Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice

Everyone has the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice,
whereby one maintains the freedom to choose,
and the freedom to take what they believe is an ethical action,
within the constraints of the law.

An ethical choice is based on one's sense of morality,
an individual belief of good and bad, right or wrong.
Since belief is personal and subjective,
one's ethics and consequential actions may differ from another person.

Besides one's personal ethics, choice is constrained by social norms.
18th century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau called these norms:
"the social contract."
Rousseau stated, "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains." 
The philosopher Hobbes believed the social contract is a necessity.
He suggested that self-interest within rationality and reason is the mechanism of decision and choice.
Actions may also be constrained by laws.



This right is supported by


54 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right that everyone has their own choices they can make in their life but I also agree that the choices are governed both by social norms and the law. People have the right to make their own choices, as long as they are not hurting another person or living being in return. Rousseau's quote is interesting, but a perfect one to describe this right. Everyone is free, but as people grow and learn, they are tied down to either laws or rules or the social norms.

BS

Anonymous said...

I agree with the first commenter, we all have the right to choose and do what we please, but there are rules and things that need to be followed. Some things like tricking people into things they don't want to do or manipulating others while knowing they can get hurt. These examples are thing people shouldn't do although they would like too. Yet at the same time we all have the right to do what we please when we want too. Cd884

Anonymous said...

The right to Ethical and Voluntary choice, is what makes us unique as a person. The right, is what gives to our own individual person. I believe, as long as people are following the law, they should always be able to have the right to Ethical and Voluntary choice.
Robert M. Pino

Anonymous said...

I support the Right. I believe everyone has the free will to choose what is right or wrong according to their own morality point of view as long as they follow the rules, laws or regulations set by society.
Cyn.U

Anonymous said...

Everyone has the right and freedom to make their own choices according to what they believe. Still, there are laws and norms citizens must abide that may constrain them. We might question our freedom at times due to these laws, but I believe it is better this way, because without them, the human race would be a destructive one.
-A.Q-

Anonymous said...

The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice only applies to free countries such as the United States. Americans, or other free countries may take this for granted. I believe in the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice as long as it does not do any harm to another person. In order to truly appreciate this right, one must take a look at other countries and the way they govern ethics and voluntary choice.
~TP~

Anonymous said...

Sometimes laws have to be put to the side and ethical choices made as a better good for the whole cause. During Katrina, choices were made by healthcare workers that ended up costing the lives of some patients to save others with a better chance to survive once resources were freed up. Everyone has the right to ethical and voluntary choice, but everyone has to understand they run the risk of being a victim of that right on the day decisions HAVE to be made.
http://www.hopkins-cepar.org/bin/m/h/Lifeboat_Ethics.pdf
CTK

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to ethical right, everyone should have ethics, and we all have the right to do and say as we please, it’s part of being an American, but in other countries they don’t have this right, and I think we take it for granted. Law’s are placed for a reason and we must obey them, as long as your not hurting anyone. We all have choices and make our own decisions. Just as long as your not hurting one or doing to for bad intentions then its okay. AFF

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to Ethical and Voluntary choice, but this right depends on the individual. Let us look at what is Ethics. It is described as what is moral, but who decides if something is moral or not? An example of this is abortion. It is right for a woman to have an abortion because women have the right to make decisions about their own reproductive systems, and they should have the power to exercise this right regardless of government policy. However it is also right not to have an abortion because it is ending a life, and the child does not have a choice. Both sides have the right to ethical and voluntary choice but which one is correct? RR

Anonymous said...

I believe in the right to ethical and voluntary choice. Everyone should be able to have the option to make their own choices, as long as they are not hurting anyone,and doesn't break the law. It will be great if all the countries in the world recognize that right. Our planet may be a greatest place to live. That freedom of choice could help accomplish many things for our society. cjj

Anonymous said...

I believe in the right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice and would hope that everyone would make the right choices in life. Unfortunately, some humans have a blurry sense of what is right and wrong. What they may see as ethical may be completely against the law. But it is nice to know we have the right to choose and for those who choose unethical choices will inevitably be stopped by the law. JENS

Anonymous said...

Everyone should have the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice. We have freedom of choice but not everyone uses his or her freedom for the benefit of others. It is not always about us but for the greater good of all. DS

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to ethical and voluntary choice. However, sometimes choices based on one's sense of morality can be biased. That is why there are laws so there are limits to the morals of each individual. GIM

Anonymous said...

