preview

Ethical Precept Definition

Decent Essays

Standing by moral principles is tough when faced with adversity, but even more so when a conflict causes those moral principles to clash. Situations have many factors to consider when making a moral decision and prioritizing which moral principle is most important to abide by in the given situation. Although this can be tough because competing moral principles can be equally relevant to a situation, I have found that one ethical precept has guided me in making difficult decision. When considering a moral conflict, I have abided by the rule of universality by asking myself “if everyone did it, would it be a good thing?” This ethical precept, initially proposed by German philosopher Immanuel Kant, allows me to judge a situation objectively by asking myself if everyone did the same thing as me would it result in a better world. This precept is something that I learned from my mother, who has consistently made unselfish decisions throughout my entire life. When making tough decisions I have leaned on her wisdom to decide what would I want …show more content…

At the beginning of the divorce I was deeply hurt by my parents’ actions and was tempted to take my mom’s side in order to alleviate the stress I had built up since following my parents’ separation. I have a younger brother that looked to me for guidance and leadership in how to handle the tense relationship between my parents. Although I had influence over my brother and strong feelings of loyalty to my mother, I decided to stay out of the conflict between my parents. I did this because an older sibling should always do what is best long-term for their sibling, and I knew that if my brother and I broke off our relationship with our father it would not be best long-term for my brother. Instead of making a rash and selfish decision, I did what every big sister should do in times of conflict, protect the interests of my baby

Get Access