Introduction
Moral ethics is doing what one ought to do to minimize pain and increase benefits to humankind and other living species capable of feeling pain and pleasure. John Doe ignores the moral theories of “utilitarianism” and “deontology.” The former advocates for maximum benefits to the majority beneficiaries, while the latter requires honesty and sticking to original moral obligations. He infringes on the well-being of the authors by using The Cloak App, which allows him to download copy-righted content undetected, thereby flopping his moral obligations.
Moral Philosophy
One can tell who a person is by what they do while alone with no one watching. Since “The Cloak App” hides John’s identification and probably the professor does not check for plagiarism, he justifies his actions by his ‘desiring’ an economic status. Morality is to love one’s family and friends, keep one’s promises, and care for the entire universe’s well-being. Doe cares to benefit only himself (egoism) while ignoring all those involved in producing the copy-righted articles. John’s action is therefore unethical and deserves resentment despite some moral theories supporting his actions.
Some Moral Transgressions are Severe and Deserve Resentment
Whereas the different moral theories fight for the same purpose: dignifying humanity and life, they differ significantly in their reasoning and application. Moral wrongs are not equal depending on the prevailing circumstances at the time of action. For instance, being the eighth week of study, John has continuously violated his moral obligations towards upholding morality since the first week. The second and subsequent instances are more wrong than the first instance, considering he is not improving. He is aware that his actions are morally wrong, but he commits them continuously.
The Social Actions and Solutions
The Ethics of Egoism
Ethical egoism supports committing certain transgressions to benefit oneself, and it puts self-satisfaction and happiness primarily against everyone else’s happiness. According to Vandenberghe (2020), stealing to solve one’s dire needs is justified. John uses The Cloak App for his benefit, without which he will fail his nursing class. His economic situation is challenging, unlike other students who are luckier to have money and luxury. Therefore, his actions are justified because he only did it to pass his exams and be equal with lucky students.
Utilitarianism
Consequentialism targets achieving the best out of a decision: a utilitarian makes decisions that benefit most parties concerned in that moral dilemma. Bellazzi and Boyneburgk (2020) point out that the right decision must do the most good. In this case, the parties concerned are the authors, the publishers, Internet Service Provider, the app developer, the professor, and Doe. The use of the app only benefits him and the developer of the app, ignoring the rest. John’s actions are therefore morally wrong since they do not serve the interest of the majority.
The Veil of Ignorance
According to the Veil of Ignorance theory, a right decision allows maximum freedom without infringing on others’ rights (Liberty principle). On the other hand, the difference principle gives everyone an equal chance and favors those with economic difficulties. John’s economic situation puts him at a disadvantage compared to other lucky students with whom they are competing in the same class. This theory permits him to use the “Cloak App” since he is already in a bad situation and needs to compete fairly with others.
Deontological Principles
Philosopher Immanuel Kant, in this theory, stipulates what obligations each individual has in social dilemmas. What is right or wrong depends on each party’s obligations at that particular time (Bellazzi & Boyneburgk, 2020). It is like a laid-down structure that governs people’s conduct with each other, the law. The developer of “Cloak App” and John must acknowledge or purchase the great work done by the authors and publishers of the copy-righted articles. If deontology is anything to go by, then both commit a moral transgression.
The Theory of Justice
The Justice principle requires treating people the same if they are equal and different if they are different. This theory aims to end inequality, especially gender, religion, race, age, or disability. The “Cloak App” aims not to reduce the inequality towards the marginalized groups mentioned above. Instead, it aims to bypass the legal rights of the authors as John’s case is average, and thus, his actions amount to an injustice to the aggrieved parties.
Social Values: Religion and Economic Status
People often fail to recognize the distinction between ethical morality and religion and economic, moral movers. Whereas they both shape morality, they have little to no control over its effectiveness (Vandenberghe, 2020). John is aware that his religion forbids him from cheating or using that app in that manner, but he ignores it. His economic status puts him at a disadvantage compared to other students, which incites him to commit wrong actions.
Conclusion
Moral ethics aims at reducing pain while increasing the pleasure and benefits to humanity and the rest of the living things equally. Different theories address moral concepts differently, yet both purposes are to make life more enjoyable. People often confuse the roles played by religion and economic status with that of moral ethics. Although they both play very distinct roles yet their impacts are alike and correlate.
References
Bellazzi, F., & Boyneburgk, K. V. (2020). COVID-19 calls for virtue ethics. Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 7(1). Web.
Vandenberghe, F. (2020). What is good about the good life? Action theory, virtue ethics, and modern morality. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 47(7), 814-830. Web.