Everyone should have the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice. We have freedom of choice but not everyone uses his or her freedom for the benefit of others. It is not always about us but for the greater good of all. DS

Anonymous said...

Everyone has the right to ethical choice. Even though it would vary from person to person, we all have a sense of morality. This suggests that we all put constrains within ourselves. Whether it be from social norms, or by laws. We each decide what will restrict our ethical choices, and what won't. The choice and constrains all lie within ourselves.
-PCR.

Anonymous said...

"The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice" is pretty much like a "god given right", i say "god given" as a figure of speach, natural born rights. We all have them and we all have the power to use it to what ever extreme we want, but the bottom line is that one must be willing to accept the consequence if it falls out of the present society's rules.

-YODA

Anonymous said...

I believe that everyone has the right to make their own decisions but we should also respect the rights of others to do so as well. This not only touches upon our rights but also the responsibility that comes with having these rights. Maintaining these rights and peace is a results of us respecting others while respecting ourselves. This allows our personal benefits to become universal. -GLT

Anonymous said...

I believe Rousseau's statement "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains" describes how society works very accurately. We are brought into this world unrestricted by laws and rule but are quickly bound by our own sense of morality or the morality taught to us by our parents. These chains dictate our every action. Not because our sense of morality tells us it’s wrong but rather avoidance of punishment and castigation.

R.A.T. Jr.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to ethical and voluntary choice. Everyone should make whatever choice they want so long as no one is hurt in the procedure. It is true that most of our choices are governed by social norms and the law, however, I believe that our choices are mainly governed by our own conscience, which has developed to fit in to the social norms and the law. When ever we make a choice, most of us will think of what will happen and what consequences there might be, if any.
M.D.L.

Anonymous said...

Evryone does have the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice, now the problem is when us as human beings start acting stupid and inrresponsible, meaning we think that we are always right and that whatever we do is the right thing to do. There has to be some sort of laws andrestrains to everything we do because they are there to remind us about what is really right and wrong. Laws are sometimes a bit harsh but remember if there is a law for it is because someone has already abused this right. We make mistakes as humans beings and these mistakes hurt others therefore as philosopher Ousseau said, "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains" this is because man has aboused of this right too many times and need it this restrains. CMP

Anonymous said...

I agree that we have the right to ethical and voluntary choice. But ethics differ from person to person, so there really isn't any way to say that one person is doing something unethical or ethical. At the same time we must always consider cultural and social norms. Depending on what country or what culture you are a part of social norms are already set and these norms layout the path to say what is and isn't ethical.

C.Munoz

Anonymous said...

I stand by the right to ethical and voluntary choice. At the end of the day everyone’s dreams are to be happy. Therefore everyone should be able to choose and make his or her own decisions. I wish the world were more like the United States. In my opinion we are all humans trying to live in peace why does someone always have to make it difficult. Man should be free an able to make their own choices for themselves. I think were pretty lucky to be living in the U.S.A we have many opportunities that other countries don’t. We should continue to fight for our rights and never let anyone take them away.

SB

Anonymous said...

I agree with the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice. Jacques Rousseau made a very good point by stating that social norms are what ties a free man down. During our childhood our parents and teachers teach us the difference between the good and the bad, the right and the wrong. As we continue to grow and learn we realize that we cannot do everything we may want to do because it might not be an ethical choice or that action may be punishable by law. -KKP

Anonymous said...

I agree with The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice.I believe we all should have the rights and freedom to make our own choices and decisions.I think as long as we follow the law and remain civil our choices will be positive.JP

Anonymous said...

I think we all are free to do as we please but at the same time we do have laws made by us for us because we all have come to agree on a basis of what is right and what is wrong. Social norms are like unofficial laws that are not written but the majority of the people in that environment agree with. It is almost as if together we have a natural instinct of things we choose to label right or wrong and we live by them. When choices clash between people in a population, agreements, laws, or norms come in to level us out.
-LZ

Anonymous said...

I agree with one to have the right of free choice; but I disagree with Rousseau. His philosophy is interesting and very romantically described; but I feel it would not function properly in our society. We are all not equal, we all do not think, act, or feel the same. We all have not had the same upbringing, culture, beliefs, or norms; an action, feeling, or opinion, might be acceptably right for one and might be unacceptably wrong to another. The reason for our laws, social norms, our societal rules are for one reason and one reason only, protection. It is to make things run efficient, have control, have rules and regulations. If we all lived based on Rousseau’s philosophy there would be revolution.
KP

muaath alheji said...

