Axel Llamas

Ms. O’Keefe, Mr. Kelly

American Literature

22 March 2018

Human nature is a complicated topic when speaking about ethics. Ethics are the reasonings

behind what makes an action “good” or “bad.”Justice, however, is the verdict accumulated by a

group of people regarding if consequences have been placed upon bad actions. Justice is

achieved by determining the ethics of a person’s actions, the accused in a court case for example.

The following rules follow a consequentialist framework because they are duties that must be

followed to ensure the most good.

Firstly, it is critical that people follow the primary rule to be considered ethical: Do No

Harm. If people avoid doing harm, whether it be physical, emotional, or mental, then the most

good could be procured. When people cause harm, several consequences occur. The other people

may lose trust and respect, or they will succumb to fear and lose their humanity. These outcomes

can be avoided by staying clear from any form of harm.

First impressions are a fundamental aspect of human interaction and it creates the character

that people view each other as. Speaking honestly creates a sense of security and trust among

individuals or groups of people. If people speak honestly, trust would be ensured and their

intentions would be clear so that conflicts do not erupt among the people. Thus, the second rule,

speaking honestly, ensures that ethical actions are taken.

 The third rule that creates a “good person” is to respect others. Granting respect of others

allows the individuals to speak their minds and not be harassed or critically judged by people. If

respect is given during a conflict, the parties of the conflict could settle disputes without

engaging in violent actions, unethical actions.

The next rule follows the previous rule. Negotiating, understanding, and resolving

conflicts peacefully is a key to being a good person. Following this rule would prevent conflicts

from blowing up out of proportion and escalating to more violent results. Listening carefully

allows you to consider the other person’s point of irew and the two or more individuals or groups

that participate in the conflicts could create a negotiation or compromise, all while avoiding

negative consequences. This could also prevent wars from occurring throughout the world.

Most inconspicuous conflicts occur when an individual or group vandalize and plunder items

from business outlets. The fifth rule aims to settle this dilemma, which is: Do not steal.

Although this rule focuses on minor crimes, it also affects more severe conflicts such as armed

robbery, which has the potential of hurting people. Eliminating thievery helps reduce violence in

communities and creates neighborhoods with better credibility for people to raise the property

values so that gaps between the suburbs and ghettos is removed. In other words, preventing the

theft of items of any grandeur could create positive outcomes for all.

Most, if not all, conflicts fueled by anger or rage aren’t resolved because people rely on their

actions rather than their minds. Explaining your reasoning calmly helps end conflicts when
combined with rule four. This can also help others understand why certain actions were taken

and it is a step to being ethical to see if your actions were right.

One of the most common causes of prolonged conflicts is that people blame each other for

their actions and lie about who is the true culprit. Assuming responsibility would remove that

aspect and certain actions could be taken to provide justice. Eliminating the court decision by

potentially biased people could help create a better outcome considering the culprit would

already be known and they would accept the consequences that follow.

Similar to rule three, respect others, the following rule is also critical to being a good person.

In order to successfully be considered “good,” one must treat others equally. Many devastating

conflicts, such as the Holocaust, arise because some people believe that they are superior than

other races, genders, etc. If people treat each other equally, they can be sympathetic to each other

and ensure that conflicts are not created that could harm each other, or themselves.

The ninth rule is quite simple: Avoid cruelty. Preventing yourself from committing any acts

of violence and cruelty would label you as a good person because you are providing a positive

outcome for the people in the community and for all other people as well. As an individual, it is a

person’s obligation to make the most good without acting bad.

Finally, most actions committed against people are through the free will of the culprit,

regardless of the recipient’s decisions. The final rule, gather consent, ensures that the people are

aware of the consequences and the conditions of actions. This also prevents hidden intentions
from working because the people would only consent to what they know. All these rules are put

into place to ensure that the most good is procured while preventing bad actions to be seen as

ethical choices.

The list of rules was created by establishing general ideas that are known by people as natural

duties, ideas that we should follow universally. Then the rules were narrowed down to specific

aspects that affect certain situations to ensure that the rules complement each other rather than

contradict. During the creation of the rules, some rules had contradicted each other or they had

no relevance in being ethical actions. Several rules were added and some were omitted because

they did not work right.

If I followed these rules, my life would be filled with positivity and I would be seen as a good

person with a reputation of doing good deeds. Friends would come naturally and fear would not

take much root in my life. Family would be proud and people would enjoy my company, and

trust me. If everyone lived by these rules, happiness would be widespread and everyone would

live in harmony without conflicts. All differences could be fixed immediately and the world

would be peaceful.

Works Cited

“Brown University.” A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions | Science and Technology
Studies, www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-

ethical-decisions.