Ethic Awareness Inventory AnalysisEssay Preview: Ethic Awareness Inventory AnalysisReport this essayEthics Awareness Inventory AnalysisThe awareness of the conditions which define our ethical prospective and that of others gives us the ability to offer positive input on decisions we make on a daily basis. That is why it is imperative to take inventory on the perspectives we practice each day. The Ethics Awareness Inventory refers to a combination of broad characterizations representing four categories of ethical philosophy, which are Character, Obligation, Results, and Equity. They have been designed to assist in the development of a deeper understanding of personal ethical perspectives and styles. These descriptions are used to analyze some of the characteristics of my own perspective on ethics according to my preferred answers when faced with ethical issues.
According to the Ethics Awareness Inventory [EAI] (Williams Institute for Ethics and Management [WIEM], 2003), my ethical perspective is most likely based on Character and least likely based on Equity. I tend to center my ethical perspective on “what it is good to be” rather than “what it is good to do”.
“When asked to judge whether an individuals actions are ethical, I look beyond the actions to the individuals character. Uprightness and integrity are key. I look for evidence of virtue in people, including such traits as honor, justice, and benevolence, believing that a virtue is not just an abstract principle” (WIEM, 2003).
This category is most closely aligned with the Virtue theory which believes in honesty, wisdom, and integrity. I rely on people to make sound moral judgments and to be of good character. Just because people follow all the rules and do everything by the book does not guarantee they are ethical human beings. I believe that an individual would be incapable of choosing between right and wrong without already possessing good character.
While attending The University of Phoenix, I have come across many individuals who possess notable character. They are the students that will step in with a moments notice and complete someones portion of the team assignment because the other student is struggling. They are also the students that prefer not to cheat, not only because it is against the rules, but because they are attending UOP for an education and they want to learn.
Equity is an ethical perspective that I relate to in the least. In this approach to ethics all attempts to plan social order are challenged. The rules and codes of ethics cannot be trusted from day-to-day. The correct choice for a particular situation and at a particular time may be different then it was yesterday and it is likely to evolve from several viewpoints. The reason that I have a hard time with this perspective is because I find that it is not stringent enough and anyone can make or break the rules without consequences. The world is a big place and people of different cultures and upbringings have different ethical beliefs but it all boils down to good character. If they do not first possess character and integrity, they will have a hard time standing behind their
The Problem
All of the above is my way of saying that I think most people fall into several kinds of camps. This is because, for me, there are only two categories: those who fall into a category of ethical thinking, and those who fall into a different category from ethics: that which is not ethical and the other which is. I am not in any way claiming that I am somehow incapable of understanding these two and that this does not matter to them, but they don’t. Their moral behavior does not matter to them at all, so long as they continue to behave the way they always do, and I would say that most people who do not fall into different categories will not at all fall into them. Even my moralizing, or what the psychologist call “ethics” (or “diversity,” depending on how you use it) can in fact be quite flawed.
Because I am also the one, in my mind, who thinks ethical and ethical thinking are very different, these problems, which I have discussed below, just cannot be overcome, or there can be no solution to them. I also feel some sort of resentment toward my choice. I was born with a bad heart, but I am able to tell you that I have many faults which could be repaired by some sort of adjustment, which could be achieved by something which I would like to fix.
So when I said I thought ethics were more about people’s understanding of the world rather than the rules governing it or the world to live in, I was referring directly to people’s sense of what they do, because the same concept in many cases could be used to decide what we do next. If someone believes that in the end there is only one thing wrong with their world, then that would be wrong. We try to keep people in their own world, but it simply isn’t true to those who think in different ways.
Why Is my Morality and Moral Philosophy Still In Place?
In my opinion, I was wrong to say ethical thinking was more of the same in our previous lives than in current ones. Many people believe they have learned morality and moral theory by having lived out an earlier life. They often ask, “What makes you different in ’90s America than in ’20s America?” I can offer an answer by saying that some people were never very different except in their beliefs about our future. The difference between the two is not the same as my views.
A young adult’s experience can be very different. They are usually interested in what I consider to be important. What is important about a person or a society, usually is that they are capable of creating and maintaining their own worldviews. If one can make and maintain a worldview without any major changes between this person and today’s society, why should they believe they have an understanding of the world that allows them to become the best moral actors in society? For good or evil, what is left can be created from not only their beliefs, but from their actual lives and desires. This person must not have a lack of morality at all