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Personal and Social Responsibility

Personal responsibility is termed as the concept that human beings make individual

decisions in partaking in action. Since individuals know the precautions carried by their actions,

they become legally liable and are held morally accountable for their engagement (Chickering,

Art & Larry,5). An example of personal responsibility is an individual's ability to control and

forge their path and life decisions. Personal responsibility has become increasingly associated

with political conservatism and libertarianism since the late nineteenth century, whereas social

responsibility is more of an ethical theory where people are accountable for civic duty and the

individual’s actions must benefit the society rather than as individuals. But personal

responsibility can vary from person to person (Chickering, Art & Larry,8).

Individuals and organizations that have been put under obligation to act for society's

interests by the ethical structure can vary depending on age and business. Personal and social

responsibilities ethic theory apply in both individuals and group capacities. They should be

applied in daily decision-making and actions that will affect the environment or other people

(Chickering, Art & Larry,5). In group societies, social responsibility is applied during

interactions with other groups or individuals. More often than not, ethical implications will be

ignored or overlooked for individual benefits and gains. The government’s interference is now

necessary when this happens. Unfortunately, social responsibility and ethics are rarely ever

practiced by people.
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Considering the ethical dilemma placed on me to intervene in the case, integrity played a

key role in making me be part of the issue. My integrity would weigh on preserving and

respecting a person's life with the situation at hand. The military officer's intention to kill the

three harmless individuals that would be careless and irresponsible, considering there is no

substantial evidence to convict the three persons. The sole reason for the military personnel to

decide to make such a decision was to set an example to a community suspected of killing one of

the military men. Military integrity is comprehensive in doing the right thing and providing

safety to its people; however, the vengeance to make amends and kill individuals from a different

is insufficient and unethical. The social responsibility towards a Nation guides the soldiers;

however, the personal responsibility shaping up and being a primary factor that guides the

individual soldiers to work and act with utmost responsibility and ethics towards protecting and

preserving individuals' lives. Despite intercultural conflicts, the primary understanding of life has

never changed; therefore, with my consciousness, that would rule me to intervene to protect the

harmless three individuals' lives.

The key assumptions implicated in the case would value the existence of life. Each

individual should act responsibly to ensure that life is preserved. Every person's social

responsibility has to care and ensure another person's life is valued in the same manner in which

they would value their own lives. The common assumption that individuals do have is that when

one takes another person's life, guilt will haunt the person who has done the act despite there

being no involvement in the case. I feel that I, too, would be responsible in case innocent

individuals are killed. Personal responsibility would determine my course to intervene in the

issue regardless of it not being directly involved. The perception that life is irreversible will push
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me to do the right thing to ensure that the situation is sufficiently handled to protect innocent

lives.

The assumption of guilt and innocence is weighed by the factual grounding of an

accusation supported by evidence. A misinformed decision to act recklessly act due to emotions

and prejudged perception can cloud an individual's ability to think properly. This personal

responsibility is key in the basic ruling and judgment of a person. A thin line of facts can distort

innocence and guilt. The presumption to judge an individual innocence based on social

responsibility is incorrect since it's an individual personal response to do the correct thing. The

officer would take it at a social engagement and act that the community would be involved in,

weighing the cultural and social conflicts between different societal factions.

Cultural identity would define a person's thoughts, beliefs, and personal actions. Different

tribes and cultures have various ways to act when faced with a conflicting situation. With death

being involved, communities and different societies would act in different manners to punish the

perpetrators. The military personnel would want to justify his men's death despite there being no

proof to ground the men for the death of his soldiers. It is a military culture and belief that the

same coin should pay perpetrators involved in one of them's dead. Therefore, the military officer

felt justified to act in that manner that would see the loss of other people's lives to pay for their

own. Soldiers believe in firm principles that put them in conflict with their responsibility.

A soldier's social responsibility is to prioritize their country's safety, with the case that

would sufficiently appropriate to act; however, the personal cause can implicate them to do the

correct thing. The basis of this issue outlines the conflict between the two distinct but similar

ethical virtues. The basic understanding would be to settle the issue with a minimum casualty,

explaining the soldier's motive for the killing.

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Since I treasure the existence of life, my judgment would weigh to do the correct thing. The

situation places me at odds with my conscience to save the individuals' lives. Different cultures,

communities, and professions have varying interpretations of life. The basic understanding of the

implication caused by the varying beliefs can create room for a proper dialogue in this situation.

Taking the life of the three would create a retaliatory engagement where the community would

feel disrespected, and its people's lives devalued. Despite it being the community's social

responsibility to protect other people's lives, it also remains the sole responsibility for each

community member to do the right thing and not harm an alien. The soldiers would similarly be

fitted with the same responsibility. The decision would finally rest in ensuring that life is

conserved and protected at all costs, even if that would mean killing one to save others. In the

end, taking a single life is sufficient than taking the three individual's lives. The military would

justify their actions regardless. However, social and personal responsibility plays a key role in

handling the situation correctly and ensuring other people's lives are protected.
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Work Cited

Chickering, Art, and Larry A. Braskamp. "Developing a global perspective for personal and

social responsibility." Peer review 11.4 (2009): 27.

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