Island of Kora Ethics Essay Example
Island of Kora Ethics Essay Example

Island of Kora Ethics Essay Example

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  • Pages: 8 (2144 words)
  • Published: June 11, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Therefore, this case calls for an application of all the points that have been previously discussed. After reading the case, design a plan for solving the islander's problems. Your plan should include the theoretical basis your plan uses, the decision making procedure you would use, as well as the specific action you would take to resolve the problem. Also, do not forget that In the islander's eyes you are the Supreme Being. When confronted with the daunting task of saving a population, there are many factors that must be taken into consideration.

The Island of Kora has suffered a horrific natural disaster that Jeopardizes their way of life and ultimately their existence. The Island of Kora historically Inhabited 850 to 900 natives. The Island was roughly 20 square miles In size and recently suffered a massive earthqua

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ke. The resulting aftermath of the earthquake is now the island is only four square miles in size. Much of the area lost was used for farming and grazing of the cattle. The aftermath of the earthquake has left the island in dire straits. Before the earthquake this was a peaceful community with plenty of food.

Before the earthquake, the natives lived throughout the Island. The loss of land has resulted In confined llvlng spaces. The clustered homes have led to increased tensions and sanitation concerns. The increased tension has manifested in never seen before fighting and stealing. One of the effects of the lost land area has decreased the amount of the yearly crops. This has resulted in starvation and malnourishment In both the native population and their livestock. Over the past three years It Is believed that 100 peopl

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have lost heir lives due to malnutrition and illness.

The livestock population has suffered greatly as most of the livestock are diseased and look to be in very poor physical condition. A once serene Island of roughly 875 inhabitants now has a sickly population of 775. An Island that could sustain such a population concentration now appears to be able island. The elders of the tribe view my presence as a sign from their gods. The have named me Supreme Ruler and Lord over the land. My word is law. Their expectation is that I will lead them through this time of need and fix their mounting problems.

I must design a plan for solving their problems and the steps necessary to put this plan into action. The basis of my plan and course of action will be backed by my theoretical basis. Due to the extreme condition of the island, extreme measures are needed. The first course of action is to set a leadership group or government in place. Since the natives already have elders the lead and guide, leaving them in the position or role would be wise. There will be enough change in the next days, weeks, months, and years. This is one such change that should be kept in place.

The measures and ircumstances that one becomes an elder will also remain. This structure has been working for years and it will work again and in the interim, allow for stability. Besides, if something should happen to me, strong leadership has to be in place for the survival of the natives. The second course of action is to set forth a set of rules

or laws that govern the island. Times are tough and they are only going to become tougher. History has proven that will tougher times, societal decay is a distinct possibility. To prevent such decay from happening, our laws will be swift, punishing, and absolute.

The ealization that our island cannot support our normal population of makes the creation, implementation, and execution of our new laws a top priority. Those who do not wish to live by the laws will no longer be allowed to live on the island. Laws prohibiting stealing and fghting will be found to be most punishing. Not everyone is going to survive. Those who cannot abide by our laws makes our decision of who lives or dies that much easier. A stable and solid foundation is the key to any societal success and strength. We must first establish rules about our sanitation.

It will no longer be tolerated to have uch unsanitary conditions. We will have designated authorized sanitation areas. These areas will be rotated throughout the year depending on the climate and raining season. We must establish to clean environment to minimize our illness and diseases. Any violation of these areas will be met with strong restrictions for a first offense: no food for one week. The second violation will result in banishment from the island. History has shown that once our ecology is disrupted and our natural resources are gone, we will start dying off.

In order to avoid this fate, we must act now. Our next step to recovery will be with our livestock. I understand that human life carries more worth than that of livestock. However, we cannot succeed without

our livestock. We must first restore the health of our livestock in order to prosper. We cannot afford to lose any more livestock and that starts now. We initially give the highest regard to our livestock. The livestock will not go without ample feeding and clean water. We We will continue to farm as we have over the past centuries. However, we will have to look elsewhere for nourishment.

We are an island. By definition, we are surrounded by water. We must look to the seas for addition food sources. This will also be incorporated into my plan. We will establish roles within our society. It is important that everyone pull together in our time of need. We will not create a class system. Instead, we will create a system that is based on efficiency and productivity. Led by our elders, everyone on the island will be given a role to fulfill, for our survival. Some of the natives will tend to the crops. Other natives will tend to the livestock.

