ethics (eth-iks) n. – that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.
Ok, so what does that mean? Boiled down, ethics are basically your standards for making decisions. Hmm, ethical decision-making. We’re going to go out on a limb here and say you’re like a lot of people and don’t think that’s a big deal. But, as minuscule as they may seem, we make decisions every day. The Ethical Revolution is all about discussing how to come to the best decision, which can be different for different people. We all want to win in life and doing what is best will help accomplish that.
Goal
The goal of the Ethical Revolution is to equip you with a solid framework for making ethical decisions every day in every way. By creating an open dialogue between you and your peeps, you can decide upon an individually fitting framework, one that works for you.
Approach
This campaign has a unique approach. We’re not going to tell you how to think or act. You’re not a baby, and we’re not your mama. Here are the four parts that go into making every good decision.
1) Ambiguity
So, burning a new CD for your friend; having a friend write a paper for you; throwing a cup on the ground…those are ethically questionable choices? Yeah, but a lot of people don’t think of it that way. And the point is, most people don’t even think about it. There is a certain unawareness, or ambiguity, around making ethical decisions and together we can change that. Our hope is that as we walk through this area you will discover that there is more to making a decision than just what is convenient.
2) Awareness
So now you’re thinking, how do I really feel about sharing music and other choices that have ethical qualities? We hate to quote a cheesy ‘80s reading campaign, but knowledge is power! Find out what the law says. Ask your parents, friends, youth leaders, teachers, or bus driver how they feel and what they know about the issue. Discuss it with other youth who want to do the best thing, which you can do right here. Then, evaluate everything outside and make the decision inside. Your ethical decision might not match your aunt’s, Lloyd Pinkerton’s, your favorite pop star’s, or your gym teacher’s. But, it is yours, it is ethical, and we respect that. Our goal is to provide you with good information that helps you come to a conclusion on what will be best for your life.
3) Agreement
Once you’ve figured out how you feel about an issue and what is best for you (how you share music for instance), we hope you’ll make an agreement to stick to the best way, and to apply your ethical thought process to other areas of your life. Agreeing to ethically obtain music will help musicians to more easily make new and better grooves. Writing your own papers will better prepare you for college and a rockin’ future career. Throwing your cup away in the right place will keep this place cleaner for us all. Consistently making the best, ethical decisions you can make will build you up for a bright, honest, and successful future.
4) Action
Be a revolution! It’s not only about changing the way you get and share music and make other decisions, but also about sharing it with other people. Your friends, parents, brothers, sisters, and that annoying guy in the marching band…shouldn’t they be ethical with you? Your actions can influence many. You can make a powerful difference in the lives around you.
