Final answer:
Applied ethics uses ethical principles to address moral dilemmas like breaking a promise or lying. The challenge lies in assessing the context and outcomes of actions, with theories like Kantian ethics and utilitarianism offering different justifications for such decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Applied ethics tackles the moral dilemmas we encounter in our daily lives, guiding our decision-making process by applying ethical principles. The essence of the dilemma involves prioritizing between conflicting duties, such as the perfect duty to never tell a lie verses an imperfect duty to avoid harming someone. For instance, Immanuel Kant emphasized that perfect duties, like truthfulness, are obligatory at all times, but real-life scenarios often challenge this absoluteness.
When considering whether it’s ever acceptable to break a promise or tell a lie, ethical theories offer varied justifications. Kant’s deontological ethics argue for adherence to moral maxims irrespective of consequences, while utilitarianism considers the greater good, potentially accepting lie if it leads to a better overall outcome. The Golden Rule suggests treating others as you would like to be treated, which can both support and conflict with other moral guidelines.
In scenarios where perfect and imperfect duties clash, ethical reasoning requires careful deliberation. For example, breaking a promise to pick up a friend due to an emergent need to save a stranger’s life with CPR reveals the necessity of context in ethical decision-making. Similarly, a government’s choice to lie for national security invokes debate over the bounds of ethical governance.