What a busy five weeks we have had! We have learned to use moral reasoning and examined many ethical theories in this course. These include virtue ethics, utilitarianism, social contract, deontology with goals (Hinduism and Buddhism), deontology with divine authority (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), relativism (individual and cultural), and deontology with a categorical imperative (Kant).
Think back about your impressions of each of these ethical systems and write a 1,000 to 1,250-word essay that addresses the following questions below. Be sure to write good introductory and concluding paragraphs in your essay.
- Summarize the principle components of each of the seven ethical systems studied in this course (listed above), including the principle ethicist involved in developing the system. Use two or three sentences for each ethical system.
- Which ethical system is most prevalent in the United States today? In the World? Explain your answer and support your response.
- Which ethical system most closely matches your personal ethical system? Why do you think so? Explain your position.
- Please give a short, personal example that supports your decision to identify your ethical system (3 or 4 sentences) and explain why it does so.
- Examine your response to previous assignments in Modules 1 thru 4 in this course. Are there any inconsistencies or conflict between positions you took in earlier assignments and the ethical system identified in this paper? For example, monotheists (Christians, Muslims, and Jews) believe in universal maxims. Relativists do not think universal maxims are possible. One cannot, for example be a Christian and believe no universal maxims exist, which is a relativist position. Monotheism (Christianity) and relativism are polar opposites. If inconsistencies exist between your earlier answers and this paper, how do you resolve them in your ethical decision-making process in the real world?
Add at least three references to support your analysis in this paper.