Blog Assignment # 10

Ethical Decision Making Framework
FOCUS: IDEALS
NAME:

STEP ONE: THE DETAILS OF THE CASE

(1) Choose one inquiry, from inquiries 1 - 28 (pages 114 - 117). Indicate which inquiry you chose, and then briefly explain it in your own words: I chose inquiry number 10. It is about a police officer, who is on duty, overhearing a victim of a robbery describing the robber to the desk sergeant and realizes that the description of the robber fits his brother exactly but dosen't say anything.

(2) Stakeholders: Name each person, group, organization, etc., that has a stake in this outcome.
The police officer, his older brother, the victim of the robbery, and the police station.
(3) Are the details given sufficient? Why or why not?

No, because the details do not include the sevarity of the crime , what he stole, or if anyone was injured in the robbery.
(4) What additional questions does this inquiry raise?
What did his brother steal? Was anyone injured? Is the victim creditable? Does his brother have a criminal past? Does he, the officer, think this is a one time thing, or will his older brother do it again to someone else?
STEP TWO: THE RELEVANT CRITERIA

1. Obligations (aka "duties"): Optional this week
2. Moral Ideals (aka "virtues"): See breakdown of ideals below
3. Consequences (aka "outcomes" or "results"): Optional this week

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Prudence: This applies because the officer has time to carefully think about how he will respond to the situation, using his experience as an officer he knows that if he told the sergeant that the description fits his brother, his brother would be arrested.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Justice: This applies because his brother has commited a crime and he should pay his due, the cop should not play favorites and give an unfair advantage to his brother.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Temperance: This applies because the cop should show restraint of one's desire to keep his older brother out of trouble and do his job. he shouldn't let his desires take control over him.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Courage: This applies because courage also includes "turning the mind relentlessly to seek or face the truth."(p.108) The cop should face the fact that his brother might have commited a crime and he knows that he should and can do something about it.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Loving Kindness: This applies because it is a greek word for "love of neighbor"(p. 108) If the cop helps the victim find the robber, his brother, then he would be demonstrating a form of the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I am sure if the cop was robbed then he would want someone to help him.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Honesty: Thi definately aplies because it entails being "truthful to others and refusing to mislead or deceive"(p.109) and by the cop not saying anything at all he is not being honest to the victim and telling him the truth.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Compassion: this applies because compassion "is characterized by feelings of pity and sympathy and the desire to alleviate the other person's pain." The cop does not help the victim and shows no compassion for the victim.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Forgiveness: this doesnt rely apply that much. The only way is if the cop told on his brother and the older brother forgives him.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Repentance: This applies if the cop apologizes to his brother for turning him in if he does.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Reparation: This applies the most because it " is undoing the harm we have done to others."(p.109) Like returning whatever was stolen , or by admiting to a person we have lied to what we lied about.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Gratitude: This applies because the older brother could have gratitude to his cop brother for not turning him in.

* Cardinal Ideal/Virtue of Beneficence: This is defined as "the performance of good acts for no other reason than that they are good."This doesn't apply to this situation, unless the older brother ends up turning himself in because it is what is right.

* Conflicting ideals--consider the relative importance of each; determine which ideal represents the greater good (or the lesser evil). See pages 110-11 for clarification.
-The conflicting ideas are loving kindness, which is when the cop protects his brother, and justice
which the cop knows if he tells on his brother he could serve jail time. So the brother decides to act like he doesn't here the victim to choose the lesser evil.

STEP THREE: POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION

Alternative #1: The cop tells the seargent that the description fits his brother perfectly and they bring his brother in.

Alternative #2: The cop goes to his brother and ask him if he did it and to turn himself in.

Alternative #3: The cop gets his brother and the victim together and work an agreement that if the brother returns what he stole then the victim will drop charges.

STEP FOUR: THE MOST ETHICAL ACTION

Examine the action taken or proposed and decide whether it achieves the greater good (the most widespread "respect for persons")...if it does not, choose one that will, from your alternatives. Where the choice of actions is such that no good can be achieved, choose the action that will result in the lesser evil.
The best course of action that can be taken would be for the cop to tell the sergant that the description fits his brother.This shows the most widespread respect for persons. It follows the ideals of: honesty," being truthful to others..."(p.109), by telling the sergeant and the victim the truth. Justice, by having the crime not go unpunished. Courage by "turning the mind relentlessly to seek or face the truth"(p.108) that his brother might have committed this crime. And compassion by the cop's "feelings of pity and sympathy and the desire to alleviate the other person's pain."(p.109) In this case, the victim's pain.

SELF EVALUATION

1. In your own words, describe something new that you learned from this week’s assigned reading material and guidance.
I learned that courage could also be emotional by turning the mind to see the truth.
2. In your own words, describe in detail some insight you gained, about the material, from one of your classmates' blogs this week.
I didn't look at another classmate's blog.
3. Did you post a thoroughly completed post to your blog on time this week?
Yes I did.
4. Did you ALSO print this out, so you can bring it to class and earn total points?
By the time I get to class on thursday I will have it printed out.
5. Of 25 points total, my efforts this week deserve: 25, because I spent alot of time on this post and I read the chapter completely and quoted the book in some of my responses.