, SUS1501 Assignment 6
Semester 2 2025
DUE 26 September 2025
Use this document as a guide and for references to answer your assignment
Eastern Gorillas and Ethical Responsibility: A
Virtue Ethics Perspective
Introduction
The question ―Save the Eastern gorilla!!!!‖ might at first glance look simplistic,
even emotive. Yet, when unpacked through the lenses of ethics, values, and our role
as moral agents, it reveals complex layers of meaning. How we respond depends
not only on how we understand the ecological and societal implications of
conservation but also on how we situate ourselves morally in relation to other
beings. This essay will reflect on my original answer to the crossroads assessment,
explain how my answer has shifted over time, explore where I personally fit in
relation to virtue ethics, and finally comment on the choice of ―a. Why?‖ as a
preferred answer. Throughout, I will make explicit reference to the concepts of
intrinsic value and instrumental value, since they are central to any defensible
position on conservation ethics.
My Original Answer and Why
When I first encountered the multiple-choice question about saving the Eastern
gorilla, my instinctive answer was (e) “We must save Eastern gorillas because
their survival is critical for sustaining healthy ecosystems.” My reasoning was
largely grounded in a view of the natural world through the lens of human benefit
and ecological function.
The Eastern gorilla, like many keystone species, plays a central role in its habitat.
Gorillas disperse seeds, shape forest composition, and indirectly influence the
abundance of other species. Their disappearance would have cascading ecological
effects, threatening not only biodiversity but also ecosystem services that humans
rely on—such as climate regulation, water purification, and even potential
medicinal resources from the plants that flourish in gorilla-influenced ecosystems.
Semester 2 2025
DUE 26 September 2025
Use this document as a guide and for references to answer your assignment
Eastern Gorillas and Ethical Responsibility: A
Virtue Ethics Perspective
Introduction
The question ―Save the Eastern gorilla!!!!‖ might at first glance look simplistic,
even emotive. Yet, when unpacked through the lenses of ethics, values, and our role
as moral agents, it reveals complex layers of meaning. How we respond depends
not only on how we understand the ecological and societal implications of
conservation but also on how we situate ourselves morally in relation to other
beings. This essay will reflect on my original answer to the crossroads assessment,
explain how my answer has shifted over time, explore where I personally fit in
relation to virtue ethics, and finally comment on the choice of ―a. Why?‖ as a
preferred answer. Throughout, I will make explicit reference to the concepts of
intrinsic value and instrumental value, since they are central to any defensible
position on conservation ethics.
My Original Answer and Why
When I first encountered the multiple-choice question about saving the Eastern
gorilla, my instinctive answer was (e) “We must save Eastern gorillas because
their survival is critical for sustaining healthy ecosystems.” My reasoning was
largely grounded in a view of the natural world through the lens of human benefit
and ecological function.
The Eastern gorilla, like many keystone species, plays a central role in its habitat.
Gorillas disperse seeds, shape forest composition, and indirectly influence the
abundance of other species. Their disappearance would have cascading ecological
effects, threatening not only biodiversity but also ecosystem services that humans
rely on—such as climate regulation, water purification, and even potential
medicinal resources from the plants that flourish in gorilla-influenced ecosystems.
