JUSTICE GIDEON

Old Dominion University

PHIL 355E

End of Course Reflection

Throughout my program of study, this course is one I have found challenging yet enlightening. With the rapid advancement of technology, there has been a revolution in how information is managed or shared. However, I have gained more insight into the need for appropriate behavior and a code of ethics for handling information and internet content. A year ago, I began working as a Vulnerability management Analyst for a company that contracts with the military. Having served in the military, I valued the importance of ethics, and the contents of this course changed some of my perspectives and highlighted some issues I had questions about.

The first topic I will cover is tools for moral reasoning. Though all the tools were very informative, I would like to focus on Deontology. This tool stands out to me because of its focus on the reasoning behind actions to determine if an action is right or wrong. I used to think doing what was right out of selfish reasons made sense because what was right had been achieved. Yet, this concept changed my views on that. Coming from the military seemed like the automatic choice when it was time for me to decide what I wanted to do in life. I didn’t join because I wanted to; I joined because it felt like the automatic choice. After all, it was a family legacy, and I wanted my parents to be proud of me. However, having studied this tool and how it applies to actions, I realized my motives were wrong. Joining the military wasn’t about my family. I should have joined out of respect for my country and family and my duty to protect and serve my country. That is what a morally right action will have been. I know the Deontology tool may seem uncompromising and a bit harsh to individuals in society. However, the biggest takeaway for me is the absolute duty to respect others irrespective of what we think about their motives or character, thus taking away our justification for wrongly being unfair to others. Because of this, I would like my future self to remember that there is no white lie. I cannot justify hiding the truth because I believe it will be beneficial.

Another topic we studied was the concept of whistleblowing. Whistleblowing puts individuals in both practical and ethical dilemmas, which can be argued on for ages depending on which side one views the act from. Though the act is debatable, I understand that whistleblowing can only be justified concerning its moral purpose. I have always been on the fence about the act of whistleblowing. Though I knew it was sometimes necessary, I thought whistleblowing meant one was disloyal to their colleagues and management. My solution was always to follow the chain of command if nothing was done. I kept quiet and moved on. However, this course changed my views on whistleblowing and made me realize that management and leaders owe me as much loyalty as I owe them. Institutions owe it to individuals to stand by their missions and the terms they agreed on, just as employees do. Vandekerckhove, in one of the readings, goes on to establish that loyalty and whistleblowing are organizational needs. Sometimes it is only through whistleblowing that management, decision-making individuals, and the public are alerted of what’s going wrong in an organization and what poses a threat to them. My biggest takeaway from this topic is not to go through work as a needed option but to hold myself accountable to the mission and vision of any institution I am employed in, just as I hold management accountable to those. Thus, I would like my future self to not skim over the mission and values of institutions but to know and abide by them and to speak up when the institution deviates from it and nothing is done to correct its actions.

The final topic I would like to cover is privacy. The readings and discussions in the course have deepened my stance on privacy. People deserve privacy and do not need to conform to outside pressure about what they want to say or share. I always have conversations with friends and family about how much information they share with the world on social media platforms. To them, big media corporations have systems in place and privacy laws that make them feel safe about what is shared. I don’t dispute that fact. Yet, if corporations like Equifax and Facebook have experienced being breached before, I am of the stance that individuals lose their privacy as any information is shared publicly. Also, since privacy cannot be guaranteed and may be breached, so we ought to be vigilant about what we say and share with other individuals and in public. We had different scenarios in different readings throughout the course where individuals’ privacy was breached, intentionally or unintentionally, and privacy laws were being stumbled upon. Thus, my biggest takeaway from this topic that I would like my future self to keep bearing in mind is that privacy is important. Even without sharing any information, my privacy has the potential to be invaded because of the personal information I use at school, work, and other areas. So, in my own way, I have to be vigilant and careful of what I say, post, or send to friends and family.