The Value Of Making Ethical Decisions

Throughout history, men and women have often times used their morals or values to guide them in their ethical decision making. These ethical decisions can be made due to one’s moral compass and personal values. For many individuals, this is motivated by one’s religious beliefs as is the case in Bill McKibben’s loving article “A Modest Proposal to Destroy Western Civilization as we know it”.

In other circumstances, a more secular sense of morality is the driving force behind one’s ethics as is the case in Mary Arguelles’ article of selflessness “Money for Morality”. By analyzing these works, one can confirm that the ethical decisions made by these people is one born of their own morals or values. In “A Modest Proposal to Destroy Western Civilization as we know it”, author Bill McKibben reminisces on a Christmas celebration with his family. If there were any one adjective to describe this compelling story, it would be loving. McKibben’s church has lead sermons on how commercialism and profits have tainted the spirit of the holiday. “Christmas, it turns out, is a bulwark of the nation's economy” (McKibben p. 179).

So, to return to the roots of the metaphorical Christmas tree, he decides to spend no more than $100 on the holiday. His children did not get everything on their Christmas lists but they did get to spend time with their loving family doing activities that encourage togetherness. McKibben’s faith in his Christian religion is what drove him to this radical but loving experience. “The church leadership voted to urge parishioners not to spend more than $100 per family on presents, to rely instead on simple homemade gifts and on presents of services--a back rub, stacking a cord of firewood” (McKibben p. 2).

His morals and values that were shared by the United Methodist Church that he attended are what affected him to make this ethical decision. In “Money for Morality”, Mary Arguelles discusses an instance where a young student found an envelope with $600 within it. Instead of keeping it for himself, he selflessly returns it to the bank so the rightful owner of the money can do with it what they please. For his selflessness, he was rewarded $3 by the owner. The boy’s teachers did not think this reward was enough and gathered $150 for their student as his reward. While this may seem like an act of selflessness on the teacher’s behalves, this author raises some concerns over the morality of the situation. Arguelles argues that the $3 was sufficient enough and that one should not seek a monetary reward for a good deed like the one of the boy. She continues in her argument by discussing her son asking for a cash reward for good grades. “I don’t know how many times my 13-year-old son has told me about classmates who received $10 for each A they receive on their report cards …

Whenever he approached me on this subject, I give him the same reply, “Doing well is its own reward. The A just confirms that” (Arguelles p. 4). She believes that rewarding money for good behavior disparages the good nature of the gesture or effort. While, she does not seem to be motivated by a religious reason to hold these values; her ethical decision to raise her son differently seems to be formed by her own secular morals that good deeds should be done out of selflessness not greed. In conclusion, one can learn from analyzing these articles that one’s values and personal morality are key components when in moments of making ethical decisions. “A Modest Proposal to Destroy Western Civilization as we know it” is an article that fought consumerism with love.

“Money for Morality” is an article that shined a much needed light on the darkness of a world in dire need of selflessness. Both of these authors used their values and morals in their decisions to form the most ethical choice in their own opinion. For McKibben, that ethical choice was to spend more time with his loving family by way of activity and cute, homemade gifts. For Arguelles, her ethical choice was to raise her son to be selfless by instilling a sense of pride in good deeds instead of monetary reward.