Ethical Systems

In explaining my chosen course of action to my FTO (to arrest the driver rather than
let her go home to her children), I would start by reviewing the steps of analyzing an ethical
dilemma: assessing whether the issue at hand actually constitutes an ethical dilemma,
outlining my options, constructing ethical arguments, evaluating the arguments and deciding.
In outlining, evaluating, and determining my possible courses of action, I would
review the three main ethical systems – virtue, formalism, and utilitarianism. According to
virtue ethics, an action is right as long as it is done by a virtuous or good person (Vaughn,
2019). As for ethical formalism, the end result is not the most important; the most important
is the moral intent of the action or decision itself. The opposite of ethical formalism,
utilitarianism holds that the consequence of an action, especially its utility or goodness, is the
most crucial factor in determining whether the action is right or wrong.
I would use utilitarianism to explain my option of the three ethical systems. This is
because I find this ethical system the most appealing. Specifically, I like the utilitarian idea
that an action is right even if it hurts one person or a few people, provided that it is beneficial
to many (Vaughn, 2019). Thus, protecting a community from a suspected burglar is right,
even if it means the burglar’s children will spend the night without a caretaker.
Even if the driver had told me she had specific information about who had been
committing the recent burglaries, I would not have changed my decision to arrest her. I would
still arrest her then let her substantiate her claim while in police custody.

ETHICAL SYSTEMS 3

Reference

Vaughn, L. (2019). Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning, Theory, and Contemporary Issues. New
York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.