Ethical and moral principles are thought to be universal, and yet, many people prefer their perspective and rules that go apart from the majority of law-abiding citizens. The highest morality states that the truth must be revealed and followed no matter what, even though there are sometimes exceptions from the rules.
In a particular case of a mechanical problem with an airplane that would cause the whole fleet to get grounded, the problem is adequate from a moral point of view. From one perspective, if there is something wrong with only one plane, it would be unwise to ground a whole lot of planes. This would cause delays to people, massive financial losses to the company, and other organizations that are involved in the airlines’ business. On the other hand, if the problem is a sign the same company built all the planes, then all of them might have faulty mechanics and, thus, should be grounded. According to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the views on ethics, people must do what is necessary for relation to the greater good (Guyer, 2006).
The wait times and money can be lost and gained, whereas people’s lives work only one way. People will always feel inconvenient due to the environmental changes and conditions that regulate existence, but nothing is as precious as someone’s life. By the standards of moral reasoning, all the planes should be grounded, and proper authorities notified of the problem. This will be an honest way in not only the moral sense but also the safest. If the problem is discovered much later, the consequences might be greater. Any delay could cause the loss of people’s lives, and the financial and reputational losses to the airline and partner companies would be enormous. The principle of greater good and necessities has many more positive outcomes from any perspective (Johnson, 2012).
Another real-world example of a company being unethical and immoral is a supermarket selling chemically modified or expired goods. For some time, people might be buying the products, and nothing will happen, but there is the risk of one case that will change everything. As a result, people are suspected of the risk of illness, allergies, and possibly lethal outcomes, as the foods that are sold must be of the highest quality. The cost to the store or company, in case the deception continues, will be enormous. There is the possibility of lawsuits, monetary loss, and, most of all, the reputation of the company will suffer (Denzin, 2012). It would be much easier to recall a specific amount of products and lose only a portion of the resources, in comparison to losing everything. This is the case with many stores, and it has been proven that companies would rather be honest and ethical. This might happen not because of the kindness and moral goodness of the companies but because of the fear of lost customers and lawsuits. It has been a policy for some time; if any expired or bad product is found, it will be replaced and paid for by the store (Brandt, 2013). There are many examples of food companies, restaurants, and stores that will do everything to admit their fault and apologize.
The moral necessity is defined by the greater good. All who do not adhere to the honesty principle will suffer much greater losses morally and financially. The final verdict is that it is better to be honest, and admit guilt.
References
Brandt, A. (2013). Morality and Health. New York, United States: Routledge.
Denzin, N. (2012). Qualitative Inquiry and the Politics of Advocacy. Walnut Creek, United States: Left Coast Press.
Guyer, P. (2006). Kant. New York, United States: Routledge.
Johnson, O. (2012). Ethics: Selections from Classical and Contemporary Writers. Boston, United States: Cengage Learning.