Ethical Decision Making Essay

Summary Ethics may be the branch of beliefs that examines questions of morality, or perhaps right and wrong. In this paper all of us will go over the philosophical approaches utilized in ethical decision making. The two strategies that will be developed on would be the utilitarian approach and the common approach. A number of questions will be addressed, (1) what is the utilitarian and universal procedure? (2) Exactly how use them in the ethical making decisions process and (3) examples of how this relate in the field of Criminal Rights?

When turmoil arises it’s not always conceivable to decide who will be right or wrong; even so our meaning responsibility is always to resolve concerns to the most of our ability. The utilitarian and general theories will be two of a number of philosophical strategies or strategies that can be implemented when making these types of decisions (Zalta & Geoff, 2008). The Utilitarian Procedure: Utilitarianism is one of the most powerful and persuasive approaches to normative ethics in the history of philosophy.

The utilitarian approach to ethical making decisions focuses on taking action that may result in the greatest good for the very best number of people. It also focuses on the outcomes of the intervention and policy, as well as the impacts it has within the well-being of the people indirectly impacted by that action or policy. This approach is used to market the well being of everyone by maximizing benefits and minimizing harm (Zalta & Geoff, 2008). For instance, when faced with a predicament your first thought or question is exactly what should you carry out?

Once you assess the condition then you could apply which will ethical decision is the best action to take. If you implement the functional approach you did so with the intent of manufacturing the greatest stability over damage. Utilitarianism offers a relatively straightforward method for choosing the morally right intervention for any particular situation we may find ourself in. In the criminal justice field this approach can be widely used. To discover that which we ought to do in different situation, all of us first discover the various courses of action that individuals could execute.

Second, we determine all of the foreseeable rewards and causes harm to that would derive from each intervention for everyone afflicted with the action. And third, we choose the course of action providing you with the greatest benefits after the costs have been considered (Velasquez, Expresse, Shanks, & S. J). The General Approach: The universal method of ethical decision making is similar to the Golden Rule.

The fantastic rule is better interpreted while Treat others as you desire to be treated. Universalism argues that knowledge can and should be applied to everyone in every single similar circumstance (Williams & Arrigo, 2008). This approach can be taken in two steps.

Initial, determine whether or not a particular action should be applied to all people below all circumstances. Second, evaluate if you would be ready to have that same guideline to you. This method claims that ethical rules hold for a lot of and not for some, it is for everyone without exemption (Williams & Arrigo, 2008). In other words if you act a certain way towards another and therefore are not happy to be treated in that same regard than you in violation of the widespread rule. To apply the common approach appropriately we need to consider the effects the decision making have got on other people’s lives.

We also have to be able to think about ourselves inside the other person’s shoes for the receiving end of the action. Imagine you are a officer in pursuit of what seems to be a drunk drivers, while in pursuit the drunk rider hits a pregnant woman crossing the street. What do you do, do you stop on her behalf and keep a consumed driver on the highway, or do you contact the crash in and continue to follow the intoxicated driver to hold him from potentially eliminating himself and others. The utilitarian approach would more likely call for back up and continue following the drunk driver, but if we all use this same example and compare this to the widespread approach, the question then turns into what would you want completed you.

Both philosophical approaches are infused with flaws, the use of utilitarian thinking is definitely not always clear of what form of action needs to be taken or perhaps if the action you got will have a great outcome in most. It is difficult to guage what decision will supply the simplest way to respond to a situation. The general approach contrary to the functional bases the decisions on the facts the action taken is best for everyone regardless of the situation or the difference in individuals. My choice between the two is to some degree tossed, mainly because my opinion is that you must do on to other as you would want completed you, nevertheless at the same time my personal desire to ensure the greatest number of success is important to me as well.

Within the Legislativo system decisions are made with or perhaps without the input of others; nonetheless it is the moral accountability to ensure that all of us make the finest ethical decisions that we can, because every decision for some reason directly or indirectly impacts someone else.