Ethics and Current Issues
Introduction
Ethical theories provide a framework for ethical reasoning when considering and determining socially relevant areas of interest. Ethical theories play a major role in the decision-making process in areas where ethics are in play because they represent diverse viewpoints from which people can get guidance when making decisions. Ethical theories include utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics that help in examining and making decisions about current issues. Each ethical theory has a different viewpoint and a different way of arriving at a decision. Even when using the same information in ethical decision making, each theory leads to a different outcome because they have different decision rules. A successful decision adheres to the principle of beneficence, minimal harm, observes autonomy, and uphold justice as the guiding principles of making a decision (Koepsell, 2017). The ethical principle of beneficence helps the decision-maker to make a decision that is right and good and hence, acceptable. A decision should also lead to the least harm and harm the fewest number of people and should allow individuals to be autonomous where they are able to make decisions that apply to their lives. Further, people making decisions about current issues should observe justice and make decisions that fair to everyone concerned. There exist three philosophical approaches that help in ethical reasoning that include utilitarian, deontological, and virtue ethics (Mosser & Williamson, 2020). Utilitarian ethics argues that an action is good if it leads to the greatest good for the majority. The ethical theory helps people adopt the decisions that lead to the greatest benefit to the majority. Deontological ethics holds that people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and emphasizes that one should identify their duties and act accordingly. Virtue theory insists that people should possess virtues and make decisions based on such virtues. Ethical perspectives of relativism, emotivism, and ethical egoism also help in generating answers to moral questions. Ethical perspectives and theories play a major role in considering and determining ethical questions and are applicable in analyzing pertinent social issues that face society.
Legalizing Recreational Drugs
Most states have legalized or are in the process of legalizing recreational drugs such as marijuana, but many arguments have been raised in support of or against legalizing recreational drugs. Most people oppose legalization because recreational drugs are used for recreation and escapism purposes only. Others argue that recreational drugs are addictive and may have a negative impact on the health of addicts. They also point out that such drugs escalate social problems such as violence, stealing, juvenile delinquency, among others. However, proponents argue that using recreational drugs is a matter of individual liberty and responsibility for the effects of the drugs lies with the user. They argue that a person who decides to use a recreational drug should be ready for their consequences such as addiction or negative health effects. Such people do not have a problem with manufacturers either, as they argue that just as companies producing products such as sugar are not responsible for obese patients, companies manufacturing drugs are not responsible for addiction and negative health effects. The legalization of recreational drugs raises moral questions because it is hard to explain whether its morally correct or wrong for a person to be high (Sherratt, Welfare, Hallowell, & Hoque Tania, 2018). Coming up with a solution to the ethical dilemma is difficult because the dilemma is not as straightforward as determining the wrongness of a crime such as rape. Explaining the morality of legalizing recreational drugs requires a philosophical analysis of the dilemma to identify whether it is morally right or wrong to legalize the drugs or whether the best scenario would be to adopt a neutral stance towards the practice.
Utilitarian Ethics and Legalizing Recreational Drugs
Utilitarian ethics focus on achieving the greatest good for the majority. The concept behind the theory is that ethical decisions should be based on the consequences of the decision and if the consequences are beneficial to the greatest number, then that decision is right. The ethical theory is attractive because it balances the impact of a decision with the outcomes of the decision. However, when arriving at a decision, the decision-makers rely on guesswork to determine the potential outcome of the decision. They are not concerned about the action itself when determining whether it is ethical. Ignoring the action itself and concentrating on the outcomes alone is a faulty part of the ethical reasoning in determining whether an action is ethical or not (Schwartz, 2016). In contrast, making a decision on whether to legalize recreational drugs should incorporate ethics in the process of legalizing the drugs rather than considering the potential pros and cons of such decisions. Ethics should be incorporated into the decision-making process and not focusing on the outcomes of the decision, and the potential outcomes cannot be guaranteed. Secondly, it hard to determine what comprises the greatest number as stipulated in theory. The theory ignores the plight of the minorities and justifies taking action even when it harms a part of the population just because they are not part of the majority. Thus, it contradicts the goal of public legislations that seek to create beneficial laws that favor all stakeholders. Further, the theory has a weakness because it is hard to predict the possible outcomes of a decision. Consequences involving legislations are highly unpredictable, and utilizing possible outcomes is not an accurate method of informing legislating bodies whether a decision is ethical or not. Legislative entities require an accurate method of evaluating a decision and should not rely on possible outcomes of a decision to make an ethical choice. Hence, utilitarianism is not a strong fit for ethics associated with the legalization of recreational drugs.
