure and minimize pain for the greatest number. Now if that happen to a small software company like mine it could potentially shut me down if we caused for someone else to get into our market space but how would someone like Google, Yahoo, or Apple deal with this? To put in perspective let’s say that Google is coming out with a brand new table top touch screen that looks like a six foot desk but has touch capabilities on a huge screen that can move projects and demo things very quickly in a huge room. Then someone who knows about this project from the inside leaks it out to another person, could even be a friend from Apple then Apple comes out with that product first. From a utilitarianism standpoint that is wrong due to the fact that they were not looking out for the greatest number of people.
From my history in sports I know this very same feeling. So many times you have to put the needs of the team before your own. I never really thought of it in this light though. Interesting to think about how this utilitarian mentality naturally occurred.
DeleteWhat have you learned in this class about Honest Work? Aristotle says there are many paths of vice, fewer of the Golden Mean -- paths to virtue. Are you confident about your ability to discern right from wrong action? Explain.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Lorian I believe that the ethics of a person are derived much from their childhood and their home situation. I would like to believe I am a good person, who mostly does the right thing in most situations. The decisions I make on a day to day basis come from my core - the core of who am I. Growing up, my mother would also say similar things such as "I will always find out what you are doing, or what you've done" she said these things not in a threatening way, but she wanted to let me know that who I am, and what I did and do, is not only a reflection of myself, but also my family. On a professional level I still believe the same. What I do, and what decisions I now make are a reflection of my company and professional life. If I do not take the high road, and do the right thing, both my family and company will also be damaged in some way. The weight of that combined with my personal upbringing, helps me make good decisions.
I do believe I am able to discern right from wrong. I believe that my conscious keeps me from doing the wrong things. I want to sleep at night knowing I’ve done good, and that I haven’t let selfishness, greed or anything similar jade my opinions. I think I’ve gotten better as I’ve grown older. Life experience has allowed me to take into account other people’s opinions, perspectives and feelings in most decisions I make. Instead of simply going with my gut and making decisions that suit me best, I feel I do a good job of doing what is wholly right for the cause I am deciding. Thankfully, on a day-to-day basis, I am not making earth shattering decisions!
I do feel confident in my ability to discern right from wrong. I was raised by a very complex and broad thinking family. My mother has a strong religious background where as my father is a philosophy professor, so I have been thinking my way through moral issues my whole life. I have gotten so used to taking a step back from any situation to think about what others may think and how my actions will be interpreted. Having gone to catholic schools almost my whole life I have a balance to my moral core that can include higher powers. I have relied upon my morals for all of my decision making and much like in the show Frasier I get almost sick when I am about to cross on of my moral lines.
ReplyDeleteAm I doing the right thing?
ReplyDeleteAm I doing it the right way?
Am I doing it for the right reasons?
I think I ask these questions almost daily but they are usually in the form of, "why am I doing this again," or "what the Hell was I thinking?" It is usually surrounding my decision to jump back into school.
After talking myself off the cliff for the umpteenth time I always come back to yes I am doing the right thing. I have to weigh the reasons for why I am doing all this work with my responsibilities and needs surrounding my family. I always come back to, in order for me to be able to be secure and be able to provide for my family I need my degree. So it is simple, even though it is not the most convenient and is very unpleasant at times.
What have you learned in this class about Honest Work? Aristotle says their are many paths of vice, fewer of the Golden Mean -- paths to virtue. Are you confident about your ability to discern right from wrong action? Explain.
I've learned that if it doesn't feel right it probably isn't right. Most of the things we learned through Honest Work I already knew in one way or another. Honest Work basically gave me a name to put with the concepts that I was already experiencing. I can understand Aristotle's view when it comes to not being able to find the mean easily. Our culture does not lend itself to the ethical side of things. The leaders and role models of today are corrupt and not something people should try to emulate.
I am pretty confident in my ability to tell right from wrong. I am not perfect and I know I don't always do the right thing, but I know that I will try very hard to do my best and be the best person I can be. For me it's about feeling. I always get a feeling in the pit of my stomach when I know something is wrong or that it goes against God and what he wants for me. I also know when I need to act because it is right. I don't always make the best choices but I do try to do the best I can to decide what needs to be done and how best to go about it.
Can virtuous behavior be taught? In other words, is there any point to having a ethics course to encourage ethical behavior? Or, does learning about ethics just teach people what to say to better avoid getting caught?
I think that virtuous behavior is taught. It is not something you are born with, in all honesty children are born with the extreme manipulative spirit. They are taught from infancy that if they cry, whimper, whine, or beg they get what they want. Naturally they become deceptive. So it is up to us as parents, and as community members to make sure that we do the best we can to teach our children right from wrong. If people are taking an ethics class to simply learn how not to get caught then they were already corrupt to begin with.