Another reason why I chose this ethical system was because I
wanted to learn more about it. I wanted to dig deeper about how character was
formed and where it came from. To me character definitely shows who you are and
it is important that you maintain positive characteristics. I feel like if you
are negative then this will affect your lifestyle in a negative way. If you
show characteristics that you are courageous and honest then it makes life a
whole lot easier instead of going through life knowing people don’t trust you
or can’t even count on you. Every day in life you see a person’s character
change, especially with celebrities and the harsh realities they have to deal
with having that much attention from the media. For example, in my opinion I
would say critics and paparazzi focus less on celebrities that are always
showing good virtue ethics. Instead they would rather spend their time on
capturing a celebrity with bad virtue ethics, just because it will probably
make a more exciting story or because they are constantly thinking “What wrong
will they do next?” I could understand why this could be a hard thing to do
because I feel that bad virtue ethics is the result of handling pressure. http://atheism.about.com/od/ethicalsystems/a/virtueethics.htm
History
The book states that virtue ethics is the oldest of the
ethical systems, with a history that has its roots in some of our earliest
religions. You should not get confused however; “acting modest or selfless,
when in fact you do not really feel those traits does not make you virtuous.”
The reason is because you are breaking another virtue which happens to be
honesty. There is a huge list of virtues that we should follow since they were
created by Greeks and other great thinkers but how can we follow these virtues
if sometimes the people that made them have fallen short of their own list? The
best answer for that is because virtue ethics just gives us a map on the best
ways to live our lives but it doesn't necessarily give us an exact direction on
how to do that. It is obvious that virtue ethics is old fashioned seeing as
though it is the oldest ethical system but it is important in recent years
among media and ethics. These characteristics or virtues are what makes a
human.
Virtue-based ethics
broken down
There are two virtue-based ethics, known as the Golden Rule which
is described as doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Before
reading this chapter I had a different perspective of what the Golden Rule was.
I always thought the golden rule was a person’s most valuable rule that they
will always follow no matter what situation they are in. The book mentions a
good example when it says that “By treating the person with respect and dignity
and asking yourself if you would want to be treated in the same way in that
situation.” My parents always stressed this method to me because this will
allow you to not have a problem with anyone and it makes life a lot easier. The
other ethic is the Golden Mean which is one of the oldest ethical principles. Applying
the Golden Mean to journalism would involve people trying to find balance and
fairness among all sides of an issue. This must not be mistaken by giving each
side the same amount of importance but rather judging which side is more important.
I really agree with you when you say that character is a very important part of the system of ethical reasoning. Your character is everything you are and portray and it tells people a lot about who you are as a person. If you say you are one person, but your character shows differently it tells a lot about that person. It is interesting that we share some of the same virtues. I think I am very responsible too because I also had to grow up fast. I think when any teenager goes to college you really have to learn how to adapt quickly and live without depending on your parents for everything. That is a quality everyone's character should have. I also agree with you when you said that the media only focuses on people with bad moral character. They essentially want to get a story that will attract people's attention, and in today's society that is all bad press. I wish the media and press highlighted and acknowledged more people that do good for our world instead of people that are constantly doing bad. This was a very well written post and I think you did a great job!
ReplyDeleteAn individual’s attitudes and perspectives are directly correlated with how they live their life. I completely agree with Shyheim in that if you are a negative person, it will have a negative impact on your lifestyle. When people are not good, they tear other people down to make themselves look good. When celebrities and other individuals of popularity mess up, the media focuses on covering those bad moments in that individual’s life. These “mess-ups” are what draws attention to any viewer’s eye, whether it is through a magazine, online, a news broadcast, or another form of media. Since the media knows that this is the news that will grab the most attention, they fuel the majority of their focuses on these stories. If I were a celebrity or someone of a high status, I would feel an extreme sense of anxiety and pressure placed upon myself because I would know that if and when I were to make a mistake, whether it be honest or accidental, it would be blown up by the news. I like that in this post you added your own personal perspective, rather than just quoting the book or a relatable website on the virtue ethics in journalism. It makes the blog post more interesting, personable, and desirable to read.
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