Ethics is a part of philosophy that studies and defines the human behavior and ideal way of life and how they relate to other people. However, the approaches and definition of ethics changed over time, among ethicists and philosophers. Ethics are further divided into categories depending on the reason they are applied. The main ethical theories are deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics.
From the scenario in the discussion, the theory that best suits the ethical and moral behavior portrayed is the virtue ethics. In fact a virtue is recognized as an excellent trait that is deeply entrenched in the person who possesses it (Carl & Steutel, 2005). Virtue ethics are identified as one that emphasizes the virtues and moral character. When applying the virtue ethics, the person is already aware that the other individual is in need of help. Consequently, the individual knows that his or her actions will have a positive impact (Nafsika, 2000). Nonetheless, in this situation, the individual is faced with another moral dilemma after realizing that the person he/she has been helping is being used to benefit another individual.
On the other hand, the individual who takes advantage of the beggar provides them with food and shelter after they deliver all their donations to him. From the discussion, the person is faced with a dilemma of whether to stop or continue giving the money and food to the beggar. On the other hand, the person realizes that once the daily income reduces, the beggars might be kicked out of the house they live in. Therefore, he decides to continue giving the money as he is compassionate and is aware that the beggar has no one else to depend on.
According to Hursthouse (1999), a virtuous person has good characters and expects the best for the other person despite the situation they may be in. Hursthouse continues to insist that a person who has virtue ethics has no defects and acts naturally out of good will. From the scenario, the person continued to help Veronica even after realizing that she does not benefit directly from the money she gets from passers-by. However, he/she knew it was not morally right to exploit the less fortunate in society as Veronica was being abused. Ethically, it was right to continue helping her and child so that they are not kicked out of the house they were living in. According to Hursthouse (1999), what is right is defined by the action taken during a given circumstance provided that the consequences are positive.
In an ethical dilemma, a person is usually torn between decision making, which in this case have positive impacts. However, the action is benefiting another person indirectly. However, if faced with such a situation, I would do the right thing by helping those in need despite the outcome. When faced with a dilemma, it is important to consider the results of your actions before deciding on what to do. In this case, if Veronica did not get enough money, chances are that she would have been thrown out of the house and would have no food. Hence, it would be a good choice to continue giving them the much-needed assistance. Any action taken during a dilemma has various outcomes. Therefore, it is right to choose the action that will have the positive and satisfying results.
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