Below are three real-life scenarios that require the utilization of the ethical theory. The scenarios are tied to the ethical theories due to their dependency on moral values and personal virtues such as honesty, humility, and self-possession (Weston, 2001).
The first scenario involves the ATM cashing out an extra $50 in one's favor. In such a case, one is confronted with the ethical dilemma of either keeping the money or taking it back to the bank over the counter. An individual may ask themselves whether it is worth the struggle lining up to return the money while the economy is constrained. However, it would be ethically appropriate to ask what actions one would recommend someone else in the same scenario to take assuming they were in the position of a bank manager.
The second scenario involves accessing a neighbor’s Wi-Fi password without their consent. In such a case, the ethical question would be whether to continue using the internet services for free or notify the neighbor. The questions one should ask themselves is whether they would like to have other people secretly use their Wi-Fi in case it was unsecured.
The final scenario involves seeing a friend’s wife flirting with someone else at a restaurant. Such a case would evoke personal virtues that uphold marriage such as fidelity as well as those that strengthen friendship such as honesty and loyalty. The question that one would ask themselves is whether reporting the matter would help salvage the friend’s marriage. Also, one would ask the consequences that would follow if the case went unreported. Failure to report would have one’s conscience remain guilty if the situation escalated. The virtue required in this case is courage to either reveal the case to the friend or confront the wife and make her aware of your presence.
The ethics of virtue is mainly connected to the above scenarios since it focuses on the real nature of human excellence such as loyalty to friendship, integrity in business, as well as honesty in social life (Weston, 2001).
Reference
Weston, A. (2001). A 21st-century Ethical Toolbox. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
