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Essay / Ethical Decisions in Thanks for Smoking - 1082
You will always be right if you can prove that the other option is wrong and if you can explain why it is right to do what you did. Kidder's dilemma paradigms can help us understand Nick's decisions in the film. It must be understood that he strives to do what is good for himself as a professional but also as the father of a young son. The choices he makes as a tobacco lobbyist may cause people to doubt his ability to be a responsible father, but he shows that he understands what the right choice is in the situation. Considering "truth versus loyalty" throughout the film, it is clear that Nick remains loyal to his boss and his job even though he, like the rest of the American population, received an upbringing showing the dangers of smoking. This is the right decision because telling the absolute "truth" about smoking would ruin his career to some extent and make it difficult to provide a good life for his son. As mentioned previously, his decision to continue to defend smoking allows the “community” to maintain its freedom of choice. The “individual versus community” paradigm is very utilitarian oriented, it is ready to appear as an irresponsible person in the eyes of people who do not understand that it preserves their freedom. The “justice versus mercy” paradigm is also presented