This ethical system is based on the motives of the moral agent and his or her character traits (Van Hooft, 2014). These motives determine the moral status of the agent’s action. Aristotle indicates that a moral agent can learn virtue through practice rather than reasoning or instruction. Utilitarianism is an ethical system that could be considered as the most influential of all moral theories. According to Bennett-Woods (2005), this normative ethical theory focuses on the consequences of an action rather than the purpose or the motive of acting in a certain manner. In this regard, utilitarians believe that the increase in the amount of good and decreasing the number of bad things is the primary purpose of life. Social contract theory focuses on the view that the moral obligations of an individual depend on a contract that forms the society in which individuals live. For this reason, the ethical system is judged based on the manner in which the contractor's function, which concerns the promotion of the interests of each party. The foundation of this ethical system is the presence of religious absolutes. Hinduism could be considered as a polytheist religion since they believe in several gods that represent different facets of one entity, which is the Brahaman (Mun, 2006). The believers accept the reincarnation of one’s soul as true, depending on an individual’s deeds when alive. Conversely, the Buddhist philosophy rests on the theory of the Dharma (Mun, 2006). Buddhists emphasize on ethical behaviour, which is important for individuals in their time and culture.
The philosophical position of this ethical system is the faith the believers have in the Supreme Being. The single entity that the believers of this ethical system believe in is the existence of one God. For this reason, they base their teachings on the commandments of God, who is their divine authority. This ethical system is based on the philosophical position that views the equal validity of the truth, which is relative to an individual (Geirsson & Holmgren, 2000). For this reason, the political philosophies, religious systems, as well as the moral position of people, are relative to their individual and collective beliefs. Kant’s categorical imperative is based on the golden rule. In this case, Kant’s improvement of this imperative compels people to act as they would want other people to act towards them. He emphasizes on the need to act based on the maxim that other rational people would do the same, which means that this law is based on the provision that an action does not depend on an ulterior motive.
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The Ethical System That Is Most Prevalent In the United States and the World Today
There is a possibility of arguing that the ethical system prevalent in the US is deontology of with categorical imperative. This ethical system begins with the establishment of a defined duty. In this case, Americans believe that a sufficient standard for morality could be determined by the fulfilment of one’s duty. In this case, a moral act should be accomplished deliberative and for a particular intent of the fulfilment of the duty. For this reason, Americans, including other people in the world, are ethically bound to perform ethical actions with altruistic motives. For instance, it would not be ethical to provide donations such as money as a tax write-off since the act is not accomplished with an altruistic motive. For this reason, this ethical system focuses on defining the standard of morality based on an absolute authority.
The Ethical System That Closely Matches My Personal Ethical System
I believe that the ethical system that closely matches my ethical system is utilitarianism. This system holds that it would be vital to perform actions that maximize the expected utility of every sentient being. In this case, I believe that individuals should try to pursue actions that will not only give them the greatest utility or happiness, but the actions should also not affect the happiness of other people. The core idea for subscribing to this ethical system is I consider the effects of a particular action as the most important element to consider. This view suggests that the importance of morality lies on making my life and the life of others better by performing good acts that would derive happiness, and decrease the bad actions that might bring about pain and unhappiness.
I consider the outcome of the activities I engage in as critical to defining the actions and decisions I make. I believe in acting in a manner that would leave more people happier than miserable. In this light, I consider this ethical system as superior since it describes who I am. The ethical system does not dictate the manner in which people will behave, but it focuses on the pursuit of pleasure, which is what most people desire. I believe that people progress primarily because they recognize the power of the pleasures that emanate from performing altruistic actions. For instance, I derive a peaceful pleasure from helping somebody that might be in need, consequently making the receiver happier than he or she was previously. This achievement of happiness is a precursor of the provision that the outcome of the assistance provided is the motive that compels me to act helpfully, consequently ensuring the increase of happiness and the decrease of unhappiness.
An Examination of Previous Responses
In relation to the determination of whether different religions direct an individual to the same place, there is no striking the difference between the position taken earlier and my current position on the same. Earlier, I argued that a considerable number of people use religion to achieve a particular ethical standard. Even though the belief systems are different, religion assists individuals to live ethical lives, consequently working towards the achievement of the desired goal. However, the desired goal to be achieved by the believers from the different religions is varied. As stated in earlier responses, the variations in the outcomes expected by individuals in different religions remain the same.
I can also refer to the case of voting to indicate that the action is an individual choice. People make voting choices depending on what they consider as the most beneficial. In this regard, individuals choose a leader they think will bring about the most utility based on the promises that the candidates offer their voters. This argument is congruent with my position on the aspect of utilitarianism, whose moral authority is based on the action that would derive the most happiness to the larger population and would decrease the unhappiness of the population. As reasoned out earlier, the minority groups are the ones that are negatively affected by voting outcomes. In this case, since the majority of the population is affected positively, it confirms my position that utilitarianism is the most beneficial and effective ethical system. This presumption constitutes one of the reasons why I consider utilitarianism as an ethical system that matches my ethical values.
References
Bennett-Woods, D. (2005). Ethics at a Glance. Rueckert-Hartman-School for Health Professionals. Regis University.
Geirsson, H., & Holmgren, M. R. (2000). Ethical theory: A concise anthology . Peterborough, Ont: Broadview Press.
Mun, C. (2006). Buddhism and peace: Theory and practice . Honolulu: Blue Pine.
Van Hooft, S. (2014). Understanding Virtue Ethics . Routledge.
