What I learned in Ethics class and Common Relations really opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about right and wrong. The class was exactly what I needed as a criminal justice major - it gave me practical tools I could use in my future career. This essay explores my key takeaways from the class, highlighting the concepts that resonated most with me personally. I'll discuss how the course expanded my ethical understanding beyond my parents' teachings, share what fascinated me most, and outline my newly developed code of ethics that will guide my actions at home, work, and as a citizen. Before this class, my ethical viewpoint was limited, but now I see the broader implications of moral choices in criminal justice and everyday life.
First and foremost, each module contained valuable information. However, I was most interested in the first two modules. Module 1 set the foundation, so I thought it was an important start. I learned about Justice Professionals and their need to use discretion, authority, and power. This includes judges, parole boards, parole officers, and police officers, to name a few. Each Justice Professional has their own challenges and must decide when and how to use their discretion, authority, and power. When dealing with criminals, ethical behavior is a must. Michael Braswell had five goals in the study of ethics, and they were as follows: one must become aware and open to ethical issues, develop criminal justice ethics, become more personally responsible, understand how the criminal justice system is engaged in the process of coercion, and finally, develop whole sight, which is the ability to explore with one's heart as well as one's mind. When applying the above to ethical dilemmas, you must first identify the facts, identify relevant values and concepts, decide what the most immediate ethical issue the individual is facing, and resolve the ethical dilemma by using an ethical system.
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In module 2, I learned how the principles of right and wrong structure the way everyone lives their lives. Thinking of morals in terms of an ethical pyramid was very easy to understand. The most important was moral judgment, and that was at the top of the pyramid. Without moral judgment, people are likely to do horrible things or turn a blind eye to other horrible things. The middle of the pyramid would be moral rules, which are the rules that guide us, and at the bottom of the pyramid would be the ethical system. I also learned about the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who said, according to my textbook, "Goodwill is the only thing that is intrinsically good, and duty is required behavior because it is necessary to ethics." I also learned about an English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, who believed humans are hedonistic, which means self-indulgence. Bentham is also regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism. "This view holds that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good." (Driver, 2014).
What was the most interesting was the disturbing video that was provided to me in my discussion board, which was an experiment that took place at Stanford University located down in the basement that was supposed to be recognized as the Stanford prison for a solid two weeks. The experiment was called "The Stanford Experiment." The mastermind of this experiment was Philip Zimbardo. The purpose of his experiment was to study social psychology to discover the extreme power controlled by college students. The college guys were randomly split between two groups; one group was deemed the guards, and the others were the prisoners. The experiment spun out of control, and the guards were abusing their power and incriminating the prisoners. For example, inmates were told to get naked and pile up on top of each other or have to put dresses on. The experiment was so absurd it only lasted a whole 6 days.
After taking this class, I have developed a personal code of ethics. I will always show love, always have positive vibes, always seek justice, always be brave and relax often. To be more specific, I will love everyone for who they are, I will never dwell on anything negative, I will always live by the laws of the land, I will not fear the unknown and I will relax when I am overwhelmed or I just need to catch a break because rushing always equals a larger mess.
Looking back at this ethics class, I learned way more than just book stuff - I got real tools I can use to make better choices. Before this class, I didn't really think about how complicated things could get, especially in criminal justice work. Now, I understand better how judges, officers, and other professionals have to make tough calls using their judgment, authority, and power. Learning about the ethical pyramid and moral judgment really changed how I think about right and wrong - it's not as simple as I used to believe. Most importantly, I learned not to jump to conclusions when facing tough situations but to really think them through first. These insights will guide both my personal conduct and my future criminal justice career, helping me make more ethical decisions when facing complex situations. The principles I learned about justice, power, and moral responsibility will stay with me as I move forward in my professional journey.
Bibliography
- Driver, J. (2014b, September 22). The History of Utilitarianism (Stanford Encyclopedia of
- Philosophy/Winter 2014 Edition). Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2014/entries/utilitarianism-history/
- Pollock, J. M. (2018). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice. In Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
- Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice, Seventh Edition (Ethics in Crime and Justice) - SILO.PUB. https://silo.pub/ethical-dilemmas-and-decisions-in-criminal-justice-seventh-edition-ethics-in-crime-and-justice.html
- Menor-Campos, D. J., Knight, S., Sánchez-Muñoz, C., & López-Rodríguez, R. (2019). Human-directed empathy and attitudes toward animal use: A survey of Spanish veterinary students. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2019.1621518
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