Ethics Issues: Social Justice

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Table of Contents

Deontological Ethics
Moral Relativism
Utilitarianism
Virtue
Media Ethics
References

Many proponents and opponents of social justice underscore the fact that social welfare should be the ultimate goal of any social policy since human beings have certain innate rights and freedoms that cannot be denied. However, differences emerge as far as formulation and implementation of the social policies are concerned, since they end up criminalizing the poor and idolizing the rich (Sanders, 2009).

Each person in society deserves the respect of others, as suggested by the social justice propositions. Unfortunately, this has never been the case because the underprivileged are usually subjugated further and their culture is never valued.

Deontological Ethics

Deontological theorists, such as Kant, had specific views on environmental conservation. In this case, Kant noted that any human being has a desire to produce the best result that is observant of the moral good (King, 2008). In this regard, a human being is always expected to act positively because of the existence of rules. In other words, the motives of a human being are the most important in analyzing the actions.

Moral Relativism

Under moral relativism, judgments vary across cultures and each person is expected to respect the views and the desires of others in society. For instance, something might be morally right, such as wife battering in some cultures, yet it is constitutionally illegal since it impedes the rights of women (Waller, 2005).

Again, not all values that are legally approved are morally viable because laws are designed based on the views of the majority and not the cultures of society. In some countries, same-sex marriages are allowed, but it is considered immoral in other ones. Therefore, moral relativism plays a major role in understanding the way in which society is ordered.

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a form of consequential ethics suggesting an action is determined to be right or wrong by looking at its effects. In other words, an action should guarantee happiness to the greatest number of people for it to be termed right. In this regard, climate change does not maximize happiness, meaning mitigation strategies must be formulated if society is to be guaranteed happiness.

According to utilitarianism, conditions that destroy life increase and aggregate pain, because the family is left agonizing and yearning for the love of the deceased (Rosen, 2003). Utilitarianism is employed in formulating government policies because suffering is always prevented at all costs while happiness is facilitated.

Virtue

In virtue ethics, the behavior of an individual is analyzed carefully to establish its impacts. In other words, it is observed that an individual has a duty of ensuring that the law is followed while the government is expected to provide the basic rights and freedoms.

For instance, virtue ethics is utilized effectively in urging people to meet their obligations of paying taxes to the state (Russell, 2013). A good citizen should always ensure that he or she meets obligations in time instead of waiting until the last minute.

Media Ethics

Media ethics insist on decency whereby journalists and other stakeholders should ensure that the privacy of a client is protected in the sense that reporting should be accurate and professional. If media ethics are not observed keenly, chances are high that the client’s safety would be in danger (Preston, 2013). Again, impartiality is a valued ethical code in the media industry because the role of a journalist is simply to report and nothing else.

References

King, I. (2008). How to Make Good Decisions and Be Right All the Time. New York: Continuum

Preston, T.M. (2013). Introduction to philosophy: A way of life. New York: Kumarian.

Rosen, F. (2003). Classical Utilitarianism from Hume to Mill. London: Routledge

Russell, C. (2013). The Cambridge Companion to Virtue Ethics. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Sanders, L.B. (2009). Social justice: How you can make a difference. Mankato: Capstone Press.

Waller, B.N. (2005). Consider Ethics Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues. New York: Pearson Longman.

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