Augustine of Hippo and Right Thing
Group A:
A newspaper columnist signs a contract with a newspaper chain. Several months later she is offered a position with another newspaper chain at a higher salary. Because she would prefer making more money, she notifies the first chain that she is breaking her contract. The courts will decide the legality of her action. But what of the morality? Did the columnist behave ethically? The newspaper columnist in this problem is concerned, like most anybody, with making the best living that she can. In her mind, the right thing to do is to go to the job that gives her the higher salary. Although she had a contract, she notified the chain before actually leaving. In my opinion, the columnist did behave ethically. She does what she has to do in order to support herself, or possibly a family. She notified the chain in advance in order to give them the time to find someone to replace her position. She has done the right thing and there is nothing wrong with that. The columnist is behaving ethically. St. Augustine believed that “faith must precede reason and purify the heart and make it fit to receive and endure the great light of reason.” He might have believed that the newspaper columnist should not leave the first newspaper chain because she signed a contract with them. Breaking the contract is not entirely the right thing to do. She must be faithful to the first company because that came first, and faith comes before reason.
Aquinas might have believed differently from Augustine in this case. “Aquinas pushed for the elimination of guilt as a motivator, and continued Augustine’s movement to allow the Sciences to rediscover a place in Christian society.” He would not want the newspaper columnist to feel guilty for leaving one job for another. She should do what she believes is right. Making more money at the other newspaper chain is what she believes is moral and the best decision for her.
An airline pilot goes for his regular medical checkup. The doctor
A newspaper columnist signs a contract with a newspaper chain. Several months later she is offered a position with another newspaper chain at a higher salary. Because she would prefer making more money, she notifies the first chain that she is breaking her contract. The courts will decide the legality of her action. But what of the morality? Did the columnist behave ethically? The newspaper columnist in this problem is concerned, like most anybody, with making the best living that she can. In her mind, the right thing to do is to go to the job that gives her the higher salary. Although she had a contract, she notified the chain before actually leaving. In my opinion, the columnist did behave ethically. She does what she has to do in order to support herself, or possibly a family. She notified the chain in advance in order to give them the time to find someone to replace her position. She has done the right thing and there is nothing wrong with that. The columnist is behaving ethically. St. Augustine believed that “faith must precede reason and purify the heart and make it fit to receive and endure the great light of reason.” He might have believed that the newspaper columnist should not leave the first newspaper chain because she signed a contract with them. Breaking the contract is not entirely the right thing to do. She must be faithful to the first company because that came first, and faith comes before reason.
Aquinas might have believed differently from Augustine in this case. “Aquinas pushed for the elimination of guilt as a motivator, and continued Augustine’s movement to allow the Sciences to rediscover a place in Christian society.” He would not want the newspaper columnist to feel guilty for leaving one job for another. She should do what she believes is right. Making more money at the other newspaper chain is what she believes is moral and the best decision for her.
An airline pilot goes for his regular medical checkup. The doctor
References: (n.d.). Retrieved from http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/Descriptions_and_Transcripts/saints.pdf