Doing Whats Right

It is important to do what you know is right regardless of other peoples actions and opinions even if it means being against the majority, this is the true basis of good morals.

What does "Doing whats right" Actually Mean?

There is no one simple answer.

"Doing whats right" lies at the center of ethics, and at times is a very debatable topic. Sometimes it does come down to our personal judgement and moral values, but whats considered acceptable in society also has a big role in the decisions we make. 

Bertrand Russell

A Philosopher's view on right and wrong

Bertrand Russel, 1872-1970, was a British philosopher, mathematician, historian, writer, and a political activist. Throughout his lifetime he has gotten several awards for math and science discoveries, and literature including the Nobel prize in literature. One of his compelling works was his essay "The Elements of Ethics", in which he explains the ethics right and wrong. He explained how "right" is a very ambiguous word, which has different meaning and is open for interpretation. His compelling argument was how people judge whats right based on the consequences, or based on personal opinions and morals, but it needs to be a combination of both.

Atticus Finch's Decision

The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a popular and meaningful book about a small town called Maycomb in Alabama during the Great Depression. Scout and her brother Jem live with their widowed father, Atticus Finch. He is a lawyer in the town and plays an important role in the book, as a role model and a man of integrity with true morals. Atticus ends up in a court case involving a black man being accused for raping a white women. The majority of the people in Maycomb are racially biased against blacks as during the time period they were still being discriminated against. Atticus ended up defending this man, although many people in Maycomb did not approve, and he was being bashed on because of it. In school, Scout was told that her dad was a "nigger lover", and was made fun of. Scout was still young and did not understand much of what was going on. She asked Atticus if he was a "nigger lover" and why he was defending him. Atticus answered back that it was the right thing to do, even if the whole town hated on it. He says that he believes in human rights, and equality. This shows how much integrity and morality Atticus has, as he does know that few people support him on the case, and that he will likely loose, but he still does as much as he can. He is doing what he knows is right even though it means being against the majority. This is a great example of what doing the right thing is, and why it can be a struggle.

George's Decision

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is an award-winning book about what it means to be human, characters experience isolation, temptation, having goals, and doing whats best. George and Lennie are companions, who travel the countryside looking for work. George takes care of Lennie because he has a mental disability, hes a little slower than most people, but he is big and strong. Lennie has unintentionally caused themselves trouble in the beginning which leads to them finding the ranch where the story takes place, as he pulled some girls skirt because he is obsessed with soft things. Lennie's unintentional strength causing harm is shown several times, when he was petting mice and killed both of them, and when he got a puppy but ended up killing it too. Lennie eventually unintentionally kills someones wife on the ranch, and realizes what hes done when its to late. The men on the ranch go out to look for Lennie after he runs away, and are going to kill him. George takes it apon himself to do it if it has to be done. When he finds him he is sitting down looking out at the lake. George sits next to him and tells Lennie to look at the lake, and talks about the dream that they will have a little house of their own, and a farm. After that while he is talking, he shoots Lennie in the head, making it fast, and without him knowing. This is the hardest decision George has had to make, Lennie was his only friend. He made this decision because it was in a way the right thing to do for the best, Lennie would have just ended up hurting someone else. This shows how sometimes, while not as extreme as this case, making decisions can be very difficult, but you just need to do whats best. In this case it was letting Lennie go for the better of everyone, even though he was Georges best and only friend.