All the ethical “tools” we used in this class were interesting and left me in deep thought. However, the three ethical perspectives in our course that intrigued me the most are consequentialism, Confucianism, and deontology. Most of the ethical theories we covered in this course were completely new to me. In this reflection, I will discuss how my thoughts on these terms have developed and provide a relevant takeaway for each.   

The first ethical term that I will be reflecting on is consequentialism. At first, my understanding lacked depth, and I thought of it as a theory that determines morality based on outcomes. To unlock this tool, there was a reading about two individuals who had unlocked the full potential of the mind, and their intelligence transcended the rest of the world. One chose to use their power to gain enlightenment while the other worked to save humanity and the world. Seeking enlightenment initially seemed like a selfish way to use the power this individual had gained. After going through the engaging ethical dilemmas introduced to me in this course, I have come to realize that this could have benefited humanity equally to how the other genius was trying to help. The one working to clean up pollution with new microorganisms would have helped restore our planet, but who is to say if the rest of humanity would have listened? It’s impossible to know all the outcomes as we are not omniscient. Also, I believe that the path taken is just as important as the outcome.  

When introduced to Confucianism, my understanding was limited to how best to live our lives based on the overall path we walk and fulfilling our roles. Throughout this course and discussions, I have realized that one’s role is to foster different relationships with those closest to us and with society. This theory pushes us to be the best in all roles we play in life, whether it be a husband, brother, grandson, etc. Moral excellence in this lens is gained through consistency and tied into our social context. This theory challenged my previous views of morality and taught me that relationships are the foundation for moral life.   

The final ethical theory that I am covering in this reflection is deontology. My initial impression of this theory was acting based on the best reasons, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and accepting that it is never right to lie. I also really enjoyed the reading with this tool, which was a Superman comic book where he refused to compromise his beliefs even though it seemed like the entire world had turned against him. I agree with Kant’s principle of treating others as ends in themselves, and never merely as means to an end. I enjoyed this theory because it leaves so much up for individual interpretation and respects the moral worth of Individuals. I now see the ethical theory of deontology as a counter to the temptation to justify harmful actions against others by stressing the importance of dignity.