ethics

ethics. what a vague word.




well not really. 


while many may be confused about its actual meaning, ethics is simply defined as a set of moral principles. nothing fuzzy there, right?


ethics is a foundational component of everything we do; the ways we behave, the words we say, the things we believe. our ethics tell us what is right and what is wrong. 


ethics are not static, they change during the course of our lives. as we learn and reflect and understand more and more about our world, our ethics evolve. they grow.


this process is nurtured by our education. education allows us to see issues from new angles, to understand what those who have come before us have struggled with, and to create new ideas for ourselves after learning from others. 


but there's a problem. sometimes, we're comfortable with our own opinions. sometimes, we want nothing more than to stay right where we are; sheltered and "safe." the problem with this attitude is that we get stuck, we can't move forward.


this is why i value conversations and debates like the one that we had in ENGL 104 this morning. i was very tired from a half-nighter i had just pulled, but the topic stuck with me throughout the day. 


is it right to profit from someone's death?
is it ok to tell someone's story without their permission?
is it ethical to write a sensationalized book about a tragedy in full knowledge that you will make money on it?


these are tough questions that i am still wrestling with. they are questions that everyone must struggle with because no one can tell you the right answers to these questions. they must be thought about. 


as i have done this, i have realized that it is very distasteful in my opinion to write a book about a tragedy knowing that people will feel compelled to buy it simply because of the publics' pity for the victims. however, if one sets out to bring stories to light that those victims want told, if we are taught lessons by these stories, if the work is made with the goal of informing and instructing, i see no problem with the piece. it then simply becomes another means to discuss and grapple with our understanding of our own ethics.