The issue to be discussed concerns the act of forgiving. Forgiveness can be shown in many different ways. The degree of forgiveness depends on ones personal beliefs. There are many ethical systems that one can apply forgiveness to. But I will apply forgiveness to my own ethical system. I live my life as a Christian and I try to live by its principles. I also believe that my God is a forgiving God and that I should be in his likeness. In this particular situation, I would have to forgive Carl for what he had done.
Christianity teaches that one should be forgiven, no matter what the circumstances are. Christians believe that God sees our faults and he forgives our faults daily. So we in turn have to forgive our brother, because God is so forgiving to us. Simon could have been bitter because of what had happen to his people. But in my ethical system, he is not allowed to hold on to those feelings. First, I would tell Carl, that I would forgive him. Carl would be a bit shocked because he wouldnt expect me to be so forgiving.
Then, I would go into explaining that my ethical beliefs would not allow me to hold any ill feelings toward him. I would tell Carl that my ethical beliefs are based upon forgiveness. I would advise Carl that he should pray and ask God for forgiveness. Forgiveness, according to my ethical system is not based on what the action is or what the punishment will be. But rather it focuses how one needs to go beyond anothers faults and forgive them anyhow.
Compared to ethical formalism, it is very different because motive or intent is not a determining factor in my ethical system. Christianity teaches that one should be forgiven in spite of. My ethical system can be compare to utilitarianism because it is based on a decision that will benefit of the whole. When a man admits that he has done wrong and he is sincerely sorry, then he should be forgiven. By Simon forgiving Carl he saved another person from dying a silent death.
