Shana Brett

5/24/17
ENGL 2116
Ethics in Technical Communication Response

Ethics can vary with different people and cultures. There are different guidelines for
each culture and/or religion. Ethics can be defined as a standards of behavior that tells us how
human beings ought to act. This is a general definition and it can mean different things to
different people.

The first article we read had different examples of types of ethics stemmed from different
approaches. Some of them I agree with and some I differ slightly on. One that I firmly agree with
would be the Utilitarian approach. This approach states that ethical action would be one that
provides the most good and does the least amount of harm. I think this should be true for all
actions for all people around the world. It provides a sense of peace and a method of always
doing what is best for others. I also agree with the fairness or justice approach where ethical
behavior is one that treats all human beings equally. I like this one because I believe that all
people should be equal and have equal opportunities and be treated in the same way. The final
approach that I readily agree with would be the virtue approach. This approach asks of the
individual: Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? This incorporates
the importance of good character including virtues of honesty, courage, compassion, generosity
and love.

All of this can be applied to our lives. Unfortunately things can get a little twisted in
the ways of sacred values. Certain religions can have sacred values that sanctify violence. The
article I read- How Sacred Values Influence our Behavior- highlighted how certain sacred values
can differ largely from others. Using the example of ISIS, they have certain values that sanctify
their violence because it is in the name of their god. Thereby justifying their horrible acts of
violence. They believe they are doing it for the good of their religion and that it is ethical
because it is in the name of god. However, from our point of view they are just terrible acts of
violence based on false beliefs that violate the code of ethics most of us hold to be true. Such as
murder is an evil act. Unfortunately these violent results are not solely because these people are
mentally ill. They are a result of their religions extreme beliefs that they hold to be sacred. This
is what motivates them to do their acts of violence with the misconception that it is for good. I do
Shana Brett
5/24/17
ENGL 2116
not understand how one could justify such acts of violence but because they are sacred values
that they hold near and dear to their heart it is a strong motivator to do what we believe is
ethically wrong.

Other religions have good codes of ethics like loving one another as yourself, being
selfless, forgiving and being peaceful. So there is some hope for the world. These examples show
how ethics can vary according to cultures and religions and how sacred beliefs define what we
think is ethical.