How good is the financial aid at Duke?

objobs
Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:37:55 +0000

SBR:

1. Acting ethically is a nebulous concept because it’s very subjective. A thief stealing a piece of bread out of desperation to feed his family is acting ethically in my eyes but can be viewed as acting unethically in the eyes of the baker whose livelihood is at stake.



What we’re talking about isn’t all that “nebulous.”



SBR:

2. I’m not arguing about wanting to act ethically, but merely saying that without a standard, it is impossible to judge. For all you know the person is following his ethical code in this instance. Because there’s no ethical obligation, a conventional standard cannot be established by which one is judged. You are presuming that everyone’s idea of “acting ethically” is the same.



No. I am presuming that none of us believes that anything goes. Our ethical standards do not have to be co-extensive for us to have meaningful discussion about them.



SBR:

3. Yes, we can assume ethics exists. But to make a judgment of someone acting unethically and for it to mean something to your audience means that your audience necessarily have to share your ethical standards.



People judge the ethics (or lack thereof) of others all the time. So presumably, rational human beings do indeed “share” enough ethical standards for such judgment to take place. Are you suggesting that you’re never judged anyone else from a moral point of view?



SBR:

4. I’m not saying that the OP will definitely enter a contract in good faith in this instance. I’m saying that him/her knowing there’s an escape clause and him/her applying ED in good faith is not mutually exclusive. He still has the choice to apply ED with the honest intention of attending (however unlikely you may think that is).



Of course, we do not know DEFINITELY what the OP will do. But everything s/he’s said suggests that s/he is reluctant to make a commitment that would require maximum good faith.



SBR:

5. eatsalot is not doing both. He/she is assuming that the if the OP applies ED, he will have made an informed decision that possibly took into account his advice but also considers all aspects and consequences.



I have a less generous interpretation.



SBR:

Adding a few qualifications would certain be a more appropriate way of doing it though.



That’s the problem. The threads that I’ve read in the Duke sub-forum tend to consist of mainly over-the-top generalizations.