Deliberation Overview
This deliberation was begun on Friday, September 2, 2005
This history was compiled on Sunday, November 22, 2009
Describe the Situation
I had always done well in high school; I graduated with a 3.5 GPA, I had a Varsity Letter in soccer, was the treasurer of the Student Council, and volunteered at the local homeless shelter. However, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I came to college just because my parents told me I had to go, but I don’t even know how to form my own goals. I’ve declared Marketing as a major, but I don’t know what I want to do with it or if I even want to keep that major. My parents want me to go to Law School so that I can make a lot of money, but I’m not interested in Law. It all seems pointless because I’ll probably just end up working 8-5 at a boring job after college. Why should I even form my goals and are they worth achieving? Should goals reflect what I want or what others define as success? Why work hard if I may not ever achieve that entire dream?
Consequences Framework
Chosen standard for evaluating consequences:
Self-Actualization
This standard is most appropriate because:
This is a very appropriate ethical standard because, when it comes to life goals, realizing who I am is most important. For me to be happy with my life, I need to make choices that help me see who I am and discover ways to be the person I want to become. These decisions do affect other people, but in very small ways, so I usually need to only think about myself in personal life decisions.
Chosen course of action:
Have an informal conversation with one producer at one news station to determine if its even possible to provide any recognition for the VNR.
This action fulfills my chosen standard because:
By choosing this alternative, you can satisfy your desire to see if a news station would react poorly to the request for recognition or if it's even possible.
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.
Its really hard to set goals and though it is the right thing to do, I don't think I have the motivation to form goals.
Other alternatives explored using the Consequences Framework:
Have an informal conversation with one producer at one news station to determine if its even possible to provide any recognition for the VNR.
Consequences: This alternative provides at least some solace for you to determine if a news station is even open to the idea of providing recognition.
Explanation: By choosing this alternative, you can satisfy your desire to see if a news station would react poorly to the request for recognition or if it's even possible.
Notes:
Agree with Honor Code: yes
Say nothing to the news stations.
Consequences: The issue may continue to nag you. You are not violating any code of ethics.
Notes:
Request that news stations provide recognition for the VNR.
Consequences: It's possible that the news station may not use the VNRs.
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 career and academic advisor. They can help me formulate goals and find out what I want out of my life. From there, I should set goals that will help me reach what I want. This fulfills my duties of Beneficence to my future self, Self-Improvement, and my Familial Duties by giving myself the ability to make better decisions in the future and being successful in a way that I define. Beneficence to myself, in how it was defined at first, is not a dutiful action because it does not treat me with respect, it assumes that I can never be a better person, so I shouldn’t try to improve myself.
This action is most dutiful because:
This action treats me with respect because it empowers me to make my own rational decisions. One makes better rational decisions when one believes that my actions will make me a better person. Through the setting of goals, I have a guide that can help me become a better person. It treats me with respect in that it gives me the power to improve myself. It also treats my family with respect by acknowledging that they care about me and want me to succeed, even though I won’t necessarily end up being a lawyer like they want. But if they truly respect me they will want me to figure out what I really care about doing.
Anyone would be obligated to perform this action because:
The perspective that helped me make my decision is Kant’s notion of respect for Autonomy. Autonomy means that every person has the ability, by nature, to make their own rational decisions and to empower themselves to this decision. I have a duty to fulfill this nature because this is how I am as a person. Knowing that I am empowered to make my own choices and that these choices will affect who I become, my decision became more justified.
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 be a decision that helps me cultivate the virtues found in the Virtuous Person. I should form goals that fit to what I want to be and become, not conform to someone else’s standard of success. I should also not be ashamed of that decision and confront my parents with the decision because that will help me become more courageous, though of course I should recognize that they are acting out of concern for my welfare.
This is the action that an ideally virtuous person would do because:
Plato’s four virtues of Justice, Wisdom, Courage, and Temperance helped me make this decision. I didn’t talk about temperance before, but I realized while reading about Plato that I need to control my short term desires to relax and have fun. I need both Courage and Wisdom to make and act on my moral decisions, which lead to the ultimate virtue of Justice, the highest good. Since I want Justice, I ought to take the action that fulfills Temperance, Courage and Wisdom.
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.
I don't know how I can cultivate these virtues, especially the virtue of courage so that I am inspired to act on my decision.