When people are in trouble, many of them prefer to bury their heads in the ‘sand’. Instead of thinking rationally, most of us lose the sign of last consciousness and choose the wrong path to follow.
That is exactly the case, which happened to the character described. It is hard to judge anyone as no one knows what he or she would do in case his family is in urgent need of something.
For some people it may seem that from the first sight there is nothing wrong to steal a loaf of bread if your family needs it. On the other hand, it turns out to be quite an ethical dilemma, which lies in the word ‘steal’ itself.
If we dwell upon the meaning of the term ‘ethics’, we would find out that opinions may differ.
Ethics might mean to do what religion or law requires. Ethics might also mean to follow the standards of the behavior acceptable by the society. It might also stand for one’s feelings of what is right or wrong. So, as we can see it, the meaning of ‘ethics’ is hard to be defined in some certain way.
Nevertheless, ethics remains to be an important part of our life. Ethics helps people to act in accordance with some particular set of standards and regulates our relationship with each other.
People tend to identify ethics with their feelings. Personally, I think that ethics should have not that much with what the person feels.
The ethical issue here is that this man’s feeling and emotional state of mind made him recoil from doing the right things.
What would he do in case if the situation worsens?
Would he attack anyone and justify himself for the reason of his family being in need?
I do not think it is ethical to make others be responsible for one’s bad lucks.
Nevertheless, there is an opinion that Christianity does not speak of an absolute property right. Thus, I may conclude that Christianity does not judge those who take bread to feed a starving family.
I do not think that the man did the right thing. I consider him wrong in his decision to steal the loaf of bread.
However, the main reason to do so is not the standard set by the society, but the standard of his own personal responsibility, his own obligations to himself and to his family members.
How would this man explain this loaf of bread to his wife or how would he look in the eyes of their five children?
How would he live with an idea that anyone has the right to call him a thief and be right at that time?
I think that in a case where someone is in real need of bread to save a family from starvation, he would better ask people around him for help.
Ethical standards if they really do exist in the society would make other people response in the proper way. Honesty, compassion, sympathy are still here. They do help us survive and do not leave us indifferent.
Therefore, to sum it all up, I would say that it is of real importance to stay in sound mind, to try to think in a rational way to make the right choices and to go for the right decisions. There is always a way out no matter how hopeless and desperate you may feel.