Deontological Ethics and Legalizing Recreational Drugs
Deontological ethics emphasizes that people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect because they possess rights. People should recognize their duty, act accordingly, and respect the rights of other people (Drugan & Tipton, 2017). People have objective obligations, and when they have an ethical dilemma, they should identify their duty and make the most appropriate decision. However, the theory has various challenges because there are no agreed principles involved in the decision-making process. In some cases, right decisions may have bad consequences, and the theory does not clarify on what should be done should such decisions lead to a conflict. Despite the challenges, deontological ethics provides a good framework to use when making an ethical decision about legalizing recreational drugs. The theory provides a strong theoretical foundation that emphasizes the autonomy of an individual and provides a basis of judging the rightness of any decision.
Deontological ethics is the most appropriate theory that should be applied when examining the ethics of legalizing recreational drugs. It offers the strongest model that suits the ethical issue under examination. Deontology ethics emphasizes the moral autonomy of a person and the need to adhere to an individual’s duties and obligations when making a decision that concerns ethics. The application of the ethical theory is especially important when making decisions that concern the public because it expects policymakers to stick to their obligations and make consistent decisions as required by their duties because upholding their obligations and duties is what is considered ethically correct under the theory. Policymakers should realize their duty and act according to the requirements of these duties while upholding the rights of the citizens. The theory is especially important in evaluating whether to legalize recreational drugs because it provides a basis from where the policymakers can evaluate the rightness and wrongness of their decisions pertaining to whether they should legalize or not. The underlying concept in deontological ethics is that there are key objective morals that policymakers should use when determining ethical behavior and decisions. In addition, the theory is clear about the autonomy of individuals, including recreational drug users and the need to uphold their rights.
Relativism and Legalizing Recreational Drugs
Ethical relativism holds that cultural values and virtues of society are good and acceptable, and people should live in harmony, without judging each other. Every society has a culture that shapes what is right and wrong, and the rightness or wrongness of a particular action varies from one culture to the next. Relativism emphasizes on accepting and tolerating other people culture and behavior. It urges people to respect the wishes of other people and can be applied in making a decision on legalizing recreational drugs. There are those who love to be high, and society should accept and respect that. The theory upholds that there does not exist universal moral standards, and a decision should be judged based on the society at which it will be practiced. In this regard, the perspective insists that there lacks a common framework that can be used to resolve moral disputes and to come up with an ethical decision depends on the existing culture within the society. The ethical perspective holds that the wrongness or rightness of legalizing recreational drugs depends on society, where it may be right in one place and wrong in another place.
Conclusion
Today’s world is faced with a lot of issues that require ethical decision making. Ethical theories and perspectives play an important role in making decisions that involve ethical dilemma. Currently, the country is faced with a dilemma that concerns legalizing recreational drugs. There many people who support the legalizing and an equal number of people opposing the decision, and every side has convincing reasons for opposing or supporting legalization. Making such a decision requires the application of ethical theories and perspectives to inform the policymakers about the rightness and wrongness of their decisions. Deontological ethics should guide policymakers deciding on whether to legalize recreational drugs because it offers a strong theoretical foundation and emphasizes the autonomy of a person as well as the duty to make their decision. They should also employ the perspective of ethical relativism. Ethical theories help in defining an ethical decision or behavior and form a basis for ethical conversations. Legislative bodies should be guided by the appropriate ethical theories and perspectives in making a decision on whether to legalize recreational drugs.
References
Drugan, J., & Tipton, R. (2017). Translation, ethics and social responsibility.
Koepsell, D. (2017). Autonomy, dignity, beneficence, and justice. In Scientific Integrity and Research Ethics (pp. 61-71). Springer, Cham.
Mosser, K., & Williamson, T. (2020). Ethics and social responsibility (3 rd ed.). Zovio
Schwartz, M. S. (2016). Ethical decision-making theory: An integrated approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 139(4), 755-776.
Sherratt, F., Welfare, K., Hallowell, M., & Hoque Tania, M. (2018). Legalized recreational marijuana: safety, ethical, and legal perceptions of the workforce. Journal of construction engineering and management, 144(6), 04018048.