Ethical Theories

A fine line… between right and wrong or what you ought to do. Sometimes it is hard to do what is right, even though you may think it is right. There are many different theories to help decide what is the most ethical choice. With the following scenario I am going to figure out what would be the best theory. “Trudy is an executive with a large corporation. After reading a confidential memorandum revealing that her corporation is concluding negotiations to buy several smaller companies, she realizes that an immediate investment in those companies before news of the buyout becomes public will result in a handsome profit.

So she invests $10,000 of her own money and tells her family and friends to do likewise.” Utilizing one of the following theories- Utilitarianism, Kant’s Theory, Natural Law Theory , Virtue Theory, Care Ethics or Symphonology will help to show which is to be the best choice.

 Utilitarianism

First, Utilitarianism is a teleological theory that helps to figure out the moral status of an act.

The goal of this theory is to benefit as many people as possible. On top of that, Mark Dimmock and Andrew Fisher say that “Utilitarianism suggests that we can decide what is morally right or morally wrong by weighing up which of our future possible actions promotes such goodness in our lives and the lives of people more generally”. In this theory, it is important to weigh the benefits and consequences of an act. Overall the goal is to make the most people as happy as possible.

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Using Utilitarianism with my scenario, Trudy should not tell her friends and family. It would only have a positive effect on people within Trudy’s close circle. Therefore, it would not be benefiting the most people possible. Also, Bentham believed in laws within the government, that they are needed to keep the well-being of an individual. Since this would be illegal, it would not be good for anyone’s well being to invest money.

Secondly, Kant’s theory is a deontological theory that has to do with what we “ought to do” as people. This theory is universal to everyone and it is important to do what is right. The categorical imperative within Kant’s theory has 4 forms. However, the first two are the ones mainly focused on. The first form implies that we should do what is accepted by others and we should do what our moral obligation is. The second one implies that we rule ourselves and are independent as a person, however we should treat people as “ends and not means” and that we should do what is fair or right.

With Kant’s theory, Trudy should not invest nor tell her friends and family too. It is her moral duty to not do what is illegal or bad for her company. Since it is important to treat this company as an “end and not means” she should continue to work there and earn her way through the company, instead of investing and getting out of it. It is also important to not manipulate people because that would be treating people as means and if she invested it would manipulate the company itself, which is overall, immoral.

The Natural Law Theory

Next, The Natural Law Theory states that people should act according to reason. Aquinas believed that God’s commands help humans to see what is right or wrong. Also, moral laws are found in nature and help us to reason. With this we should already know how to react to things. As Stephen C. Layman states “A character trait is good if and because it promotes human flourishing.” This mean that it is our goal, as humans, to our best work towards a goal.

Using the Natural Law Theory Trudy should not invest. If we as humans know right from wrong naturally, she would not believe in doing an illegal act. Since humans are meant to flourish she should be working towards a more achievable goal. For example, working harder in the company in order to earn more money and getting a more prominent position.

The Virtue Theory

The Virtue Theory also believes we should be morally good people. However, this theory believes that a morally good person is virtuous, not that they are virtuous by doing virtuous acts. The basis of this is off character traits that are virtuous such as self-sacrifice. Also, the Golden Mean helps to explain that virtue is a comfortable middle that is placed between two extremes. Overall virtuous people are concerned with the state of other people.

Relating to Virtue Theory, if Trudy wants to be virtuous she would not recommend investing nor do it herself. It is important to self-sacrifice, even though she could gain money from investing, it would not be a morally acceptable thing to do. Using the golden mean, the middle between extremes, she should continue as she has been as to not change anything for the better or worse.

Care Ethics

Additionally, Care ethics is a theory relates to freedom of choice. Women are in a male-dominated culture and have a different ethical approach than men. Men tend to side with justice or the overall effects. Whereas women tend to side with a more caring side that has more compassion towards loved ones. Overall within care ethics, it is important to see that everyone has equal value and it is necessary to keep an agreement and tend to your duties as a person.

With this mindset, Trudy should, again, not invest. Using that everyone is equal, Trudy and her family are no more important than others, especially those within the company it could affect. Also if she invested it would most likely cause more harm than helpfulness to those she cares about due to legal issues. Lastly, it is important to not invest because of her ethics, being female, means she wouldn’t take the slightest chance it would harm whom she cares about due to female ethics tending to be more compassionate.

Symphonology

Lastly, Symphonology is an interaction between two humans. It is also an interactional, knowledge-based agreement between them. The agreement is only made through consent and using bioethical standards. Bioethical standards include fidelity, beneficence, privacy, objectivity, freedom, and autonomy. Overall these standards are to make sure that only good is done and not harm, and that consent is involved. The overall goal of this theory is that we as humans do not aggress.

Again, Trudy should not invest. This is because when she started working at the company she most likely signed a document making sure she would not do anything illegal. Her investing would violate that agreement. Even if she didn’t have to do that, her investing would still aggress the company. More than likely whoever is in charge would find out and that would cause a bad relationship between this company and herself. Even so, it would also involve her family, causing a higher aggression.

Overall, within all the theories, Trudy should not invest. Also, I believe that the best theory for my scenario would be Kant’s theory. People should be treated as “an end and not means.” Trudy investing overall would be treating this company as a means towards money. She would, in total, be manipulating the company. In conclusion, Kant believes this as a violation towards humanity, meaning that it would all around be immoral.

MLA Citations

1. Kawall, Jason. “Virtue Theory and Ideal Observers.” Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition, vol. 109, no. 3, 2002, pp. 197–222. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4321275.
2. Layman, Stephen C. The Natural Law Theory of Ethics. 5 Aug. 2015, spu.edu/depts/philosophy/documents/NaturalLawEthics5-8-15.pdf.
3. Dimmock, Mark, and Andrew Fisher. “Aquinas’s Natural Law Theory.” Ethics for A-Level, 1st ed., Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK, 2017, pp. 65–77. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wc7r6j.8.
4. Dimmock, Mark, and Andrew Fisher. “Utilitarianism.” Ethics for A-Level, 1st ed., Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK, 2017, pp. 11–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1wc7r6j.5.
5. Jones, Hardy. “Mill’s Argument for the Principle of Utility.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, vol. 38, no. 3, 1978, pp. 338–354. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2107004.
6. Brown, D. G. “What Is Mill’s Principle of Utility?” Canadian Journal of Philosophy, vol. 3, no. 1, 1973, pp. 1–12. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40230419.