White-collar crimes are non-violent offenses conducted by elites during the execution of professional duties. In most cases, the victims of white-collar crimes do not realize that they have been duped or robbed. White collar crimes include cyberbullying, embezzlement, tax evasion, extortion, and bribery. The current society has seen an increase in white collar crimes, as more offenders engage in activities that enhance their profit levels and corporate efficiency. The increase in instances of white collar crimes are attributed to perceptual attitudes, underestimated losses, reduced law enforcement policies, and processes aimed at curbing white collar crimes and jurisdictional limitations.
The different business cultures have encouraged white collar crimes in varying degrees. In terms of perceptions, law enforcers and the general public associate white collar crimes to smooth-operating and well-dressed elites who attract public respect and admiration. White collar crimes are considered harmless and victimless since their impacts are not directly quantifiable and do not directly lead to loss of lives (Slote, 2010) . Moreover, white collar crime victims are always blamed for the mishaps as they are seen as careless. Also, law enforcers are more focused on dealing with life-threatening crimes such as rapes and murders, as the losses caused by white collar crimes usually fail to attract much public fear.
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Egoism and Utilitarianism
According to egoist theorists, moral decisions made by individuals should support and facilitate their objectives and interests. In making moral choices, egoists are more likely to settle on processes or plans that favor their ambitions (Slote, 2010) . On the contrary, utilitarian theorists advocate for moral decisions that result in the overall good of every entity that the decision will influence. While both theories are essential in evaluating both unconscious and sensible human inspirations and tendencies that shape their actions and thought processes, they have differences (Slote, 2010) . First, egoism concentrates on the achievement of mass satisfaction in personal moves and actions; while utilitarianism aims at reducing or eliminating harm that moral decisions may cause the people they influence (Slote, 2010) . Unlike egoists, utilitarian theorists base their actions and decisions on the outcome and not the underlying inspirations.
Teleology and Deontology
While teleological theories concentrate on the significance of outcomes, deontological models emphasize obligations and responsibilities. Deontological models evaluate what is right or wrong irrespective of the results these duties present. Hence, deontology promotes a strict observance of set regulations (Walrath, 2011). Teleology concentrates on what is right by assessing possible outcomes, without paying attention to privileges and rights.
Deontology believes that the moral uprightness of an action or decision is founded on the act, while teleology believes that an action’s moral uprightness is established on the results of these actions (Slote, 2010) . In deontology, motivation is vital since actions and decisions are categorized as inherently right or wrong, and their impacts are therefore not relevant (Slote, 2010) . For instance, while financially assisting the under-privileged equips them with money that can be used to deal in illegal drugs; it is still morally upright to assist the poor. On the contrary, teleology theorists will evaluate the outcome to determine if an action is morally acceptable, hence financially assisting the underprivileged is considered immoral if it supports illegal drug dealings.
Rul e and Ac t Categorie s of Utilitarianis m and Deontology
Rule utilitarianism evaluates actions depending on the designed policies and regulations that support utility, while act utilitarianism evaluates particular activities and examines whether they sustain the greater good of people. Rule deontology supports the observance of natural principles such as the Golden Rule. Act deontology maintains that actions can best judge morality.
Supporters of these moral philosophies agree and disagree in their assessments of particular actions, depending on adherence to societal expectations and individual beliefs. Hence, some people may prefer breaking the rules in attempts to do good (Walrath, 2011). For instance, some may consider stealing medicine to save a sick child or killing a confirmed serial rapist morally upright. An action that brings a sense of security and contentment to people is the right one (Slote, 2010) . Others evaluate the morality or uprightness of an action on its conformity to set regulations, since breaking rules may not result to desired outcomes. These principles mainly rely on an individual’s religious and moral upbringings.
Kohlberg’s Model of Moral Development
According to Kohlberg, the pre-conventional level consists of individuals (children aged below nine years of age) whose idea of what morally upright depends on external forces such as adult expectations and the resultant rewards or punishments (Slote, 2010) . Physical consequences determine behaviors and not individual convictions. For example, children are more likely to obey rules because they fear penalties and not because they want to do what is right.
In the second level, people (adults and adolescents) do good to get others acknowledgment and build stable interpersonal relationships and uphold social order (Walrath, 2011). This level promotes traditional morality perspectives by internalizing ethical values. Decision making at this level is dependent on group norms, and rules are not questioned.
The third level is known as post-conventional morality. Individuals in this stage (mainly adults) acknowledge the negative contributions of particular regulations and therefore form their guidelines to cater for lack of clear-cut rules (Walrath, 2011).
Even though some policies and regulations guide social issues such as equality, justice, and human rights, people have formed individual ways of defending these principles some of them including the killing of rapists and murderers. Thus, depending on an individual’s stage of development, what is right or wrong may depend on individual convictions, external standards, or personal moral guidelines.
References
Slote, M. (2010). Virtue ethics. In The Routledge companion to ethics (pp. 504-515). Routledge.
Walrath, R. (2011). Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. In Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development (pp. 859-860). Springer, Boston, MA.
