Monday, September 29, 2008

The Four Ethical Words

Over the passed few days, four words came to mind that we use a lot in everyday language and we live by these words though we may not always be aware of it. Some of us may not even be aware of what they literally mean. So I took the liberty of educating myself on the definitions of what these four words actually mean. Now, I’d like to share that knowledge with you and question you on your thoughts on the matter.

These four words are like black and white, good and bad, etc. They seem to be polar opposites; however, they do have at least one thing in common. The first two are more about ethics and governing bodies. What is a right? It means a person has the ethical power to do or refrain from doing something. What is a privilege? It means a special advantage or benefit to a specific individual or group. Both of these a person is entitled to, born with morality and philosophy, but it is the governing bodies that limit one’s ability to have a right or privilege. The difference between these two is simply that a right involves everyone, while a privilege may or may not. A privilege is only under a certain circumstance as well, while a right lacks exceptions. An example of these two would be a young boy eating dinner. The boy has the right to eat dinner; however, it is a privilege that he gets dessert afterward. There is the opposition as well. Since both dinner and dessert are considered food, the boy has the right to eat either or. But in this case, since the dinner is being offered first, the boy has the right to eat that first, and then if there’s room for more, the dessert comes as a privilege.

That example leads into the next two words. What is a necessity, or need? It means something that is essential or crucial. What is a want? It means a feeling or desire for something. Both of these deal with something that is of value to a person. The difference is how valuable is it to the person and society. The more valuable it is to society, the more it is considered a need. The more valuable it is to an individual, the more it is considered a want. I can use the same example for these two words. The boy needs dinner, but he wants the dessert. Again, there is the opposition. Since both dinner and dessert are considered food, the boy needs to eat either or. But in this case, since the dinner is being offered first, the boy needs to eat that first, and then if there’s room for more, the dessert comes as a want. Because everyone has to eat to survive, food is a need. A certain type of food is a want, due to that individual’s tastes. This goes back into the above paragraph. Ethics and governing bodies decide the needs and wants, along with the rights and privileges.

My question to you is the following. How do these four words relate to one another? Is a right a privilege? Is a privilege a right? Is a right a need? Or is it a want? Is a privilege a need? Or is it a want? Is a need a want? Is a want a need? Think about these questions and this topic and please respond with your opinions. I’d love to see them.

RJ