M8.1 Student-Directed Discussion: Hot Button Ethics

No matter how much we might study the philosophical underpinnings of ethics and morality, the time still comes to apply them in practice. Youve worked on this all semester, individually and with peers. In Module 1, you used a process of ethical decision-making to solve a moral issue in the headlines. In Module 2, you played the role of a veterinarian to decide how to take care of a client. In Module 3, you analyzed the ethical decision-making process of a character in a movie, and in Module 4, you practiced ethical decision-making in response to a case study from the text. In Modules 5-7, you developed and tested your ethical decision-making toolkit by exploring possible responses to true moral dilemmas. In all these activities, you practiced what Aristotle called practical wisdom (Meyers, 2018, p. 82). Practical wisdom means putting your ethical commitments into practice. With the goal of well-being in mind, you use your process to discern the most ethical response within a given circumstance.

Initial Post:
(Chosen Profession is: Social Worker)

What is your chosen profession, and what is a current hot-button ethics issue in it? Share a current news item that illustrates the issue and apply practical wisdom. Within this specific, emotionally or politically-charged circumstance, how would you apply the skill of practical wisdom? Be the ethics consultant. Calm the situation down.

In your initial post on Thursday, map out the steps you think should be taken in order to create the most ethical response. You must use specific terms, concepts, philosophers or theories directly from your reading.

Reply Posts:
In your response posts, highlight the high-quality and helpful strategies that you observe in the posts of your peers. Be specific.

Things you might consider:

Which suggestions were the most helpful, given the circumstances?
What surprised you?
What could you use in your own line of work?