Essay On Doing The Right Thing

Distinguish on ethical grounds between ‘doing what you think is right’ and ‘doing the right thing’. Explain with examples.
Every human being (by ricochet business, institution or government) has to bear the good and bad consequences of his acts. The bottom line is always to derive pleasure and happiness from a work well done or feel disgusted or aggrieved if things turn wrong. So there is always some kind of social, economic or professional pressure in the decision making process since the decided course of action greatly influence the end-result. Normally, every act should derive some form satisfaction. But the fundamental questions that arise is whether this satisfaction has been derived by doing the right thing, was it also the desired way

But a policeman may fine the driver for speeding first and then open the way for the car to reach the hospital urgently. The ordinary man ‘thinks of doing the right thing’ by scolding the driver at first, but finally ‘does the right thing’ ethically, by containing his anger towards the dangerous driving and showing compassion. The policeman ‘does the right thing’ ethically, by fining the speeding driver and ‘think of doing the right thing’ by opening the road passage even if it is to the detriment of other drivers and the fluid circulation.
A journalist ‘thinks to be doing the right thing’ by filming a politician’s son taking drugs. Politicians should give examples of good moral conduct. But portraying a child in such posture publicly is not the right thing to do. It is against the journalism code of ethics in favour of child protection deontology.

These examples all but suggest that the applicability of ethic principles may be relative to specific situation, time or place. It says nothing against such a principle being objectively valid in specific circumstances, or against the universal applicability of a more general principle like 'Do what increases happiness and reduces suffering.'
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