Virtuous Person Virtuous Citizen Required Resources Read Rev

Virtuous Person Virtuous Citizenrequired Resourcesreadreview The Fol

Virtuous Person, Virtuous Citizen Required Resources Read/review the following resources for this activity: Textbook: Chapter 12 Lesson Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook) Each person owes a duty to himself or herself and to the world to study ethics and to engage in thoughtful debate about what is right, and what is wrong. It is this habit of thinking about and reflecting on ethics that will help you determine the right choices when faced with an ethical dilemma. Articulate a moral dilemma wherein one has to show a specific virtue or virtues (it can be any virtue or virtues including honesty, courage, charity/generosity, compassion, etc.) What is the moral dilemma about? What virtue or virtues should be shown? (You are here selecting the best course of action) Why is that virtue or those virtues to be shown? How should the virtue or virtues be expressed, and why in that manner? Apply Aristotle's golden mean to the dilemma. Tell us how the dilemma involves conflict moral duties (loyalty to community versus to self, professional versus familial duties, national or personal obligations). The dilemma must be a situation in which a choice has to be made. Be sure you told us why your chosen course of action was best. Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up) Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside scholarly source) APA format for in-text citations and list of references

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Ethical dilemmas are complex situations where individuals must choose between conflicting moral duties, often requiring a compromise of virtues. Such dilemmas challenge our understanding of what constitutes virtuous behavior, pushing us to reflect deeply on moral principles. This paper explores a specific moral dilemma involving honesty and loyalty, applying Aristotelian ethics to identify the virtuous response and justify the preferred course of action.

The Moral Dilemma

Consider a scenario where an employee, Clara, discovers that her colleague, Mark, has been falsifying reports to meet corporate targets. Clara faces a moral dilemma: should she report Mark’s misconduct, thereby risking her relationship with him and possibly her job security, or should she remain silent to maintain loyalty and harmony within her team? This situation pits the virtue of honesty against the virtue of loyalty, creating a conflict that demands careful ethical consideration.

The Virtues Involved and Their Importance

The primary virtues involved in this dilemma are honesty and loyalty. Honesty is essential because integrity forms the foundation of trust and fairness in professional settings (Sinclair, 1993). Loyalty, on the other hand, emphasizes allegiance to colleagues, the team, and the organization (Williams, 2002). Both virtues are vital, yet they can come into conflict when revealing truth threatens personal and professional relationships.

Honesty should be shown because it promotes transparency and accountability, which are critical in maintaining organizational integrity. Loyalty must also be considered, as it sustains trust and cohesion within a team. The decision involves balancing these virtues to act in a morally upright manner.

Expressing Virtues Appropriately

Honesty should be expressed assertively and responsibly, ensuring that the truth is conveyed with respect and kindness. This aligns with the virtue ethics concept of compassionate honesty, which avoids unnecessary harm while upholding integrity (Kraut, 2018). Loyalty, if expressed, involves supporting colleagues and the organization ethically, rather than at the expense of moral principles. The appropriate expression of these virtues involves honest communication coupled with a considerate approach to mitigate harm.

Applying Aristotle’s Golden Mean

Aristotle’s concept of the golden mean suggests that moral virtues lie between extremes of excess and deficiency (Aristotle, trans. 2009). In this dilemma, the excess of honesty might be bluntness or insensitivity, while deficiency results in silence or complicity. Conversely, excess loyalty could lead to unquestioning obedience and neglect of moral duties, whereas deficiency would be a betrayal of trust.

The virtuous course of action lies at the mean: honestly confronting the misconduct while maintaining respect for the individual. This balanced approach respects moral integrity without unnecessary harm, exemplifying the optimal expression of virtue.

Conflicting Moral Duties

The dilemma reflects conflicting moral duties—loyalty to colleagues versus duty to uphold honesty and organizational integrity. Loyalty may tempt one to conceal misconduct, prioritizing interpersonal bonds over moral principles. Conversely, the duty to be honest and transparent may threaten relationships but upholds justice and accountability.

Furthermore, there’s a conflict between professional obligations and personal integrity. The professional duty to promote honesty and fairness clashes with personal loyalty to a colleague, exemplifying the tension between different moral commitments. Resolving this requires prioritizing virtues that serve the greater good and long-term trustworthiness.

Justification of the Chosen Course of Action

The ethically sound decision is to report Mark’s misconduct, grounded in the virtue of honesty. This choice aligns with Kantian ethics, emphasizing duty and truthfulness (Kant, 1785/1993). While it involves personal sacrifice, it fosters trust, accountability, and organizational health. Acting with honesty, supplemented by compassionate communication, ensures the confrontation is constructive rather than adversarial.

Furthermore, Aristotle’s concept of moderation supports this choice; honest communication that considers the context and individuals involved helps balance virtues. Ultimately, prioritizing honesty sustains moral integrity, which is fundamental for personal virtue and organizational responsibility.

Conclusion

The moral dilemma between honesty and loyalty exemplifies the complex nature of ethical decision-making. Applying virtue ethics, particularly Aristotle’s golden mean, guides us toward a balanced and morally upright choice—reporting misconduct honestly yet kindly. Such an approach upholds the virtues essential for personal integrity and societal trust, demonstrating that virtuous action often involves navigating conflicting duties with prudence and moral sensibility. Ethical reflection and commitment to virtue are essential for making morally sound decisions in challenging situations.

References

Aristotle. (2009). Nicomachean Ethics (W. D. Ross, Trans.). Digireads.com Publishing. (Original work published ca. 350 B.C.)

Kant, I. (1993). Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (M. Gregor, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1785)

Kraut, R. (2018). Virtue Ethics. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2018 Edition). Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/

Sinclair, A. (1997). The moral foundations of organizational virtue. Business Ethics Quarterly, 7(1), 53–69.

Williams, G. (2002). Loyalty and Moral Autonomy. Journal of Moral Philosophy, 1(2), 135–150.