As Jean Jacques Rousseau stated "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains." We are indeed born free. We humans don't like to be controlled by other people's choices or beliefs. We have the right to make our choices in life as long as we are not offending and effecting anybody, therefore, we are constraint with respecting other people's beliefs. M.A. (Muaath Alheji)

Anonymous said...

I support the Right. I believe for this Right is why many of us have left behind our family and traditions to immigrate to this country to have freedom to make our own choices according to what we believe. I agree with the Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice as long as it does not do any harm to another person that why laws are placed and we must obey them.
Y.A

Anonymous said...

Choice is a given right with a bunch of disclosures. You may choose something that is not approved by many to be ethical but in your eyes it may be. The reason why choice is a dilemma is because the views of all are not views of many and so your choice which should be a free right is really a right with a controlled choice. Doesn't make sense to me, so perhaps it will not make sense to you!

Chuck F.

Anonymous said...

every person is their own world and within that world, they have their own roads to walk. We all have the right to decide for ourselves and value that decision, sometimes it may not be for the best, but sooner, or later, that can be corrected. Now in our world people have decided, to follow a career that pays, instead of the career that inspires them. Could that also be a violation of the right to ethical and voluntary choice? Or a violation of one's own passion?
AG

Anonymous said...

I support the right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice. I believe that everyone has the right to choose what to do with their lives according to what they believe. The right to ethical and voluntary choice is a little bit controversial, because not everyone thinks the same way about what is ethical or not. I believe that if you are not hurting anyone then I don't see anything wrong with it.
*NG*

Anonymous said...

I agree with the commenter "B.S.", everyone should make their on decisions and coices but society has to have rules to keep some sort of structure. There is no better lesson, than a lesson learned. You can only lead the horse to the water, but you can't force the horse to drink the water. Meaning you can tell someone right from wrong but everyone has a choice and their decision is what makes their life the way it is. (The Road Not Taken-Robert Frost) is an excellent poem on decision making. -J.D.

Anonymous said...

I agree with this post and also declare the right to ethical and voluntary choice. In my mind I think this right kind of shares similarities with the right to free will. Everyone has their own mind which means that individuals have the right to make their own choices and do as they please as long as one respects the law. Another factor that needs to be kept in mind is not to disrespect others.

VA

Anonymous said...

The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice is very important for the rational human being. Morality is based on being rational enough to make the right choices. Although, many people have a hard time with defining their own morals and values it is important to first know who you want to be and then make choices amongst that persona you want to fulfill. NOBRA

Anonymous said...

The rights to ethical and voluntary choice…All people have a responsibility to be ethical for their actions. For the most part, I believe the people in this community do not have morals. The economy and job growth have declined significantly and people are trying to survive at whatever the cost. So with that said people’s morals and accountability of the RIGHT thing to do go out the window. DH63

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right,everyone has their own rifght to make choices in their life. With this being said, I also agree that the choices should be governed both by social norms and the law. Without these two, we would be back to the Wild West times. Robert M. Pino

Anonymous said...

I believe in the right to ethical and voluntary choice. People sometimes get caught up in the social life acceptance and it's aspects of life. Some people can reason with what's right and wrong and some cannot. I believe that if is feels wrong, then it probably is wrong. I use this philosophy in everyday life. We are make mistakes in life, some we regret forever. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes. RhW

Anonymous said...

I support the right to ethical and voluntary choice as long as it abides to social norms and laws. We all have a different sense of what is right and wrong. Choices based in one's opinion can be biased. For example, taking a comatose patient out of life support may be the right choice for some people but for others this will be murder.
Torpedo179

Anonymous said...

What a clever concept "the social contract" is. It is good explanation of the social norms that are impressed upon us from the first few moments of our lives. I wholeheartedly agree with this right. JS

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right. Even though some people may make the wrong choices in life, people can learn from other peoples mistakes. If there was no free choice people could constantly make the same mistakes over and over without learning and progress in their life.-NR

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with this right. We can all say, think, and do as we please. Unfortunately, we are somehow "chained", because society and laws do try to control everything. I think we should all practice this law as long as nobody else gets hurt. To me, it is important to be able to express ourselves whenever we can or want. ME

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree that each of us has the right to choose how we live our life but I believe the choices we ultimate make are a result of what we experience growing up. In my opinion, what we are exposed to during our formative years; the tradition of our culture, religious practice, access to basic needs such as food, medical care, and education all leave a lasting imprint. But I believe that our ability to reason, our inherent need to acquire knowledge and ask questions is a driving force behind the path we choose to travel allowing us to modify or develop our own ethical and moral viewpoint and strive to effect change in local social norm and constraints of law. VMR

Anonymous said...

