Response Week 8 Readings Please Choose One Of The Topics Bel
Response Week 8 Readingsplease Choose One Of The Topics Below Expres
Response: Week 8 Readings Please choose ONE of the topics below. Express your opinion on the topic and explain the ethical system that leads you to your opinion and how it applies to the problem or question – utilitarianism, universalism, profit maximization, etc. Please be sure to put your name at the top of your response and indicate the question you are addressing. Minimum length — one double-spaced typed page/ approximately 250 words Points Value: 10 points toward minor grade average.
Paper For Above instruction
In examining the ethical implications of urban zoning laws that restrict the number and proximity of dollar stores in cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is essential to consider the balance between individual freedom and community well-being. These ordinances aim to address concerns over the proliferation of dollar stores in food deserts, positing that limiting their concentration could promote better health and nutrition outcomes for residents. From a utilitarian perspective, which emphasizes the greatest good for the greatest number, such regulations might be justified if they lead to improved health and social equity. By reducing the density of health-food deserts, these policies could potentially enhance overall community welfare. However, a rights-based approach, emphasizing individual choice and free-market principles, might argue that these regulations infringe on the rights of store owners and consumers to access and choose where they shop without government interference. The ethical tension here involves weighing the potential benefits of healthier food options against the moral obligation to preserve individual freedoms. While the goal of improving public health is laudable and aligns with utilitarian values, it must be balanced carefully against rights and economic freedoms. Ultimately, a nuanced policy that encourages healthy options while respecting individual choices, perhaps through incentives rather than restrictions, could reflect a more ethically sound approach. This aligns with a principle of balancing collective benefits with respect for individual rights, avoiding overly restrictive regulations that could be viewed as unjust overreach.
References
- Friedman, M. (1970). The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits. The New York Times Magazine.
- Kant, I. (1785). Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
- Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. Parker, Son, and Bourn.
- Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press.
- Beauchamp, T.L., & Childress, J.F. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Oxford University Press.
- Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.
- Nussbaum, M. (2000). Women and Human Development. Cambridge University Press.
- Heath, S., & Millar, J. (Eds.). (2017). Quickening the Spirit: Essays on Faith and Justice. Routledge.
- Jonas, H. (1984). The Imperative of Responsibility. University of Chicago Press.
- O'Neill, O. (2000). How Can Ethical Prescriptions Be Justified? Cambridge University Press.