Learning Outcome #2
Ethics and Values
At the most basic level, philanthropy can be understood as a mechanism to enact positive change in society through voluntary actions. With this great power to shape society, comes the great responsibility for philanthropic actors to be accountable to those that they serve. In fact, the failure to critically evaluate the possible harms associated with a philanthropic intervention can perpetuate greater suffering. As a field of study, ethics guides the decision-making necessary to minimizing harm in any given philanthropic intervention. As I transition into becoming a physician, I must strive to honor my commitment to the Hippocratic Oath’s central tenet to “do no harm,” both as a clinician and practitioner of philanthropy.
I examined the difference between “legal” and “ethical” under the framework of the Underground Railroad. In this assignment, I made the argument that while the conductors in the Underground Railroad acted philanthropically, to provide for the material needs and safety for the victims of slavery, that the very act of defiance against the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 is also philanthropic, through challenging a law that violated human rights. Abolitionists during this era faced dangers for violating the law, and chose to embrace these risks anyway, in order to achieve the greater good for a persecuted population. This artifact demonstrates my mastery of the premise that what is legal is not always moral, and that ultimately, philanthropic actions are based on values rather than relying entirely on the legal system.