Let's use marijuana as an example. more and more Americans are using it every year, making it more and more ethically correct, but that does not reside from the fact that it is still against the law. My point is that when it comes to the battle of "law vs. ethics", I think ethics takes the cake.
-AJG

Anonymous said...

I also agree with the first comment. Social norms as well as laws guide most of our ethical and moral decisions. Other factors include those instilled in us by our families and religious upbringing. Even with all that, there still are different approaches to how one does things. They may be an ethical egoist, utilitarian, or so forth, but mostly practice their views within the guidelines set around us. Cbereng

Anonymous said...

I agree that everyone has the right to do what they want with their lives, as long as their actions dont put a negative strain on the lives of other people. I believe that people should do whatever it takes to get the job done,but with respect to other peoples rights and limitations.
-RBM

Anonymous said...

I agree with The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice because everyone should be allowed to engage in any affair of his/her own free will. I know that as individuals living in a society we have constraints so we are not truly free to make choices to a certain extend.

HM

Anonymous said...

Everyone needs to have the right of ethical and voluntary choice. The first thing that came to my mind was women and birth control, Margaret Sanger broke the norms about birth control giving women freedom and control over their body and reproduction. Everyone has choices they make based on their morals .

CP

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to ethical and voluntary choice. Its complicated because not everyone has the same ethical view. Decisions should be made for the greater good, and I also agre that sometimes people could make "unethical choice" maybe to put fit in with the social norms. Decisions should be made from your heart, and not what others are saying or going to think.
-LizR

Anonymous said...

I could not be in more consent with this right. In fact, just the other day I was having this discussion with a friend of mine. I was wondering whether the way I carry myself is indeed considered “un ethical”. I came to the conclusion that although I am not completely unprincipled, to most I might not be as feminine or well polished as society would expect. So, that arises the question; do I owe this to my upbringing or was I simply born this way? After beating myself up about it and wondering if I should change my ways, be more reserved, less expressive, more feminine ect. ect. I decided that I was definitely born this way and that my parents could not have instilled better morals upon me but I pick and choose which rules I want to abide. As the ever so clever Dr. Seuss says those who mind don’t matter and those matter don’t mind. Be free! Live your life with no reserves, don’t hold back (unless the law comes into play) laws yes, norms no. Who decides what is normal or not? It’s all up to you and your conscience, if you can lay your head down at night with a clean conscience about the way you live your life you should definitely not care what others think. Just know that life comes with a disclaimer clause that says “at your own risk” there are consequences to your actions.
SG

LXC said...

I believe the right to ethical and voluntary choice is necessary, but it is not a black and white situation. The topic of ethics is very much a gray area. What one may consider non-ethical, another may think differently. Take the example of capital punishment. Is taking another person's life ethical? Although the death penalty is enforced in many states and countries, I personally do not believe in it. However, others may not see it as unethical.

Anonymous said...

The right to choice is so basic that it seems silly to write it down, but then again that's the point of human rights. You get down the basics of what has to be allowed for humans to live well and you codify that into rights, and this right certainly belongs on that list.

-DenisA

Anonymous said...

The right to voluntary and ethical choice is a right that all of society should keep in mind when jumping to conclusions about a certain persons actions. I myself have had to take a philosophy/ethics class in college. It has become manditory for some majors dealing with the public to take this particular class. What does this say about what the norms are. Fortunately the text being used gave many examples of social and cultural incidents giving voluntary and ethical choice a chance...mlv...

Anonymous said...

The Right to Ethical and Voluntary Choice is a right that we should all agree with. It is our own private choice to choose from right and wrong. It is what each person considers to help any situation best and considers an action as "the right thing to do". I think it is important that while going through life we all feel the importance of this right and we enforce it.

-DBM

GT said...

Our choices are not only constraint my laws but by the media, all medias. We are bombarded with different, all kinds of 'choices' on a daily basis, that we come to think once we choose one is a voluntary choice BUT someone already chose before us. Whether ethical or not there are choice laying around waiting to be picked up. We are the ones that have to act, stop and think about the kind of decision we are making. I would even dare everyone to think a little bit outside the box and seek for choices that are entirely ours and not men-given choices. We are all part of a system and we play a game that lets us think we are free. Grab onto something, make it your own, choose for yourself, don't let ANYTHING or ANYONE choose for you, then and only then your choice becomes voluntary, but make sure it respects all lives.