Monday, May 9, 2016

Do we generally use reason or emotion (or other wok) to make ethical decisions? Which one should we use?

I'm not good with choosing sides. Do we base our decisions off of our emotions or reasoning? Ethics may seem emotionally motivated, I mean, why would we make an entire system based on feelings of sentimental values otherwise? However, there are fringes of logic in every socially acceptable moral value. If we were to see every issue through an emotionally-motivated lens, it would be difficult (and at times, impossible) to comprehend why there are multiple views regarding a single issue; however, with logic, we are able to reach compromise, (hopefully) understand why someone may think a certain way, and even change our opinions. Without logic, we wouldn't see progression in society, as all our emotionally-driven decisions would remain static. However, it's easier to appeal to someone from an emotional standpoint than a logical one. Our reasoning is individualized but emotion is a common ground we all share, and through this, we are able to exploit it to ignite change. 

This isn't to say that there aren't certain cases where a person makes an ethical decision (ethical in this situation meaning that it doesn't hurt any living creature or break any laws) using only logic or only reason. For example, if I decide to marry an ugly old rich man with a horrible personality, that decision is logical because I want to be financially secure while engaging in as little work as possible. I clearly didn't choose to marry him because I feel any emotional attachment to him. However, if I decide that a movie is sad, there isn't any reasoning behind that, it's simply the way I feel. But more often than not, more complex ethical decisions use a mix of logic and emotion. 

So, is there a correct way to make decisions? Again, I'm not good with choosing sides. Whether to be ruled by logic or emotion is determined on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes it's both, sometimes it's neither. There's no true way to determine how someone can make decisions because we're not that person. There's no way to calculate every single consequence stemming from a single decision. Just go with the flow, man.

1 comment:

  1. I agree that ethics is a blend of reason and emotion. Additionally, I think that knowing what is right and what is wrong is somewhat intuitive because my memory fails to provide me a time at which I was strictly lectured about moral and ethical codes. Ultimately, I think we as humans need to use multiple ways of knowing to fully process a situation or outcome in order to determine an ethical viewpoint.

    ReplyDelete