1. Normative Ethics
1.1. Normative ethics is based off of one golden rule. Treat others the way you wish to be treated. In following this rule people may be able to easily classify different actions as morally right or wrong. If you don't want someone to attack you on the street, you should take that into account and also refrain from attacking others. This rule can be applied to all decisions in life as a way to ensure that all choices being made are on the side of good.
1.1.1. Stealing
1.1.1.1. The Craziest Theft Story Happened to My Best Friend on a Delta Flight Yesterday - Angelina Travels
1.1.1.1.1. In the Seven Laws of Noah, law five is do not steal. In this blog post, a girl shares her story of how a man behind her on a plane stole her laptop and claimed it was his when he was confronted. In the post the girl shares that she felt incredibly uneasy and confused the whole time because she knew it was her laptop but the man refused to confess his actions. Stealing is typically viewed as a bad thing, and in most cases it is. No one wants their belongings stolen so based on normative ethics they shouldn't steal from others either. I think in the case of the blog post, the man was very much in the wrong for stealing the laptop and then lying about it. If the roles had been reversed he would have been furious at the girl so he should have been more empathetic and not stolen in the first place. In this situation if I were the man, I wouldn't have taken the laptop and put it in my bag. Instead I would have waited until it was safe, given it to her and let her know it had slid back to my seat.
1.1.2. Generosity
1.1.2.1. These teenagers have done something amazing to help the homeless this Christmas
1.1.2.1.1. In the Anishinaabe Seven Grandfather Teachings, the sixth tool is Miigwe’aadiziwin (Generosity). This teaching tool states that "You have the ability to give things away and distribute what you have". If you are fortunate enough to have money or items to spare, you should share with others who are less fortunate than you. Using normative ethics to analyse this is very useful, If I were less fortunate and were given something to help me then I would be incredibly grateful so it would be moral of me to give to others when I do have that privilege. I chose to look at an article about a group of teenagers that put together care packages and gave them out as presents to the homeless population around their area. I think that this is a great idea and an honourable act of kindness.
2. Applied Ethics
2.1. Applied ethics branches off of ethics and focuses on moral problems in personal life, professions, technology and government. The applied ethics questions would typically be more controversial and show up more commonly in everyday life.
2.1.1. Keeping your promises
2.1.1.1. When Your Teen Lies About Drug Use | The Ranch TN
2.1.1.1.1. Making a promise to someone has lost its meaning in this generation. In the ten commandments of the Qur'an, the ninth commandment states that one must fulfill their promises especially those made in the name of God. The example chosen for this is an article on the challenges of children lying about drug use. I chose this because unlike some other broken promises, this one can be argued from both sides. A teen who is using drugs will most likely refrain from telling their guardians and they will try to hide it. If a guardian asks if they're using the child will most likely answer with a "no". If your child promises that they aren't using drugs but they are, is it unethical for them to have made that promise? In my opinion I think it is unethical. I can certainly see why most kids will try to hide these activities from their parents but I think that breaking this promise causes more harm than good. A parent will usually always have their child's best interest in mind, so for them to be unaware of the rebellious things going on behind the scenes isn't a good idea. Also, making a promise such as "I promise I will make spaghetti for dinner tonight" can be broken due to circumstances, if something is preventing that person from making spaghetti the situation would, in my opinion, remain ethical. In the case of promising you're not doing drugs when you are, I'd say this is more lying since you know while making the promise that you do in fact do drugs. In this situation, I would probably try to be honest with my parents.
2.1.2. Do not commit adultery
2.1.2.1. Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith set the record straight on affair rumors
2.1.2.1.1. In the ten commandments of the Christian bible, "thou shalt not commit adultery" is one of the rules. The real life example I've chosen to discuss is the scandal between Jada Pickett Smith and Will Smith. After years of a seemingly loving and happy relationship, Jada confessed to cheating on Will. The two of them sat down for an interview and discussed the details of the affair and confirmed that no matter what they are happy in their "bad marriage for life". I think that unless there has been an agreement between partners where one or both of them can see other people, adultery is not ever an ethical action. Creating a strong bond with someone and establishing trust then breaking it by seeing someone else is definitely a cruel move and is never okay. Again, if you've been granted permission by your partner I think that's a different scenario and it could be ethical but the act of secretly cheating isn't. I don't think I could ever do this to someone I've been in a relationship with, it seems like a very cruel and selfish thing to do.
3. Metaethics
3.1. Metaethics essentially questions whether or not there are moral facts. Can actions be classified as morally right or wrong and how can that be properly proven? Metaethics looks deeper into how people justify actions based on a moral code that hasn't been confirmed or justified. What is it that makes people think certain things are right and wrong? Is Morality personal or is there a strict line between what is considered acceptable and not?
3.1.1. Is murder ever ethical?
3.1.1.1. Teen acquitted of manslaughter after Ontario court finds he acted in self-defence
3.1.1.1.1. "Thou shalt not kill" is expressed in the ten commandments taken from the Christian bible. This implies that to follow Christian practices, you would believe that killing is not moral. Of course it makes sense to say that killing someone is a morally wrong thing to do but the situation gets very difficult in situations like the one in this article. In this situation, a young teen was attacked by 5 men while walking home. He was hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat and fell to the ground. The gun he was carrying fell from his pocket. He managed to grab the gun as self defence, firing a bullet at his attackers and killing one of them. In this situation, should he have refrained from shooting in order to follow what is classified as morally correct? His life was in danger and he had a way of protecting himself, is it unjustified for him to have used it? I believe that in this situation it was the right thing for the young teen to defend himself. Maybe shooting the criminal to the point of death could have been avoided but in the moment he did what he felt would protect himself.
3.1.2. Do you always have to be kind to your parents?
3.1.2.1. Child Abuse and Why Youth Run Away: How to Recognize Child Abuse and Prevent Against Runaways | National Runaway Safeline
3.1.2.1.1. In the ten commandments from the qur'an it is said that by following them leads you on the divine path. For this example, I didn't choose any type of article but instead decided to pick an organization called the National Runaway Safeline. This organization helps youth who are dealing with toxic households and facing any type of abuse from parents or guardians. I chose this as my example because typically children are supposed to obey and respect their parents but in situations where the parents aren't providing a safe and healthy household, a child shouldn't have to stay silent. In an abusive household where a family practices Islam, a child shouldn't feel as though speaking to someone about their situation would be defying their beliefs. The Qur'an states that "parents must be honored and thanked for all the sacrifices that they make for their children" and that "The children who neglect or ignore the rights of their parents are deprived of their own reason and decency". I personally believe that in most cases, yes this is a good rule to live by; however in a house where a child's life is being threatened or they are in danger, showing respect to their abusers isn't the right thing to do.