Reflection Of Deontological Ethics And Ethics In Professional Life

A moral philosophy is something that every individual possesses and adheres to, yet it is something that each of us develop in a very different way. Approximately seventeen years ago, I read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and his writings captivated me. In the years since, I have often returned to the book for inspiration and guidance. In his autobiography, Franklin described how he endeavored to attain what he described as “moral perfection”, in an attempt to overcome the inherent tendencies to do wrong. He reasoned that since he knew right from wrong then he could just practice doing the right thing and avoid the wrong. Franklin discovered however, that living a virtuous life was not an easy task and that in order for him to

This ethic emphasizes that it is the duty of someone to perform a specific act, not out of morality as in the case of virtue ethics, but rather out of an individual duty or obligation or duty to perform the act. Deontological ethics are the set of ethics that I have integrated into my professional life because I like the emphasis that this ethical theory places upon an individual’s obligation to perform their duty. The workplace is often fraught with ethical dilemmas, which can challenge our adherence to our espoused ethical principles. For example, I believe it is my duty to abstain from lying or covering up for a co-worker’s wrongdoing however; I may be torn as a person because I like the individual. The strength and the weakness of deontological ethics are one in the same. It is honorable for an individual to have a sense of obligation to perform their duty. All too often however, the line becomes blurred, and people commit to carry out immoral or illegal acts without considering the moral or legal implications of such acts. The best illustration of this is when people state, “I was just following