Navigating Moral Complexities: A Course Reflection

Abstract

Course name Instructor’s name Assignment due date Final Reflection Paper on Theories and Topics Covered in the Course Taking this course has helped me understand what it means to be moral and the importance of morality in maintaining a stable structure in the society. I believe I should always strive to be moral because my actions define who I am and affect the safety of other people in my community. The materials, discussions, and films in this course been an opportunity for me to reflect on my views on morality based on core principles in the subject. I had the opportunity to learn the concept of morality from different perspectives from the readings and respond to discussion posts on important aspects of moral decision-making in the real world. Watching films involving making moral decisions made me realize the complexity of morality and how conflicted people can become when making difficult choices. I was enriched by reading materials from this course and I leant that being moral means living with integrity, compassion, and honesty, even when no one is watching. It also involves taking responsibility for my choices, apologizing when I am wrong, and repairing the harm I cause in the world. As I reflect on the material from this unit, I recognize that studying ethics has both challenged and enriched my perspective about what it truly means to live morally. I was particular challenged by the concept of moral relativism and how it affects an individual’s view on morality. Moral relativism argues that moral judgments are influenced by cultural, societal, or personal standpoints rather than being universal truths (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2014). This idea challenged me because I often believed that right and wrong were definitive truths applicable in all situations. However, reading about moral relativism helped me understand that cultural norms, religion, and upbringing contribute to how people interpret morality. For example, something that might be considered disrespectful in one culture could be a sign of respect in another. When interacting with people from other cultures, it is necessary to learn about their values and how their community demonstrates respect. I find the concept of moral relativism critical in the modern diverse workplace where we are bound to work alongside people from different social and cultural backgrounds. This realization taught me to be more open-minded and less judgmental when understanding other people’s actions and values. Another important concept that enriched my thinking is how moral doctrines create standards for applying principles in morality. One of the doctrines is utilitarianism, which promotes doing what brings the greatest good for the greatest number of people. I connected this idea to my role as a special education assistant where my decisions may have different outcomes for individual students. Every day, I make choices that affect not just one student but the entire classroom environment. Applying utilitarian thinking helps me consider how my decisions impact others and reminds me that morality often requires balancing different outcomes. Sometimes, being moral isn’t about doing what’s easy but about doing what benefits the most people in the long run. The concept of duty ethics or deontology, which emphasizes moral obligations regardless of the outcome, also resonated deeply with me. Thiroux and Krasemann (2014) explain that duty-based ethics focuses on acting from a sense of moral duty rather than self-interest. This aligns with how I try to approach my personal and professional life. For example, I assist students not just because it’s my job, but because I feel a moral responsibility to support their growth and dignity. Duty ethics reminds me that morality involves doing the right thing because it is right, even when no one acknowledges it. I also found the concept of virtue ethics powerful because it focuses on building good character rather than following strict rules. According to Thiroux and Krasemann (2014), virtue ethics emphasizes developing habits such as courage, kindness, and honesty to become a virtuous person. This approach feels more personal and lifelong, as it encourages me to continually practice and grow. I now see that being moral isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress and consistent effort to become better. Practicing patience, forgiveness, and humility are ways I try to strengthen my moral character daily. Another major idea from this unit is understanding the role of rules in morality. In one of the discussions, I was challenged to think about the extent to which rules and the freedom to adapt to particular situations define morality. I believe that human beings need rules in order to be moral because rules create a structure that helps us distinguish right from wrong. Without them, morality could become inconsistent, and people might excuse harmful actions if they feel it benefits them. For example, laws against theft or violence serve as universal reminders of fairness and respect, ensuring that society does not fall into chaos. While rules create social structure and define the standards of behavior in the society, they do not explain all aspects of morality in every situation. I don’t think morality can be reduced to a list of rigid rules since free will to adapt behavior to different situations is sometimes necessary. Life constantly presents situations where compassion and context matter more than strict adherence. For instance, I might choose kindness over brutal honesty if telling the truth would cause unnecessary harm. In that case, I’m not abandoning morality, but rather applying it in a way that respects the humanity of the person in front of me. For me, true morality is a balance between the order provided by rules and the freedom to adapt our behavior to unique situations. Thiroux and Krasemann (2014) explain that moral systems should combine the stability of rules with the flexibility of individual freedom, allowing both order and compassion to guide moral choices. If we relied only on rules, morality would feel cold and rigid; but if we relied only on freedom, it could become chaotic and self-serving. The blend of both is what helps us live responsibly while still honoring the complexities of human life. I was enriched by the role of emotions and feelings in shaping moral systems. When I think about morality, it’s not just about rules and logic; it’s also about how our choices affect people emotionally. Feelings like empathy, compassion, and guilt often guide me when I’m deciding what’s right or wrong. If I see someone in pain, it’s my emotional response that pushes me to act, even before I stop to analyze the situation logically. Without those feelings, morality would feel detached, more like following a checklist than genuinely caring about others. However, emotions alone can’t always guide us. Sometimes our feelings can be misleading or biased, and that’s where moral reasoning and reflection balance things out. Thiroux and Krasemann (2014) explain that morality is strongest when both emotion and reason work together. Emotions connect us to the human side of moral decisions, while rational thinking helps us make fairer and more consistent choices. In this way, feelings are not separate from morality, they are at the heart of it, reminding us why moral principles matter in the first place. When reading materials from this unit, I was challenged to think about the concept of virtue and Aristotle’s belief that moral character is something developed through habit and deliberate choice rather than something people are born with. According to Thiroux and Krasemann (2014), virtue is practiced and strengthened over time, much like a skill. This idea resonated with me deeply because I have seen how people, including myself, grow morally through life experiences, education, and reflection. I used to think that some people were just “naturally good,” but now I understand that virtue is something we must work toward every day. One of the discussions challenged me to express my personal experience on how people are taught to be virtuous. My family and my work in education have been the main source of values. As a special education assistant, I witness children learning empathy, patience, and respect, virtues that are modeled by adults around them. These experiences reinforce the idea that moral behavior is not instinctive but taught. Teaching moral reasoning in schools, modeling ethical behavior, and encouraging empathy are ways we can help others develop virtue ethics in real life. Participating in the discussion threads made me realize the significant role that educators have in influencing motility in the society. This understanding has challenged me to be more intentional about the example I set for students and even for my own children. Another concept that made a strong impact on me is moral absolutes and how it affects how we judge actions as moral or immoral. When I studied the idea that some actions are always wrong, no matter the situation, I thought about the discussion around the rule, “rape is always wrong.” Thiroux and Krasemann (2014) explained that some rules can be considered “near absolutes,” where there may be exceptions to how they apply based on the circumstances. When responding to the discussion question, I felt that rape is a true absolute because it always violates human dignity and freedom. Reflecting on this made me realize how important it is to uphold universal moral principles that protect others’ rights. In my view, there can be no exceptions to the rule against rape because it involves force, domination, and emotional trauma. I was enriched by the concept of absolute rules since I examined an issue that is fundamental to individual rights and respect for other people’s dignity. Rape strips away a person’s autonomy, which goes against the foundation of ethics and respect for others under any circumstance. Understanding absolutism reminded me that while some moral decisions depend on context, others like respect for consent and human safety, should never be compromised. This has enriched my thinking because I now see the balance between moral flexibility and the need for unbreakable ethical boundaries. I was challenged by the purpose in the society and the different roles they play in the justice system. Our discussions about the justice system and punishment were also eye-opening on the issue of punishment and its foundation in the system of justice. I learned that punishment serves the purposes protecting the society, delivering justice, and...