the ethicist

Author: Amanda Greene

Last weekend, I found my dad rummaging through our limited wine supply at the last minute, looking for something that he could bring to dinner at a friend's house. My dad ultimately settled on a bottle of Pinot Grigio and joked that he hoped his friend hadn't gifted him this bottle on a similar "man receives invite to dinner, man procures ceremonial alcoholic beverage or flower basket to express gratitude for being welcomed into someone's home" occasion. I was reminded of all the times that I have re-gifted presents, passing a perfume that my mom has mailed for Valentine's Day off as a well-thought-out and deliberative birthday token. I thought about the papers I had written that were birthed out of the ideas and the conclusions of other assignments. I thought about execution and intention and decided that I'm all for re-gifting because it is environmentally friendly and ensures that gifts are used (objects) or consumed (food and beverage) by individuals who actually like them, and not by people who don't know what to do with aged cheese and distasteful jewelry.

The notion that we live in a society that is constantly exchanging not only items but also ideas and creativity is (in a roundabout way) applicable to a Middlebury education and to the academic work that Middlebury students produce. What happens when the things being exchanged are not objects but are ideas and class notes? When is it okay to freely exchange ideas and notes and when does sharing take away from an individual's ability to produce something novel and original? Is the exchange that is so characteristic of college life an issue or ethics or an issue of personal choice? I decided it's not ethics. It doesn't matter where the inspiration for your paper's arguments came from as long as the ideas are your own. Stuff and ideas are recycled. Who cares who your chocolate was originally intended for? So, does anybody want the personalized stationery that my grandma sent me? Initials AG...

Q: I work at a daycare in town and have heard the mothers of children I care for spreading false information about the homophobic events that have transpired on campus and the administration's reactions to them. My employer has urged me to present myself to the parents as an aide and not as a member of the Middlebury community, but I feel that it is my obligation to set right the rumors that are spiraling out of control. Is it ethical to go against my boss's advice in order to clear Middlebury's name?
- Rattled-by-Rumor

A: Your situation is complicated by your relationship to both Middlebury and the daycare. You are, as an employee, encouraged to consider your boss's wishes, but you are not obligated to ignore your affiliation with Middlebury College. Your employer has told you he wishes for you to appear a certain way, but if you feel that discussing campus policies will not affect your relationship to the children and your ability to perform well at work, then you are free to act as you wish. You are an employee of the daycare and a student at Middlebury College and it is unethical for your boss to make you choose one identity over the other as your status as a student does not influence your job performance.