Instruction
Bob has a gambling problem. He gets into debt and has borrowed money from unsavory characters. His gambling problems have been chronic and all treatment efforts have failed. Bob is now in some real trouble and needs to pay off a bookie over $50,000 in gambling debts. He could be severely hurt or even killed if he doesn't pay the debt. He comes to his mother for help. She's a disabled and elderly woman who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. She has limited financial resources as well, and helping her son out would wipe out all of her savings. Her other children feel strongly that helping Bob again would not change him. He has drained everyone he knows of money over the years, and few people are willing to help him now, no matter how desperate he becomes. They claim that even if he gets out of trouble today, he'll get into more trouble tomorrow. What should his mother do?
Which of the five ethical principal(s) (integrity, competence, responsibility, respect, and concern) would you use if you were Bob's mother? Explain your reasoning.
Scenario taken from:
Plante, T. G. (2004). Do the right thing: Living ethically in an unethical world. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.