Discussion Post: Ethics
Part I
• The segment begins with the son describing life without a mother. What were your feeling about the mother leaving her husband and children before listening to the segment? Did your feelings about the woman change after you heard the story?
• What is your view of the husband/anthropologist? Do you think it was morally right of him to marry a young woman from the village he was studying and living in? Do you think he should have stayed in that village with her, or do you think he made the right decision to bring her to New Jersey?
• Describe how you view this story. After learning what these terms mean, are you an ethical relativist, absolutist, or soft universalist? Explain why.
Part II
Psychological egoism says that people act in their own self-interest even when it appears they are not, while ethical egoism says that people should act in their own self-interest and doing so is morally right.
For this discussion:
• Explain something that you did (go on a mission trip, volunteer at a shelter) or something that you frequently do (drive the speed limit, take care of your children) that you thought you did for selfless reasons.
• Argue as an psychological egoist would and explain how what you do/did could have actually been for your own benefit instead of for the benefit for someone else.
• How does this analysis affect your view of yourself or others?
• Do you think ethical egoism is a destructive moral view, or does it have moral benefits?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.