Compare and Contrast of Ethical Philosophies - Virtue and Egoism
Running head: VIRTUE AND EGOISM
Virtue and Egoism:
Compare and Contrast of Ethical Philosophies
Abstract
The thesis of this essay is to evaluate the ethical philosophies of virtue and egoism. It will further magnify the similarities and contrasts of each philosophy as the principles have been witnessed from my own experiences, both personal and professional.
Virtue and Egoism:
Compare and Contrast of Ethical Philosophies Moral philosophies have become a cornerstone to developing organizations’ code of ethics. As our text indicates, moral philosophy refers to the specific principles or rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2008). Primarily, morals are a fundamental part of a society’s culture. With this in mind, it has become essential for companies to enforce ethics programs based on the widely accepted moral values of the people within its community while keeping in consideration the unique traits of each individual. Therefore, common sense serves to point out that ethics are also employed by individuals. This forces some questions: How have I dealt with ethical issues or dilemmas as they have come up in my own life experiences? What philosophies do I feel most represent my moral reasoning? For the purpose of this essay, I have decided to focus on two ethical philosophies: virtue and egoism. As a recently unemployed administrative professional, I have witnessed and engaged in the process of ethical decision making. Foremost, I pride myself on looking out for the welfare of people outside of myself. While I strive to achieve success in my career, I refuse to do so at the cost of others. The guilt I would feel as a result of stomping fingers on my way up the corporate ladder is just not worth the gain of advancement. As a result, I consider myself to follow more of a virtue ethical philosophy. However, I have witnessed firsthand the ethical decision making of others in the workforce who
Virtue and Egoism:
Compare and Contrast of Ethical Philosophies
Abstract
The thesis of this essay is to evaluate the ethical philosophies of virtue and egoism. It will further magnify the similarities and contrasts of each philosophy as the principles have been witnessed from my own experiences, both personal and professional.
Virtue and Egoism:
Compare and Contrast of Ethical Philosophies Moral philosophies have become a cornerstone to developing organizations’ code of ethics. As our text indicates, moral philosophy refers to the specific principles or rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2008). Primarily, morals are a fundamental part of a society’s culture. With this in mind, it has become essential for companies to enforce ethics programs based on the widely accepted moral values of the people within its community while keeping in consideration the unique traits of each individual. Therefore, common sense serves to point out that ethics are also employed by individuals. This forces some questions: How have I dealt with ethical issues or dilemmas as they have come up in my own life experiences? What philosophies do I feel most represent my moral reasoning? For the purpose of this essay, I have decided to focus on two ethical philosophies: virtue and egoism. As a recently unemployed administrative professional, I have witnessed and engaged in the process of ethical decision making. Foremost, I pride myself on looking out for the welfare of people outside of myself. While I strive to achieve success in my career, I refuse to do so at the cost of others. The guilt I would feel as a result of stomping fingers on my way up the corporate ladder is just not worth the gain of advancement. As a result, I consider myself to follow more of a virtue ethical philosophy. However, I have witnessed firsthand the ethical decision making of others in the workforce who
References: Ferrell, O.C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2008). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (8th ed.). Virtue Ethics. (2007). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/ Egoism. (2010). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved November 22, 2010 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/egoism Kay, C.D. (1997). Varieties of Egoism. Wofford College. Retrieved November 22, 2010 from http://webs.wofford.edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism.htm