The news story summarized below is related to the Russia-Ukraine war, just like much other news since the end of February. Before this military conflict, the most ethically controversial and morally obscure topical field was bioengineering (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2017). The title begins with “Russian tycoon criticized Putin’s war…” (Troianovski & Nechepurenko, 2022, para 1). According to journalists, “Mr. Tinkov, the founder of one of Russia’s biggest banks, criticized the war in Ukraine in a post on Instagram” (Troianovski & Ivan Nechepurenko, 2022, para. 2). Such anti-war action forced him to sell his entire Russian business at unfavorable terms. Moreover, his pacifist text and critique of the Russian aggression and dictatorship made Tinkov’s life unsafe.
Ethical Dilemma
These actions by Tinkov, the subsequent punitive measures from the Putin regime, and the surrounding context present an ethical dilemma of truth versus loyalty. It is noteworthy that the given conflict of the righteousness of one thing over another is among the traditional ones in moral philosophy (Sahil & Pooja, 2021). The former Russian billionaire decided to be honest with himself and the world and refused to support Russian pro-war propaganda. He most likely understood the upcoming financial loss and future danger to his life, but he still made a courageous move publicly rejecting loyalty to the aggressor.
Virtue Ethics
This case also illustrates the unintentional application of virtue ethics by the subject of the case, namely Tinkov. As mentioned previously, he publicly expressed courage and honesty, knowing probably that this would only lead to expenses. These are fundamental personal and social virtues in Aristotle’s ethical theory (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2017). The decision was obviously financially disadvantageous and life-threatening, which logically means that the billionaire wanted to achieve happiness through virtuous practices. He chose truthfulness and freedom from greed over political loyalty and the well-being of his business.
References
MacKinnon, B., & Fiala, A. (2017). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Sahil, A., & Pooja, R. (2021). A doctor’s dilemma. Enspire Academy.
Troianovski, A., & Nechepurenko, I. (2022). Russian tycoon criticized Putin’s war. Retribution was swift.The New York Times.