Virtue Ethics: Normative Ethical Theories, Essay Example

Virtue ethics places less emphasis on following rules, instead it focuses on helping people develop good character traits; thus hoping that the person will make better choice later in life. This theory dates back to Greek thinkers and was written down by Aristotle. The theory suggests that when people acquire good habits of character, they will be better able to regulate their emotions and reason logically. According to this theory, I should not report to my boss that I saw the empty strawberry boxes in Pat’s car. Rather, I should allow Pat to learn from her mistake in hopes that she will make a choice not to steal next time. Meanwhile, this means that I will be fired.

Egoism is a theory that asserts that one’s primary goal is pleasure and benefit for one’s self. In other words, human beings are wired to act in their own best interest. With this theory, it would be best for me to report Pat to my supervisor because it would save my job. Nonetheless, I did not actually see Pat take the strawberries. She did state that the boxes were for an art project. I could not possibly turn her in because I don’t know for sure that she took the strawberries because I didn’t actually catch her in the act. After all, the boxes were empty.

Unitarianism is a philosophy that bases the more worth of an action upon the number of people who will benefit from it. In this theory, I should just fire Pat because it will benefit more people. I would not loose my job. I would not have to fire someone in efforts to scare whoever may be stealing. My manager would be happy because productivity would not be loss. However, Pat would suffer greatly, especially if she was not the one stealing. I would suffer too because I would constantly second guess myself wondering if I made the right choice.

Deontology focused on making the right choices based upon one’s moral system. This is a flawed theory because every person is guided by their own set of morals. What I may view as wrong, may be viewed as the right thing to do by another person. This system stresses why certain actions should be performed. Simply following the rules is not sufficient. So, a person could be breaking the rules, but not be immoral. The most significant aspect to remember about Deontology is that moral principles are completely separated from any consequences that breaking rules may carry. The word Deontolology comes from the Greek word that means duty. There are three questions one must ask himself to make a decision:

1. What is my Duty?
2. What are my moral obligations?
3. How do I weigh one moral against another?

Asking yourself these questions can cause a great dilemma. First, I must ask myself what is my duty. As a manager, it is my duty to the company to control the loss of product. My object is to make a profit for the company I work for. I can not do this if my employees are stealing more products than I am selling. Yet, it is my duty as a Christian to help my fellow man. As a Christian, I would think that there has to be a reason for Pat to be stealing. I would go back to her and try to talk to her again. I would approach her in a non-threatening way. While speaking with her I would try to use my Christian discernment.  In my mind, if she is stealing there must be some logical explanation for it. Either she is hungry or she is trying to feed a hungry family. If I fired her, that would only make the situation worse. If she has to steal while working, the situation would be completely dire if she lost her job.

Ethic of Care is a theory that focuses on the interdependence of all individuals. With this theory, it takes in account that some communities are more vulnerable and should be giving extra consideration when they break a rule. One should take in account the actions they committed may have had something to do with the environment they live in. In this theory there is no universal truth. Being fair means treating each situation differently according to the circumstances. Also, people or communities who are in a position to help should help. The theory does not promote dependence, but rather interdependence. One should help if he/she can.  With this theory, I should take in account Pat’s environmental influence. Does she live in a community where stealing is a way of life to survive? Does her stealing dictate the livelihood of her family?  In these situations, the average person will steal even if it is against their moral beliefs.

In a situation like this, I would say that I could not fire Pat because I did not actually see her stealing from the company. I definitely would not fire anyone just to put fear in the other workers. I would definitely talk to my employees and tell them the dilemma I was facing. I would hope that someone would come forward and confess. If that does not happen, I would just have to accept being fired. In this case, I think I would have to say I choose Deontology. I believe my being fired would negatively affect the least amount of people. I would choose to be fired because I would not be able live with myself if I caused an innocent person to loose his/her job.