Deliberation Overview
This deliberation was begun on Friday, September 2, 2005
This history was compiled on Sunday, November 22, 2009
Describe the Situation
My whole life I have held very close ties with my family and culture. Every weekend, we would all go to one of my aunts’ and uncles’ houses and have a wonderful dinner. They have all been a wonderful source of support and advice, even while I have been in college. I didn’t know what I wanted to do once I got to college, so I followed their advice and declared business as a major. However, I have decided that business doesn’t suit my interests, but that Molecular Chemistry would be a better choice. However, my family has been so excited to see me study business because it’s a stable major, which is important because I am the first person to attend college in my family. There are very high expectations for me, but I don’t want to fail in those expectations by changing my major. Where do my responsibilities to my family end and my responsibilities to myself begin?
Consequences Framework
Chosen standard for evaluating consequences:
maximizing overall happiness
This standard is most appropriate because:
Overall happiness is the best standard because this will make everyone as happy as they can be, while also minimizing the amount of unhappiness they will have. The decision that I make should be the one that maximizes overall happiness, even at my expense, will be the best choice because the overall happiness will be higher.
Chosen course of action:
Provide a way for reporters to attend the press conference via telephone versus in person.
This action fulfills my chosen standard because:
This would satisfy the CEO's desire to increase participation while at the same time maintain one's personal values.
This action is consistent with the expectations of any ethics codes that apply to your situation.
I will NOT be able to do this action.
Since I love my family so much, its going to be hard to talk to them about my major change. I don't know if I'll be able to do that.
Other alternatives explored using the Consequences Framework:
Provide a way for reporters to attend the press conference via telephone versus in person.
Consequences: You may still lack participation.
Explanation: This would satisfy the CEO's desire to increase participation while at the same time maintain one's personal values.
Notes:
Agree with Honor Code: yes
Inform media via the advanced press materials that those who attend the press conference will be provided with information one day in advance of all media.
Consequences: You may lose some participation in the press conference as press may be offended.
Notes:
Take advantage of social media to share product announcements - tweet during the press conference, upload a video of the press conference on YouTube, encourage all staff to share news via Facebook and MySpace.
Consequences: It won't meet the CEO's desire to increase participation at the press conference.
Notes:
Duties Framework
I have judged that the most dutiful conduct in my situation is:
The action that is most dutiful is to talk to my family about what I am considering doing. From there I should listen to their advice and take into account their concerns and their experience. After that, I should make my decision based off of my experiences and their advice. This fulfills all the duties to myself because I am allowing my self to make my own personal decisions. It also fulfills all my familial duties because I am still listening to their advice in my decision making process. I still value their influence and experience, even if I go against it.
This action is most dutiful because:
This action treats everyone with respect because it preserves my ability to make my own decisions, but it still puts value on the advice my family has given me over the years.
Anyone would be obligated to perform this action because:
Kant’s perspective on Autonomy helped me make this decision. Kant shows that we need to respect every individual’s decision to make rational decision. By listening to my family’s advice, my decision making will be more rational because I will have other perspectives helping me with my decision. However, it leaves the ultimate decision up to me, which respects my ability to make my own decisions.
This alternative is consistent with the expectations of any ethics codes that apply to your situation.
I will be able to do this action.
Ranking of specific duties explored using this framework:
Virtue Framework
An action that will exhibit the most virtuous traits is:
The best course of action would fulfill as many of the virtues above. I should develop the Courage to tell my family about my Knowledge of what I want from my life and how I should get there. However, I think I can show Fidelity and Graciousness to my family by still listening to their Wisdom. I can still listen to their Wisdom and still decide against it, I just need to make sure they see that I have listened and can explain to them my own reasons for disagreeing, even though I still value their advice.
This is the action that an ideally virtuous person would do because:
Aristotle’s main virtues (Wisdom, Courage, and Compassion) helped me make this decision. These three virtues help us live well because they are what allow us to make virtuous decisions and decide if an action is virtuous. Wisdom tells us what is right, Courage helps us choose to accomplish that action, and Compassion is what has taught us the other two virtues.
This alternative is consistent with the expectations of any ethics codes that apply to your situation.
I will NOT be able to do this action.
It is really hard for me to confront my family when I disagree with them because of how close we are. I also don't know if I'll know if I totally listened to their advice or just heard them and decided on my own.