ETHC 445N Week 8 Discussion; Contemplation and Consideration (2 Versions)

Required Resources Read/review the following resources for this activity: • Textbook: Chapter13 • Lesson • Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to thetextbook) Introduction Some people believe that you can tell who a person is by what they do when no one is looking. Let's look at the following case. John Doe, a nurse, has downloaded an application to her phone that allows him to download copyrighted textbooks for a nursing course (that Doe is going to take) without his Internet Service Provider knowing it. The application is called "Cloak" as in cloak of invisibility (a hooded coat one wearsto make it so others cannot see you). The application disguises his phone and makes it so the information on it is inaccessible. John is aware that other people who are of a lower socio-economic status (like him) also use this software program for the same reason (and to save money). John Doe knows that his religion forbids him from using this application to download in this manner. John Doe is focused on his own economic situation and does not consider the publisher, author, and others involved in the books. Think about a course of social action; what social values should be used to address this moral issue andconflict. • Initial PostInstructions Create a personal ethical philosophy and explain from which philosophy or philosophies (it must include at least one of the following: virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, or social contract ethics) you created it and why the contents are important and meaningful for you. List its precepts. • Take your personal ethical philosophy statement and use it to work through John Doe's case. What is moral and immoral per yourtheory? • How would the veil of ignorance or a different theory of justice address John Doe's case? Week 8 (Version 1) Social Contract Ethics In a community, people live together in 'peace' because they follow a common rule that allows them to live in harmony and balance. This is like a contract where the government or management, like the HOA, will have to interfere to proved benefits for the greater good. As a contract, there is an exchange of services among involved parties, or if you follow these rules and live as good neighbors there won't be any problems. John Doe has committed a fraudulent activity, but his intentions aren't bad, he's doing this to save money. The publisher, authors, app developers should make an agreement to prevent people from doing this but lower their prices so people can affordit. Though it is slightly immoral for the publisher and authors to charge a great price for people who are trying to get by because they are already struggling financially. According to the veil of ignorance, all people are biased because of their situations, it is hard for people to agree on a contract to govern how they can work together. (The University of Texas 2021 ) In this situation, John Doe is downloading textbooks for free because of his financial issues. I believe if he had the money he wouldn't have a problem purchasing the book, many times people still don't want to spend on it just because, there's a free option. References The University of Texas. (2021, January 25). Veil of Ignorance. Ethics Unwrapped. Rachels, S., & Rachels, J. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy (9th ed.).Mcgraw- HillEducation. Week 8 (Version 2) Hello class and professor, My personal ethical philosophy stems from virtue ethics. Virtues that are especially emphasized in my life have been honesty and respect. Honesty builds and maintains healthy relationships and allows for effective communication. Without honesty, there would be no trust in one another or in the community. "Honesty is needed because without it relations between people would go wrong in all sorts of ways" (Rachels, 2018, p. 178). We start learning respect at a very young age, which is how it should be because we know that respect does not just come natural to most. I was raised in a "yes sir, no sir" household and I am thankful for that because even though that is such a little practice in regard to being respectful, it really helped shape me into who I am today. Learning and acting in a respectful manner instills a sense of acceptance in one another. Even though I may not agree with someone, I will respect their opinion. "Respect means that you accept somebody for who they are, even when they’re different from you or you don’t agree with them" (Farid,2020). While I do understand John Doe's struggling economic situation, I still deem his actions to be immoral and unjustified. Seeing that the application is named "Cloak" (invisibility) should beenough to say that it is immoral. If an individual is acting in a moral fashion, there would be no worries about hiding their actions. John is showing disrespect towards the author, publishers, and others involved in the making of the book because he is stealing from them and not giving them credit for their hard work. John ultimately made his decision to download this app to obtain copyrighted textbooks because he does not have the means to purchase them new. We all know that college and textbooks are extremely expensive, but I am sure there are other way he could get his hands on these textbooks legally. Maybe he could scope out the school library and see what books they have to offer? There are also websites that allow students to rent out books for a very reasonable price. Another option may be for John to apply for student loans or further federal student aid assistance. John Rawls' veil of ignorance idea is, "The basic idea of the veil is that one should judge policies without knowing who one might be in society in which the policy was implemented" (Chamberlain, 2020). This idea basically decides whether or not a policy is ethical by looking at if it is fair for every individual. Because John Doe is stealing from the publisher, author, and others involved in the making of the book, his actions would be considered unethical. References: Chamberlain University. (2020.) Week 8 Lesson: Wrapping Up!. Retrieved from: Farid, S. (2020, October 14). Respect. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from Rachels, J. (2018). The Elements of Moral Philosophy. [Bookshelf Ambassadored]. Retrieved from