We are all responsible for our actions and the results our actions cause. "I was just following orders" in no way absolves anyone of that responsibility.
That you may pay a price for doing the right thing doesn't make avoiding doing it acceptable.
I think it's still clear cut. Losing everything is a lamentable disaster, to be sure, but that doesn't change the ethics of the situation.
> If the society you live in won't look out for you in these situations
It's not some faceless "society", it's actual people, including the specific people you know. If you're willing to do things that are harmful to others, you're actively working to make the world worse for everyone -- including yourself and those you love.
For me that is a bit too simple (no offense meant). If you are threatened you have to balance the harm you would be suffering by not complying with the harm you would be causing by complying.
I wasn't really saying differently. What I'm saying is that if you choose to do something you know is wrong -- even if it you feel there is no other option -- you're still doing wrong and are responsible for that.
True, but sometimes you are caught between a rock and a hard place. While it does not change the responsibility for your decision, it changes the ethics.
not everyone has the ability to quit their jobs on the spot for morality sake. there is no social safety net in america. people can't risk losing their jobs and health insurance
Are you talking specifically about engineering? If you have strong ethical disagreements with your current employer, start prepping for interviews. Start early. Invest 2-3 months. Starts interviewing. Sign an offer. Then quit. I don't think anyone in this thread is suggesting a sole family provider should just quit on an arbitrary day and lose their health insurance.
Sure they can. People lose their jobs without notice every day and while it's often a horrible situation, it's one that people can and do recover from.
But I'm not even really arguing that people who do bad things because they want to avoid harmful repercussions must choose differently. I'm arguing that people who do that are choosing to do something unethical, and we are what we do.
Perhaps the ethical tradeoff makes some practical sense for some -- but it's still an ethical tradeoff.
We are all responsible for our actions and the results our actions cause. "I was just following orders" in no way absolves anyone of that responsibility.
That you may pay a price for doing the right thing doesn't make avoiding doing it acceptable.