Others will tend to our very young children and teach them the ways of our land. We will need to learn to how to fish and use the water as a source of life. With the resources at hand, we will have to work together, like that of a bee hive, in order to have a future. One role is not any better than that of another role. Our rationing plans and roles will not ensure our prosperity. In order to help, we are will have to take a more aggressive role with the sea. In the 1800's Eskimos used to put their elderly out to

die when they were no longer supportive of the group.

While this is no longer the case, this practice will have to be implemented. Instead of Just putting them on ice floes, they will be asked to go out and aggressively fish the surf. If they are successful, they will be allowed to remain to live and continue to fish. If they are not successful, they will perish in the sea trying. By sending out 400 hundred natives to fish, we will either reduce our head count or gain more food stores for our livestock and population. It is a harsh reality, but one that allows people to have a hand in their own fate.

Because food and land are and will become even scarcer, we will have to implement an extremely strict procreation policy. For the next five years, no more births will be tolerated. We cannot afford to have increased stress on our food stores and living rrangements. After the five year period is up, we will adopt a one child policy. This policy will be very similar to that of China's policy. The one child policy will be reviewable after 12 years of enforcement. Because we have less land and less food, we must take such measures now to ensure that our culture and way of life are continued in the future.

Violation of the procreation laws will be met with the swiftest of punishment. During the no child period, if a child is conceived, we will have to reduce the population by one person. After the birth of the child, the father will be banished from the island. It is a one for one

swap. We cannot blame the new born child for being born, but we cannot support the additional head. As a result, we will blame the father. During the one child policy, should a second child be born, the parents will both be held responsible. As a result, both parents will be banished from the island.

This is not a one for one swap, but it is an extreme consequence for such reckless actions. Since There is a caveat to this policy. If a pregnancy has multiple births, the new born children will not be held responsible. Multiple birth pregnancies cannot be foreseen or predicted. As a result, if a couple has twins or triplets during the one child policy period, no punishment will occur. If such occurrence happens during the zero baby tolerance or a second pregnancy during the one child policy, the rules are enforced. The last ruling on this subject is what if a wife Just became pregnant last week.

We know how long a wife is pregnant before birth. We know when the policy was put into place. Simple arithmetic will let us know if the child was conceived after the policy went into effect. In order to show that we are serious, the "rule" will be stated and posted. However, behind the scenes, when I meet with the elders for the first time, there will be 2 to 4 week grace period in the off chance someone became pregnant very recently. If such a situation occurs, it will be the exception and not the norm, so we can address it amongst ourselves at the time of the birth.

Those are the rules and my

plan in order for our civilization and culture to survive. I believe we have addressed our food stores, roles, rules, laws, and population concerns immediately. Now we need to be vigilant in our daily workings to ensure our survival. The islander elders view me as their supreme being. Given this, they will believe heir actions are moral because it has been determined moral by their God, me. Such belief is that of the Divine Command Theory. This meta-ethical theory says that all actions that are morally good are guided by God, which again is me.

With their understanding as me as their God, they believe that I am showing them the proper and moral way towards survival. Any acts that go against my laws are immoral, and as such, will be met with harsh repercussions. My decisions were not based off of Normative ethics and the cultivation of honesty and kindness. My decisions are not based off of Formalism theory and the belief that good person has the will held in high regard by one's community or society. My decision is not based off of Deontology theory because it does not work with rules governing a specific situation.

Yes, while there are rules, and the natives will need to live my rules to be allowed to stay on the island, my decision was not from Deontology theory. This would be more for the natives. The worst theory for this situation would be Ethical Egoism. What is best is what is best for one's own situation. With the fighting and crime they are experiencing now, that is the theory driving these action. No. We will not have a

"me first" attitude, but a team attitude. We must have a team attitude. One could argue that Situation ethics could be applied here because of the conclusion focus.

However, that works more with love. Love is not in my equation, only survival. Hedonism theory would be nice, but there is going to be a lot of pain and not much pleasure in my immediate plan. Likewise, Utilitarian theory, which focuses on maximizing overall happiness, was not involved My beliefs in making these decisions are not based off the Divine Command Theory. Instead, the theory that I will be using is that of Teleological Theory. It is the end results that will ultimately Judge our actions are moral correct.

If we survive through this very tough time, my actions will be deemed morally correct. My motivation is the survival of as many islanders and their culture as possible. Yes, our population is going to take a significant drop. However, we must plan and sacrifice now for the future of our grandchildren. Given the current state of affairs, I personally believe this is the best philosophy because in this scenario, we are driven towards the final results, survival. Because of this fact, the ends do Justify the means.

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