Everyday Ethics

As a graduate student at CSU, I’m a pretty busy guy most of the time.  In addition to multiple classes and working on a thesis, I also tutor undergraduates in philosophy, work as a teaching assistant for a world philosophies course, and I’m working on PhD applications.  On top of all that, I maintain this website and recently co-organized a philosophy conference at CSU.  That’s a lot of stuff to keep up with, and I occasionally get bogged down and lose sight of my priorities.

One substantial priority that can get lost in the scuffle is spending time with my wife.  Despite all the stuff mentioned above, this is, or at least ought to be, my number one priority.  Sometimes this means I wake up early and get work done so that we can hang out in the evening.  Other times it means passing on other activities and doing stuff with her.  Either way, spending time together is something that requires effort and attention.  It doesn’t just happen.

What does all this have to do with ethics?  Morality is a reflection of what we value, and values include priorities.  If I value time with my wife more than I value writing this blog, this suggests that in a situation where I have to pick one thing or the other, I ought to choose spending time with my wife.  We often find ourselves in trouble morally when our choices don’t reflect our value priorities.
Take the following example.  Let’s say your workplace is very lax in keeping an inventory of office supplies.  Many individuals take things home, and no one ever gets caught, because nobody is really paying attention.  Say your co-workers have noticed that you don’t ever participate in this activity, and they are concerned that you may blow the whistle on them.  They confront you as a group and demand that you steal something.  It will make them feel more at ease, and ensure that you are indeed “one of the gang.”

There are several priorities here that are relevant.  First, most people like to feel accepted by their co-workers, and nobody enjoys being perceived as the company snitch.  In addition, if people don’t trust you, it may make aspects of your job difficult where you have to work with these individuals, as there may be animosity or ill treatment associated with their lack of trust.  Hopefully you also prioritize honesty, which probably includes not stealing stuff even though you will get away with it.

This is a tough situation because there is a great deal of social pressure encouraging the theft, and many of the things you value would be satisfied by this act.  However, most people place a high priority on doing the right thing and being a decent person.  Perhaps this is optimistic, but I continue to hope that most people want to be good; they just don’t know how to do it.  In any event, although this situation is value-laden, some of the most important values involved are self-development and personal integrity.

Here we have a direct parallel to the prioritizing of time with my wife.  The situation involves many things that I value, but one value is clearly most important, and the prioritizing of values helps make it clear what ought to be done.  Sometimes doing the right thing can be as simple as answering the question “Which of these things is most important?”

About the Author

Elijah Weber is a graduate student at Bowling Green State University. He holds a Master's degree in philosophy from Colorado State University, and Bachelor’s degrees in sociology and philosophy from Chapman Univerity. He currently lives in Bowling Green, Ohio with his wife Laura, his newborn son Brandon, and his feline life-partner Monte.