Duty Ethics Analysis: Mike's Moral Predicament in Skiing Business

This assignment presents Mike's ethical dilemma, where he must choose between offering a thrilling ski experience or prioritizing safety due to avalanche risks. The solution employs Kant's duty ethics, emphasizing the importance of universal principles and the 'safety first' approach. The analysis considers desires versus consequences, highlighting that while a joy ride is desirable, the potential threat to human life from an avalanche necessitates caution. The assignment references the concept of duty ethics and the potential for exceptions on humanitarian grounds. Ultimately, it concludes that Mike should prioritize safety and cancel the ski ride, aligning with the principle of minimizing harm and basing decisions on logical reasoning, supported by the probability of dangerous situations. The document is available on Desklib, a platform providing students with essential AI-based study tools, past papers, and solved assignments.

An answer to the moral predicaments of Mike
It is a tough situation in front of Mike where he has to choose between a promised “amazing
run on the slope” or “the threats caused by an avalanche.” In order to make the correct
decision, he can take resort in the concept of duty ethics. In normal cases, a detailed guide
book or instruction book can guide him because skiing is a third-grade adventure where the
threat of life is involved. The heavy premium on insurance policy further testifies this fact.
The situation in front of Mike demands him to think under the framework of duty ethics. The
principle of duty ethics developed by philosopher Kant, says that ideally, a duty-bound
individual should first breakdown the situation into the framework of desire and
consequences. Amazing skiing experience is a desire; the threat of an avalanche is a probable
consequence (Shakil, 2014).
The theories given by Kant’ related to the duty ethics or deontology states that a duty-bound
individual should weight the consequences and stick to the best universal theories that are
present to negate the consequence. It is Mike’s duty to ensure a joy ride for the eight skiers,
however, the universal principle of “safety first” governs here, this is why Mike should avoid
a ride in the field.
Under some soft cases, duty ethics allows us to defy universal laws or the laws of the system
with an intention to serve exceptional cases on a humanitarian ground (Bramer, 2014 ). A
deliberated ignorance or an oversight can be accommodated for a positive consequence.
However, in the present case, this relaxation is not applicable because a threat to human life
is the ugliest consequence that can happen.

This is why under the universal principle of “safety first” Mike should abort the ski ride and
move back to his helicopter along with other skiers. This is a situation where logic should
prevail in the decision making. Since the consequences are high, he cannot take chances with
unconfirmed opinions of the others. For instance, it was sheer luck for the previous skiers that
they survived in an avalanche-like situation. The probability factors associated with this
condition also confirms Mike’s decision of not launching a skiing operation that day.
Bibliography
Bramer, M. (2014 ). The Importance of Personal Relationships in Kantian Moral Theory: A
Reply to Care Ethics. Hypatia, https://www.jstor.org/stable/40602643?
seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
Shakil, A. (2014). Kantian Duty Based (Deontological) Ethics. Seven Pillar Institution,
https://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/kantian-duty-based-deontological-ethics/.