Defining what it means to be ethically responsible isn’t something one can do objectively with complete certainty in the “correctness” of their definition. Being ethical is subjective, and depends on what you view as right and wrong. Even though I feel like I “know” (at least to some extent) what it means to be ethically responsible, I am constantly questioning what I am doing and why, reframing my views to try and be my best. I would never go as far as to say I know I am right, just that I am doing the best I can with what I know.
For some, ethics come from a higher power. The core Catholic Social Teachings explicitly lay out a pretty compelling foundation for “living a good life and being a good person.” For someone who identifies as Catholic, looking to these seven teachings is a great place to grow in their “goodness.” As someone who does not strongly identify as Catholic, even I can see the value in these teachings, and have taken much from them. It’s hard to argue that ideas such as serving the poor and vulnerable, taking care of the earth, and protecting human rights are anything but good.
Others take a more secular, philosophical approach to ethics, often looking back at the ideas of great historical thinkers. Way back before modern history, Plato and Aristotle spoke of “the common good” and how one’s life should be lived in the greatest service of all, especially looking out for the most vulnerable. More modern thinkers like Immanuel Kant spoke of the importance of intention, and that the “goodness” of an act was based on what the doer “meant” by it.
For me, I try every day to live the “best,” most ethical life I can by following one simple rule. The Golden Rule. “Treat others as you would want them to treat you.” Everyone knows it and it’s plain as day, but I really feel like this is all that is needed for the vast majority of questions regarding whether or not something is “right.” I try my best to respect others’ opinions as I would want them to respect mine, help others in need as I would want to be helped, listen to others as I would want to be listened to, and so on and so on. I think life is an absolutely amazing thing we have all been blessed with, and as I go through it, I want others to be able to enjoy it as much as I have. To enable that, I try in ways big and small, whether it’s just including someone in a conversation, giving money to a good cause, or volunteering time to help others in need.
I see a place where I can have a great impact in my career moving forward. As a computer scientist, I have the power to create an impact on a scale that would have been nearly impossible until very recently. One area specifically that I am very passionate about that I can see my talents being used is in the area of health and fitness. I have struggled my whole life with health and weight, and have had many people help me through it to get where I am today, happy and healthy. Across the country and the entire world, there are countless people struggling with the same issues I did, and the thought of using technology to help others come to a place where they are comfortable and happy with who they are is very exciting to me. This is an area I feel would be a great use of my time and talent.
Coming into Notre Dame as a computer scientist was supposed to be a means to an end. I knew careers in the field paid well and had good hours, and I wanted to use it to support my life and the things I really cared about. Over the last several years, however, my perspective on the matter has changed slightly. While it will still be great to have a solid, steady paycheck, I now think much more actively about how what I end up doing will affect others. Will it be a good use of my time and talent? Will it be worthwhile to society? Will I be helping people? These are questions I honestly (and embarrassingly) wasn’t really asking myself a few years ago, but the morals and values instilled in me here at Notre Dame have changed that.
There’s a lot wrong in the world, and I have been given a great set of tools to try and make it even just a little bit better. I intend to use them.
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