, SUS1501 ASSIGNMENT 6 SEMESTER 2 2025 ANSWERS
DUE DATE: 26 SEPTEMBER 2025
Introduction
The study of ethics within the framework of sustainability requires careful reflection on the
ways in which moral theories shape our decision-making. SUS1501 challenges students to
interrogate the ethical foundations of contemporary issues such as greed, inequality, and
ecological destruction. For this assignment, I must critically evaluate my original answer to a
given ethical dilemma, contrast it with my current answer, and situate myself within virtue
ethics as a moral framework. The task culminates in justifying why my current answer is
preferable, highlighting the maturity of my ethical reasoning.
This reflection is significant because it demonstrates the movement from a superficial
understanding of morality, based largely on compliance with external rules or consequences,
towards a deeper engagement with the cultivation of virtues and moral character. As Aristotle
(2004:1097a–1098b) emphasises in the Nicomachean Ethics, the good life is not merely about
following rules but about achieving eudaimonia (flourishing) through the consistent practice of
virtues. Similarly, MacIntyre (2007) argues that virtues are essential for sustaining moral
communities and responding to the complexities of modern society. By adopting this
perspective, I not only refine my ethical reasoning but also align my personal identity with the
broader project of sustainability, which demands justice, responsibility, and integrity from
individuals and communities alike.
Section 1:
My Original Answer
In my original answer, my ethical reasoning was largely shaped by external obligations and
social expectations. I tended to equate morality with obedience to established rules, laws, or
regulations. For instance, I reasoned that if an action complied with legal requirements or
organisational codes, then it must be morally acceptable. This approach reflected a
deontological mindset, reminiscent of Kant’s notion that morality derives from adherence to
duty as expressed in the categorical imperative (Kant 1997:421–423). According to this
framework, the morality of an action does not depend on its outcomes but on whether it
conforms to universal principles that could be willed as law.
DUE DATE: 26 SEPTEMBER 2025
Introduction
The study of ethics within the framework of sustainability requires careful reflection on the
ways in which moral theories shape our decision-making. SUS1501 challenges students to
interrogate the ethical foundations of contemporary issues such as greed, inequality, and
ecological destruction. For this assignment, I must critically evaluate my original answer to a
given ethical dilemma, contrast it with my current answer, and situate myself within virtue
ethics as a moral framework. The task culminates in justifying why my current answer is
preferable, highlighting the maturity of my ethical reasoning.
This reflection is significant because it demonstrates the movement from a superficial
understanding of morality, based largely on compliance with external rules or consequences,
towards a deeper engagement with the cultivation of virtues and moral character. As Aristotle
(2004:1097a–1098b) emphasises in the Nicomachean Ethics, the good life is not merely about
following rules but about achieving eudaimonia (flourishing) through the consistent practice of
virtues. Similarly, MacIntyre (2007) argues that virtues are essential for sustaining moral
communities and responding to the complexities of modern society. By adopting this
perspective, I not only refine my ethical reasoning but also align my personal identity with the
broader project of sustainability, which demands justice, responsibility, and integrity from
individuals and communities alike.
Section 1:
My Original Answer
In my original answer, my ethical reasoning was largely shaped by external obligations and
social expectations. I tended to equate morality with obedience to established rules, laws, or
regulations. For instance, I reasoned that if an action complied with legal requirements or
organisational codes, then it must be morally acceptable. This approach reflected a
deontological mindset, reminiscent of Kant’s notion that morality derives from adherence to
duty as expressed in the categorical imperative (Kant 1997:421–423). According to this
framework, the morality of an action does not depend on its outcomes but on whether it
conforms to universal principles that could be willed as law.
