Peer-reviewed research findings pertaining to why individuals behave unethically

by | Jan 3, 2025 | Essays

Discuss some of the peer-reviewed research findings pertaining to why individuals behave unethically. In doing so, discuss using critical thinking what the academic literature has to say and apply that information toward police officer unethical conduct. No direct quotes should be utilized in the response.

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Research consistently indicates that unethical behavior stems from a complex interplay of individual, situational, and organizational factors.  

  • Individual Factors: These include personal moral development, ethical awareness, and individual differences in traits like empathy and self-control. Individuals with lower moral development or weaker ethical awareness are more likely to engage in unethical conduct.

  • Situational Factors: These include the organizational culture, the presence of ethical codes and enforcement mechanisms, and the degree of pressure to meet performance goals. A culture that condones or even tacitly encourages unethical behavior can increase the likelihood of such conduct.  

  • Organizational Factors: These include factors like leadership behavior, resource allocation, and the overall organizational climate. Leaders who prioritize short-term gains over ethical considerations or who create a culture of fear and mistrust can contribute to unethical behavior.  

Research consistently indicates that unethical behavior stems from a complex interplay of individual, situational, and organizational factors.  

  • Individual Factors: These include personal moral development, ethical awareness, and individual differences in traits like empathy and self-control. Individuals with lower moral development or weaker ethical awareness are more likely to engage in unethical conduct.

  • Situational Factors: These include the organizational culture, the presence of ethical codes and enforcement mechanisms, and the degree of pressure to meet performance goals. A culture that condones or even tacitly encourages unethical behavior can increase the likelihood of such conduct.  

  • Organizational Factors: These include factors like leadership behavior, resource allocation, and the overall organizational climate. Leaders who prioritize short-term gains over ethical considerations or who create a culture of fear and mistrust can contribute to unethical behavior.  

Applying these findings to police officer misconduct, we can see how these factors might play out. For example, a police officer with a weak moral compass may be more likely to engage in misconduct, especially if they perceive a lack of oversight or face pressure to meet arrest quotas. Similarly, a police department with a culture that tolerates or even encourages the use of excessive force may create an environment where such behavior is more likely to occur.

It is important to note that this is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors. Addressing police misconduct requires a multi-pronged approach that tackles individual, situational, and organizational factors. This might include enhanced training programs that emphasize ethical decision-making, stricter accountability measures, and the creation of a more just and equitable organizational culture.

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