Discuss Kantian Ethics. Include a discussion of the main concepts.
Discuss Kantian Ethics. Include a discussion of the main concepts.
Application – Apply the steps of Kantian Ethics to resolve the main moral issue.
Angel in the Pandemic
Angel is a live-online college student. He lives at home with his father who is a professor at his college, his grandmother and, his younger sister. Angel works part-time at a local restaurant. He was furloughed during the pandemic but has been rehired since the restaurant could reopen at 50% inside capacity. There are many new rules that the restaurant must follow; some put into place by the government and, some put into place by the restaurant owner. All rules are to keep patrons and workers safe during the pandemic. Angel attended a web meeting with the restaurant owner, wherein the owner personally outlined the new rules. The new rules include, but are not limited to, the government’s rule of a maximum of 50% inside capacity along with masks and social distancing. The owner also discussed rules that specifically apply to Angel’s new role at the restaurant. In addition to his regular duties, Angel must: always wear a mask at the restaurant, social distance whenever possible, stay home if he is feeling ill, wash his hands often, and disinfect all tables and booth seats every time patrons finish their meal and leave a booth. The owner impressed upon Angel that if he could not adhere to these rules, he could not return to work. The owner also instructed Angel that he must report anyone not following the rules. The owner explained that she genuinely cares about her patrons and workers, and she wants this to be a safe workplace environment. She also said she cannot afford the publicity of a pandemic outbreak at her restaurant.
When Angel returned to work, his former manager and some former co-workers were there. He was glad to see everyone and found himself quickly busy. As the week went on, he noticed that the rules he discussed with the owner were being implemented less and less. His manager now told employees to wear a mask when the public could see them, but when not visible, the manager said, “Don’t bother with a mask. What the patrons don’t know can’t hurt them.” Social distancing began to disappear, and capacity was, normally far above the 50% inside capacity rule. Some patrons complained and left although enough stayed to keep the restaurant busy and still over 50% capacity. When Angel asked the manager how they could fill the tables and not social distance, the manager responded, “Don’t be a baby. Either be happy with the money or find another job.” Most evenings were busy, and Angel was told to wipe down tables quickly and not to take the time to clean the booth seats.
The first week went fast. One evening, when arriving at work, Angel overheard a conversation between the manager and a Gia, a restaurant server. The server was complaining that she was sick and needed to go home. She complained of a sore throat, headache, cough, and that she was very tired. She said, she thought she needed to be tested for the pandemic virus. The manager responded, “That’s the last thing we need. Go home but don’t tell anyone if you test positive. They’ll close us down if they find out our server is spreading the virus.”
What should Angel do?
