Everyday Ethics

Ethics typically involves trying to make difficult choices under less than ideal conditions. However, there is a language error that often takes place when we talk about ethics, and it creates the illusion that ethics is far more complicated than it truly is. Most ethical questions revolve around the resolution of some sort [...]

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As you have hopefully figured out, the subject of my writing is ethics, specifically utilizing the notion of “everyday ethics” to help us all figure out how to be better people than we are.  This assumes that we have some notion of what it means to be a better person, which is a sticky concept [...]

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We live in a very bizarre world where what we purchase has phenomenal moral implications, and we are often ignorant of the way in which what we buy affects the moral universe. The Enron scandal of a few years ago and the current outrage over Exxon’s continuously rising profits indicate that we do hold [...]

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As a concerned citizen who makes a conscious effort to adopt sustainable habits, I typically try to repair broken devices that I have already purchased, rather than simply replacing them with new versions of the same thing.  This is unfortunately a very risky process, as many repair shops are not terribly trustworthy, and oftentimes it [...]

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Moral decision-making can be characterized as an effort to balance the good of the individual with the good of society. It is only natural that most people struggle with this, as it is difficult to find a happy medium between two things that are important to us, and that we value highly. The [...]

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The upcoming presidential election has taken center stage, with regard to national news coverage, for the last several months.  I must admit, many aspects of this race were highly interesting to me, or at least that was the case when it all began.  The idea of the first female or minority candidate from a major [...]

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Many of us rely on a system of ethics when deciding the right thing to do in particular circumstances. In general, we tend to assume that whatever notion of ethics we have will apply across the board. However, a more thorough understanding of ethics requires that we recognize the relevant subcategories of our [...]

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Identity theft is a buzzword in our society.  Many policies and procedures are being adopted to try to deal with it, and people are now willing to go to great lengths and tolerate rather unbelievable conditions in order to protect themselves.  I have always found this to be a bit silly.  That is, until I [...]

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The weather is starting to get warm, and sunny days are causing many of us to break out our shorts, sandals, and other warm weather clothing. As a college student here in Colorado, I obviously attend classes with a large number of young women. The spring & summer has given rise to a [...]

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