Thinking Ethically

After reading Thinking Ethically I learned about the five different approaches to resolving moral issues. I read about Utilitarian, Rights, Fairness/Justice, Common-Good, and Virtue. What stood out to me in the article was that facts alone are not enough the make good choices. Values are just as important when it comes to actions and decisions. This made sense to me because there are times where I choose the easiest option without thinking about the implications. The reading emphasizes that good choices are not about what works, but also whats right.

This connects to another article by Markkula Center called A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. This one gave steps to making choices, finding the issue, getting facts, and looking at options. When looking at options there were different lenses to use to ensure the best possible choice. For example the fairness lens means that you should do your share when being in a group and the common good lens means you should want to help others succeed. Both articles are supposed to remind people that ethics is more than thinking about yourself

On a larger scale, the world faces problems like poverty and inequality. These problems cannot be solved by facts alone. People need to think about values and do what is ethically right. The utilitarian way asks what helps the most people, while common good reminds us that we are all connected. By using these ideas, we can work towards a better world where society as a whole can work together.

University, Santa Clara. “Thinking Ethically.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-ethically/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.