For each of the five following Ethical Dilemma's tell me ...



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Philosophical Dilemmas

For each of the five following Ethical Dilemma's tell me what one of the Philosopher’s we have looked at so far, (Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Emmanuel Levinas) might suggest to do. Only use each philosopher once. Make sure to explain your reasoning for each answer. I don’t want to just see a name. Also please write in paragraph form.

1) Shawn and Kevin, two young men in their mid-twenties, have been close friends since they met during their college years. They share numerous similar interests and greatly enjoy each other's company. Kevin gratefully acknowledges to himself that Shawn has been a fine friend in every respect that counts. Shawn has listened patiently, and responded empathetically, on the many occasions Kevin sought him out to talk about major issues in his life concerning, for example, school plans, job opportunities, or romantic matters. Shawn has always been there when Kevin needed encouragement. He has provided assistance unselfishly in large and small matters - e.g. lending Kevin his car when Kevin's broke down, several times helping Kevin move his belongings from one apartment to another, and putting up Kevin's relatives from out of town when Kevin didn't have room for them at this apartment. This is not to say, however, that the friendship has been one sided in any way. Kevin has provided similar kinds of support, encouragement, and assistance to Shawn over the years. Kevin does not view all the things he and Shawn have done for one another as at all like a sequence of quid pro quos, but instead (although Kevin has never consciously stated the point in this way to himself) he views the deep reciprocity between Shawn and himself as flowing organically from the nature of their friendship.

Shawn, who has written a number of short stories and poems, has been working on his first novel for the past two years. Kevin is well aware of Shawn's first major literary project and fully supports it, in the sense of considering it a highly worthwhile thing for Shawn to do. Several weeks ago Shawn learned about a small house in a quiet semi-rural outer suburban area. He believes the house would provide an ideal working environment for him.

Recently Shawn has asked Kevin to loan him $5,000 for the down payment on the house. The request takes Kevin by surprise. Over the years of their friendship neither Kevin nor Shawn has asked the other for a loan until now. Monetary affairs have not played a significant role in their relationship as friends, either directly or indirectly. Kevin and Shawn both grew up in families where discussion of personal financial issues outside of the family was disapproved of strongly. For this reason, both Kevin and Shawn seldom, if ever, discuss their personal finances with each other.

Kevin, who works as a project manager for a large engineering firm, can afford to loan the money to Shawn. He (Kevin) is not sure, however, exactly how Shawn plans to repay the loan on his salary as manager of a small bookstore. Kevin feels acutely uncomfortable raising issues with Shawn such as how he plans to repay the loan, what might be a reasonable repayment schedule, and so forth.

2) Second Lieutenant Shane Casey's infantry platoon has been on patrolling operations for five days in Vietnams Central Highlands. The men are filthy and bone-tired after running contacts with enemy elements and long nights of half-on, half-off duty. In the morning they will consolidate with other elements of the company and move to landing zones about three miles to the south for helicopter pick-up. Late that afternoon, as they moved to the position they are to establish for the night, they encountered a group of Vietnamese civilians, about 30 older men and women with a few children. Your Vietnamese chieu hoi (former VC who, after being captured, has joined the ARVN, South Vietnamese military) translates and tells you that the civilians are fleeing the battle area to a province on the coast after an NVA battalion moved into their village and collected most of the inhabitants for supply transport duty. They have no food or supplies of any kind. The civilians are physically spent and in bad shape. A number of them need medical attention for wounds. The platoon medic has only a basic supply of medical items that he carries in the pack on his back.

The platoon sergeant has just suggested helping the Vietnamese. He wants to collect the rations that were airdropped yesterday and distributed and give them to the group of Vietnamese. He noted that they have a long way to travel to get out of the Highlands to the coastal province. He also stated that some medical assistance would be a good idea. One of the squad leaders responded immediately that the platoon needs to keep its food, that anything could happen between now and the time the company is picked up tomorrow. He is especially incensed about the platoon sergeants suggestion about using the medical supplies. In the heavy jungle of the Highlands, resupply and evacuation of casualties are problematic. Many of the infrequent open areas are under observation by the NVA, often with antiaircraft MGs in position.

Should LT Casey share some of his supplies with the Vietnamese civilians? Should he tell the medic to use some of his medical kit to treat the injured? His immediate reaction was to provide whatever assistance he could to the refugees. A moments reflection, however, reminded him of mission considerations for that night and tomorrow.

[The central issue here is the relationship between the core quality of Compassion and the standard of Duty. What does adherence to the value of Compassion indicate LT Casey should do?]

3) In 1999, five California TV news helicopters broadcast live the fatal shooting by police of a man who had led authorities on a three-hour freeway chase. The episode occurred the day after Thanksgiving and dominated morning TV when many children were home and tuning in to watch cartoons. The chase was aired to its conclusion (the shooting), though no close-up images were aired. With thousands of strangers, the dead man's mother, ex-wife, and adult daughter watched as he was shot.

In 1998 TV stations had aired live telecasts of a bank robber killing himself and a man shooting himself in the head on a freeway exchange after a lengthy standoff with police. Critics of live TV expressed horror at exposing children (or adults) to graphic violence. If coverage is live, outcomes cannot be predicted, so viewers cannot be warned about up-coming violence. Following strong, negative public reaction, TV stations promised to reevaluate their policies for live coverage and consider instituting delaying mechanisms that permit interruption of transmission should events turn tragic (or ugly).

Critics questioned whether such coverage has any value to viewers. TV spokespersons retorted that persons in urban areas need to know when commuter routes are closed, or when for safety's sake they should avoid particular streets or intersections. They further claim that such incidents are news, the coverage of which is their raison d'etre, and that the public has an interest in and a right to know about such incidents. (Some viewers called TV stations to complain that close-in shots of the killing should have been provided.) Opponents charge that the motivation for live coverage is not a commitment to professional reporting but to garnering the best ratings.

The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes commitments both to making news stories available to an interested public and to avoiding harm. The Society further recognizes the importance of independent action; i.e., avoiding conflicts of interests, and pressure to cover news so as to promote goals other than providing truthful information.

Whatever the motivation, live coverage of potentially violent events is on the rise. Mediascope, a non-profit public policy research group working to improve the ways social issues are covered by the media, reports that crime constitutes the content of 30.2% of local TV news broadcasts across the country.

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