ETH111 P1 Tutorial Assignment 1 (UWC)

ETHICS 111
ASSIGNMENT 1
STUDENT NAMES AND NO.: Sesona Sinobom Moni (4281245) Thule Nkita (4254880)
Zachary Swartz (4273680)
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER : 1
TUTOR : Tswelopele Makoe
TUTORIAL GROUP : 05
DECLARATION
1. We know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another's work and pretend that it is
one's own.
2. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in this exercise that we have taken from the
work(s) of other people has been attributed, has been cited & referenced.
3. This exercise is our own work.
4. We have not allowed and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as their own work.
DATE : 24 March 2023

This critical discussion will be using the first aspect of Todt’s theory of the formation of
moral judgements. The aspect of this theory deals with the aspects of seeing, accepting and
describing the problem (Sakupapa, 2023, p. 29). However, to understand the moral dilemmas
dealt with in this case study, we must know what is meant by the aspects of seeing, accepting,
and describing and how they relate to the problem.
The first facet is ‘seeing the problem’, and this refers to the identifying what is the exact
moral problem that we are dealing with (Sakupapa, 2023, p. 29). In this case study (Prentice,
2018) there are six moral agents and the moral dilemma that each agent deals with is racial
profiling and discrimination. The first moral agent is the manager of the Starbucks. The
second agent is the two gentlemen, Mr Nelson and Mr Robinson, who were arrested. The
third moral agents are the six police officers. The fourth moral agent is Mr Yaffie, the man
they waited for. The fifth moral agent is the CEO of Starbucks, Kevin Johnson. The last
moral agent is the customer that complained about the store closures on Facebook as the
customer tried to dimmish the magnitude of this incident (Prentice, 2018).
The second facet is ‘accepting the problem’ which refers to the ethical responsibility that is
placed on an individual to embrace the moral dilemma as a person concern, this is dependent
what the individual deems as a moral issue (Sakupapa, 2023, p. 30). In this scenario, the first,
third and the last moral agents needs to accept the moral problem at hand.
The third facet of Todt’s theory is ‘describing the problem’ which refers to the most
important facet for any ethical dilemma as it deals with the precise nature of the problem
(Sakupapa, 2023, p. 30). As the fifth moral agent (the CEO of Starbucks) stated in his
responds to the complaint on Facebook that is everyday occurrence for many people of colour
within the United States of America and there are countless examples of racial bias results in
discrimination against people of colour (Prentice, 2018). These racial bias occurrences then
lead to these minorities being targeted and racially profiled. Many criminals and loiters are
often profiled to be black men and in this case, it was no different. The fact that the first
moral agent assumed that the two men were loiters and proceeded to call the police, shows
how these racially profiles of society can cause a situation to be escalated. As the CEO of
Starbucks stated in his apology that the reasons for the actions of the first moral agent were
wrong (Prentice, 2018) and he should have stopped then engaged with the gentlemen of their
reasons for just sitting in the Starbucks. We see in the scenario, how the fourth and fifth
moral agents see and accept that the actions of both the first and third moral agents are not
morally correct and that there are measured to correct them. The last moral agent needs to
understand the magnitude of the situation and how common people of colour get racially
profiled. These situations of racial profiling often led to situations of police brutality, where
police officer would use unlawful and abusively apply their capacity to use force against an
individual or group. We have seen many examples of police brutality in the news that have
resulted in an innocent person of colour being killed by a police officer. Luckily, in this
scenario that did not occur, but the trauma with being seen as a criminal at the back of a
police vehicle and being processed at the police station is still present. The third moral agent
needs to accept this moral issue is a moral problem because the duty of the police department
is to protect everyone in their community. They not placed in their position to target people
based on their and the racially stereotypes of the police officers.
If I were present in the situation, I would make sure that I keep the footage and would keep to
my distance, because it is difficult to address a situation of race with police, especially when
they are in the process of arresting people and it just happens that you are a person of color
too in that circumstance. It is unlawful to treat someone differently due to prejudice against
their race, religion, nationality, or culture. In this case the police are entertaining this regard,
and according to the law, racism is a hate crime, and they should be aware of that. Therefore,
my first step would be to consult a legal representative for advice on such. Sadly, because
racism, like many other prejudice-based hatreds is a learned behavior and we are unable to
pinpoint why someone would behave in such regard. These days to get justice, we have to
take matters to social media, only then one’s problem would get attention. It is very sad that
the people who are supposed to protect us are also sometimes the ones who subject such acts
on us. With that hint of social media I have brought about and the uploading of the video on
the platform, I would also make an online petition to be signed by citizens who also see this
as a moral issue, for the suspension to dismissal of the officers from duty, as they are racially
bias on the capacity of who they protect.
In conclusion this critical discussion discusses the moral dilemmas dealt in this case study,
and what is meant by the aspects of seeing, accepting, and describing and how they relate to
the problem. These issues are what we are subjected to in our daily lives, and they are new
norms, sugar-coated in justification of one's behavioural acts. We are civilised people and its
vital to be considerate of others as we live in a world of diversity.
Bibliography
Prentice, R., 2018. Meet me at Starbucks. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWBVxTEgoYk
Sakupapa, T. C., 2023. Ethics111:Paper 1 Course Reader. Cape Town: University of the
Western Cape.

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ETHICS 111

TUTOR : Tswelopele Makoe

3. This exercise is our own work.

DATE : 24 March 2023

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